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Football
Jersey Scrimmage Leaves Hazy Situation at LT
By Brandon Castel

With the season-opener against Navy just two weeks away, Saturday's jersey scrimmage was intended to make things clearer for Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel and his staff.

Instead, things are hazier than ever when it comes to the left tackle position.

Expected to be one of the most intense – not to mention important – position battles of the fall, the race to replace four-year starter Alex Boone on the left side of the offensive line now looks like one that could carry over into the regular season.

Andrew Miller (55) and
Mike Adams (75)

"We've got three guys competing at that spot with Andrew Miller, J.B. Shugarts and Michael Adams," Tressel said Saturday.

"But we have another 12 or 13 practices to go, plus the early season games. So, whoever jogs out there for that first series of the first game, that doesn't mean they will be jogging out there on the 21 st of November (against Michigan). So, it's an ongoing thing."

The spring ended with Miller and Adams splitting reps at left tackle with the first-team offensive line, but Saturday it was Miller and Shugarts who alternated with the first group, while Adams shared reps on the third group with freshman Sam Longo.

"Probably going into the scrimmage we thought it was Miller, Shugarts and Adams, in that order," Tressel said. "That order could change because there's still a lot of snaps left to make decisions."

In that order…

And with those words, for the first time we have an actual pecking order at the left tackle position.

If Saturday's scrimmage was any indication, it appears to be a two-way battle between Miller, a converted tight end, and Shugarts, a former high school tight end and converted right tackle.

Andrew Miller

"I think Andy probably feels a little more comfortable over there because he's been there the whole time, but I think J.B. is doing a good job as well," said fifth-year senior Andrew Moses, who started the scrimmage alongside Miller at left guard.

"Andy is a guy who has been around for four years and he knows the program well. He's a really hard worker and he's always improving."

Based on his work in the spring and early this fall, Miller would appear to the smart bet for the player most likely to open the season as the starter at left tackle, but like Tressel said, that doesn't mean he will be out there on Nov. 21 st in Ann Arbor.

Miller is big and athletic and has made an excellent transition from tight end to offensive tackle. Based on what they showed today, he would appear to be Ohio State's best pass blocker on the outside, but the fact Shugarts is already getting reps with the first team at left tackle is an indication of how quickly he is closing the gap.

"I don't know (what's going to happen), there's a lot of guys," senior right tackle Jimmy Cordle said. "They moved J.B. over there to get some reps and if he learns it, he could be. Obviously Andy Miller has come a long way, and Mike."

J.B. Shugarts

Shugarts spent most of his first season in Columbus repping at right tackle and then missed all of spring practice following off-season shoulder surgery. He came into fall camp as the backup to Cordle at right tackle and it only seemed normal that he would be behind the eight-ball after missing so much time.

"J.B.'s been playing a lot of right (tackle), so it's been a little bit of an adjustment for him, but he's a quick learner and he works really hard," Moses said. "I know he's played some left before, so he should be fine."

Even if Adams can't find a way to get back into the competition for the starting spot, the Buckeyes may not be able to settle on a starter by the time they take the field against Navy on Sept. 5. Obviously coach Jim Bollman would prefer to have his starting five come into focus over the next 14 days, but the Buckeyes will need to find some better consistency for that to happen.

"It's interesting over there. Obviously we're still trying to find a guy that can consistently play that spot," Cordle said. "If we're still trying to figure it out, then that's how it's going to be. It would be nice to have it, but it doesn't seem like that's the way it's going to be."

The idea of rotating players at one of the most important positions in football might sound scary to most Buckeye fans (and probably for good cause), Cordle believes it might not be the worst situation for the OSU offense early in the season.

"Eventually it will happen, but we could be better rotating guys and keeping guys fresh if a couple guys are right there at the same level," Cordle said. "If one guy doesn't step above the other, then why not?"

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