Football
2007 Offensive Outlook
By John Porentas

This is part two of a three-part series on the 2007 outlook for the OSU football team. The first installment on the defense published on Monday. Today's installment will focus position by position on the offense.

Offensive line: The offensive line was very good in 2006. It should be again in 2007. Returners will include left tackle junior Alex Boone (6-8, 310), right tackle fifth-year senior Kirk Barton (6-6, 310), and left guard junior Steve Rehring (6-8, 329). The returning trio will bring size, strength and experience. Gone are right tackle T.J. Downing and center Doug Datish. Replacements appear to be in place.

Redshirt junior Ben Person (6-4, 315) is primed and ready to take Downing's slot at right guard. According to OSU offensive line coach Jim Bollman, Person came on very strong last season as was pushing Downing for playing time at the season's end. The right guard spot should be solid again in 2007 with Person on the field. At center, redshirt sophomore Jim Cordle (6-4, 285) is the man to beat. The OSU coaching staff has liked Cordle since his arrival on campus, and thought about playing him as a true freshman, but injuries to Cordle put an end to that plan. Cordle is now healthy and ready to assume a starting position. He got playing time last year as a backup and played well this spring.

Depth will also be good along the offense line, though perhaps not quite as good as last season when the OSU coaching staff was able to substitute an entire second unit and did so even in big game (like Texas) when the game was still on the line. That policy will pay dividends this year as the players who came into the game under those circumstances gained valuable experience.

Key backups in 2007 will be redshirt freshman Connor Smith (6-5, 295), redshirt junior Jon Skinner (6-5, 300), Redshirt freshman Bryant Browning (6-4, 325), redshirt freshman Josh Kerr (6-5, 285), redshirt junior Kyle Mitchum (6-5, 295), and redshirt sophomore Andrew Moses (6-3, 280).

Moses and Smith have emerged as the top candidates to back up Cordle as center. Moses is a walkon who definitely had impressed Bollman. Moses, who participated in the Big 33 game, has done an excellent job in the weight room. He has gotten bigger and stronger, and is now a factor on the OSU depth chart.

Skinner has worked at center, guard and tackle and will most likely be the primary backup at the tackle positions. He missed some of spring ball with a minor injury but will be fine for summer conditioning and fall camp. He was part of that second offensive line that played last season and actually still has a shot at earning a starting position. Kerr will most likely also backup at the tackle spots.

Mitchum missed most of spring ball with an injury, but like Skinner, was a part of last-season's second-line and is a seasoned veteran. Mitchum will likely be the primary backup at the guard positions. Pushing Mitchum in that role is Browning who brings impressive size to the backup line.

The backups along the offensive line will be younger than they were last season, but are a talented group, and will have several more-seasoned players like Mitchum and Skinner to lead them.

Of the newcomers in the starting lineup, perhaps the most critical replacement will be at center where Cordle will be expected not only to block but also to call blocking assignments.

OSU's offensive starting line should compare favorably with the 2006 edition. There will be depth in 2007, but the depth will be to some extent younger than it was in 2006, but with players like Skinner and Mitchum in the mix, the Buckeyes should have enough players to be consistent throughout 2007.

Tight Ends: Junior Rory Nicol (6-5, 250) returns next fall as well backup sophomore Jake Ballard (6-7, 255). Nicol was the starter in 2006 and is a hard-nosed player that is effective as both a blocker and a receiver. Ballard was a pleasant surprise in his true-freshman year last season. His blocking skills lave led some to speculate that he may be suited for an offensive tackle position, but he has both the necessary speed and ball skills to be an effective receiver as well.

Also in the mix at tight end is redshirt junior Brandon Smith (6-3, 255), walkon redshirt junior Will Crall (6-4, 240), redshirt freshman Andy Miller (6-6, 260), and walkon redshirt sophomore John Larson (6-4, 220). Smith is probably OSU's third tight end and caught a touchdown pass in the OSU spring game, while Crall is probably the fourth option at that position.

OSU's tight ends did not figure prominently in last year's offense with the offensive emphasis having been on wide receivers Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez, tailback Antonio Pittman, and quarterback Troy Smith. Things could be different in 2007. All of those performers are gone. The expectation is that the OSU running game will feature big-back Beanie Wells and a more controlled passing game. That could bode well for the tight ends as pass receivers, and might also mean they will be on the field more in support of a running game that will be more power oriented. OSU's tight ends will be deeper and more experienced in 2007.

Running Backs: Two scholarship tailbacks return in the 2007, sophomore Chris "Beanie" Wells (6-1, 230) and junior Maurice Wells (5-10, 190). Chris Wells was OSU's number two option at tailback last season behind Antonio Pittman and was also OSU's short-yardage back. He is expected to win the starting position in 2007 but was not able to participate in spring drills due to an ankle sprain. Wells gained 576 yards last season and averaged 5.5 yards per carry on 104 total carries. He did show some tendency to fumble early in the season, but improved in that area late in the year.

Maurice Wells will challenge Chris for playing time next fall. With Chris out this spring Maurice got most the reps and made the most of his opportunity. Maurice is running with more authority and confidence than he did in 2006. He is extremely quick and showed both good vision and the ability to make the right cut in both the jersey scrimmage and the spring game. He looked like a much-improved back with a great deal more confidence. The Buckeyes should have two very good backs in 2007.

