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Football
Thoughts from Monday’s Open Practice
By Brandon Castel

For the first time since the annual Scarlet and Gray game in the spring, Ohio State fans were invited to Ohio Stadium for inside look at Jim Tressel and the 2009 version of the Buckeyes Monday night.

Practicing under the lights in preparation for their Sept. 12 visit from USC, the Buckeyes ran a full practice in front 4,000-5.000 die-hard OSU fans that lasted from about 8-10 p.m. Unlike Saturday’s jersey scrimmage, there was no live contact Monday, but instead the Bucks did what Tressel called “thud type stuff” that involved playing to contact, but no takedowns.

All four quarterbacks wore black “no contact” jerseys, but there was still plenty to be learned from my view in the press box high atop the Horseshoe. Here's what I saw.

Todd Denlinger

It’s scary how this defensive line can keep rolling talent on to the field even when they are without one or two of their top guys. In the spring, they played without Nathan Williams and Keith Wells, at the start of fall camp it was Rob Rose and Monday they were without starter Cameron Heyward, who was walking around in a boot after suffering a leg injury during Saturday’s scrimmage. Even without Heyward, and Lawrence Wilson, who according to Tressel is still not quite ready for live action, the defensive line was stacked. Rather than move someone like Rose or Wells up to the first group, defensive coordinator and line coach Jim Heacock opted to work senior defensive tackle Todd Denlinger with the first group while sliding Doug Worthington out to the strongside end position across from Thad Gibson. Even with that, the second line featured names like Rose and Williams along with tackles Garrett Goebel and John Simon. But it’s the fact that the Solomon Thomas and Keith Wells were playing with the third team defense that I find to be an embarrassment of riches for Heacock and the OSU defensive line.

Outside of the defensive line, the group that really impressed both myself and Mr. Ed were the wide receivers, particularly during one-on-ones in the red zone. The three that really stuck out to me tonight were DeVier Posey, Taurian Washington and Duron Carter, but really all of them had their moments. I would say that right now, Posey is the best route runner on the team, Washington the best deep threat and Carter (already) the best hands. He made a few tremendous catches in the end zone, including a one-handed, over-the-shoulder grab with his left hand in the corner of the end zone that drew some of the loudest applause of the night.

Duron Carter loses the battle for the ball with Cory Brown.

The best battle of the drill actually had Carter on the losing end of a bout with fellow freshman Corey Brown. It was a good outside-in route by Carter but Brown stayed right with him and managed to break up Joe Bauserman’s pass in the end zone. My favorite catch of the drill, however, belonged to freshman Chris Fields, who made a diving grab in the back of the end zone and then managed to get a foot down before flying out of bounds.

Senior Ray Small saw limited reps with the first team offense Monday (as did Carter), but the main three with the first group continue to be Posey and Washington on the outside with Dane Sanzenbacher in the slot. Lamaar Thomas and Jakes Stoneburner did not participate in the scrimmage portion of practice, but irregardless, Terrelle Pryor seems to be developing some serious chemistry with the first group, particularly Washington and Posey. It’s unfair to call Posey a safety valve, but I think Pryor really trusts him to come back and get the ball, while Washington appears to be Pryor’s new favorite target down the field.

Before practice, Tressel praised T-Wash for his progress starting all the way back during bowl practice, and his emergence could give the Buckeyes a formidable group in 2009. That doesn’t even include Small, who certainly has to be considered the wild card in the group, but a potential top six of Posey, Sanzenbacher, Washington, Small, Carter and Thomas is about as diverse and fearsome as the Bucks have had since their 2005 group of Santonio Holmes, Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez, Roy Hall and Brian Robiskie.

Devon Torrence

Junior Devon Torrence made an excellent play to intercept a Pryor pass in the end zone intended for Washington. He and Andre Amos shared reps with the first team defense yet again, and I continue to flip-flop on who will win the job across from Chimdi Chekwa this season. Both have had their moments and today it was Torrence. He had a near pick in the one-on-ones and then came from across the field to make a play on Pryor’s pick. He clearly has the edge in athleticism and he seems to make a lot of plays at the corner position, but sometimes that might mean he tends to gamble more than he should. Both are big corners who don’t shy away from contact, but Amos is probably a little better at “manning up” against bigger, more physical receivers. Ultimately I think Amos will start get the start in game one, but that could change as quickly as week two against USC.

Offensively, the Buckeyes have shown some new wrinkles this spring, but the one play that looks like it might stick is the shovel pass. Maybe it is something the staff saw on film specifically for Navy, or maybe even USC, but it seems to be something work on a few times per practice. It doesn’t get much attention in the football ranks, but the shovel play is actually a great low risk, high reward play. It acts somewhat like a draw play, but it helps keep the quarterback standing upright and it all but eliminates the potential for a fumble. If the receiver fails to handle the pass, it falls harmless to the Turf as an incompletion. About the only real risk involved in the play is if a defensive lineman or linebacker somehow manages to read the play and step in front of the shovel pass for an interception.

Once again the offensive line showed it could run block Monday night, and that’s without starting left guard Justin Boren, who is expected to return to practice full time by the middle of this week. Andrew Moses got the nod in his place once again with the first group, but the guy who impressed me at the position is Corey Linsley. The freshman also got some reps with the first group Monday and he just looks like a kid with a bright future at the guard position. He is quick and strong for a freshman. He doesn’t seem to get lost and holds his own against the stronger, more mature front line of the first team defense. He probably won’t contribute in 2009, but look for him to be a mainstay in the two-deep by 2010 with the potential for him to be in the starting lineup by 2011.

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