Behind the Wells boys are a group of walkons that include Joe Gantz,K.C. Christian, and Marcus Williams.

Stan White has graduated and left a void at the fullback position, a void that will most likely be filled by seniors Dionte Johnson (6-0, 235) and Trevor Robinson (6-0. 220). Redshirt freshman Aram Olson (6-2, 255) will also add depth at fullback. Johnson is likely to see most the action at fullback as will converted offensive lineman Tyler Waley. The quartet will be less-experienced than White was in 2007 and will probably not be quite as athletic.

Wide Receiver: The Buckeyes were hit hard by graduation at the wide receiver spots. Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez and Roy Hall have all moved on, and all were drafted in the recent NFL draft. The 2007 receiving corps will have some very big shoes to fill.

At split end, junior Brian Robiske (6-3, 195) returns after seeing extensive action last season in OSU's multi-receiver sets. Also returning is junior Devon Lyons (6-4, 215) whose career has been impeded by injury but was healthy this spring. Both Robiske and Lyons are capable receivers with good speed and hands. Robiske made big plays in big games as a sophomore including a key touchdown catch in the Michigan game, and Lyons stood out in both the jersey scrimmage and spring game.

At flanker redshirt sophomore Brian Hartline (6-3, 180) had a very solid season last year in limited action but missed some of spring ball with a hamstring injury. Sophomore Ray Small (6-0, 175) brings great speed to the position and red-shirt junior Albert Dukes (6-1, 190) stepped up his game this spring. Walkon redshirt junior Dan Potokar (6-0, 175) performed very well this spring and may have worked his way into the mix in 2007.

The 2007 receiving corps will be solid, but it will very difficult for that group to measure up to the 2006 group. None have the game-breaking, world-class speed of Ted Ginn nor the savvy game and deep-speed of Anthony Gonzalez. Robiske was effective last season when defenses had to be aware of Ginn on the field, but it remains to be seen whether he or any of the other OSU receivers can get open consistently when defenses can focus their attention on them and not Ginn. Small has shown some flashes of big play ability, but has yet to make that happen in game.

The OSU receiving corps will be adequate in 2007, but will not measure up to the 2006 group. Lyons may be poised for a breakout season in 2007. That would be a great boost for the OSU receiving corps. A true big-play threat will has not emerged as yet to put pressure on defenses.

Quarterback: Troy Smith and Justin Zwick are gone leaving a vacuum at the quarterback position. Redshirt junior Todd Boeckman (6-5, 235) is the current heir-apparent at that position. The OSU coaching staff said before spring drills that Boeckman was the leader going into camp, and said after camp that had not changed. Boeckman is big, athletic quarterback with deceptive speed, though he is not nearly as elusive as Smith. Boeckman has a very strong arm and has been in the OSU offense long enough to know it inside out. Boeckman simply lacks experience, but is a confident player who should be able to get the job done.

Currently backing up Boeckman is redshirt sophomore Robby Schoenhoft (6-6, 240). Like Boeckman, Schoenhoft is a big quarterback who can run and like Boeckman has a great arm. Schoenhoft is a big-play kind of quarterback whose lone drawback is probably that he is a bit too aggressive with the football. Schoenhoft likes to make big plays, but sometimes gets too aggressive, a trait that can lead to interceptions. He did lead his team to the only touchdown of the spring game.

Redshirt freshman Antonio Henton (6-2, 210) showed a good arm and tremendous scrambling ability in the jersey scrimmage and the spring game, but also showed a tendency for making costly mistakes. Henton reminds some people of Troy Smith, though Henton is considerably bigger than Smith. Henton may be the future at the OSU quarterback position, but is probably at least a year away from being able to contribute on a regular basis.

The OSU quarterback position benefited from Troy Smith's feet in 2005, but in 2006, Smith was much more a passer than runner/scrambler. In that respect, the quarterback position will not be that much different in 2007 than it was in 2006. What the quarterback position will not have in 2007 is the receiver array that it had in 2006. For that reason, the OSU passing game may be different this year, focusing more on a controlled passing game and the tight end than it has in the past few seasons. OSU's receiver corps may not be as good as it was in 2006, but will probably be better than it was in 2002, and that's good news for the OSU quarterbacks.

Overall Offensive Outlook: The preseason focus will certainly be on the quarterback position, but we think that position will be solid. The OSU coaching staff insists that position is still up for grabs, and it may well be, but we think the only two real contenders at this moment are Boeckman and Schoenhoft with Boeckman holding the edge. We think both those players will see action in the non-conference portion of the season. Henton is probably a year away from really contending, but anything can happen. He is a talent, but must learn to play within the system.

The Buckeyes will not have the big-play threat they have enjoyed in the Ted Ginn era. The passing game will therefore be more conservative and less down-field oriented, particularly with a new quarterback at the helm. The OSU tight ends will probably be used more as receivers than they have in the last three years, and that could help the wide receivers by keeping defenses out of the nickel defense.

The OSU running game will likely be more front-stage in 2007. Both Chris and Maurice Wells will get their carries. Their contrasting styles should pose problems for defenses. The lack of a deep threat in the passing game, however, may hinder the running game to some extent as defenses may be able to commit safeties to defending the run.

Overall, the OSU offense will be less-explosive than it has been in the past few seasons. If it is to be effective, it will have to be consistent.

Return to the-Ozone Columns and Features

Return to the-OZone Front Page