Per SI's Pete Thamel...
SI EXCLUSIVE: Braxton Miller talks to @SInow about his position change for the 2015 season. http://t.co/ZA5aMqqLGf— Pete Thamel (@SIPeteThamel) July 24, 2015
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Makes sense. He wasn't going to win the starting job, nor was he going to have a pro career at QB. This way he can learn the position for a year then be ready to go at WR once he gets drafted.
That's probably best for him. Insane athleticism, jacked up throwing shoulder, need for a deep threat, hard to argue.
Not that it will make the task of defatting OSU any easier, but that is one less QB Bud Foster's defense will have to worry about.
If you think Bud Foster believes Miller won't possibly take snaps as QB, you don't give the man enough credit. He will plan for all of them to take snaps. I'm sure he's already thought of the possibility of Miller being placed elsewhere on the field before this announcement. There's a reason he's an elite DC. He does his homework.
It would be a deadly mistake to doubt Foster. No matter where OSU line-up Braxton, the Hokies D will adjust.
Especially against a properly fatted OSU.
Thank you. I'm so glad someone finally addressed that.
The article itself says he is going to play H-Back, which would require him to block some.
This move was on the table, so it's not too big of a surprise. If I had to speculate, if he would have been completely healthy for the start of OSU's camp, I bet the chances of him transferring would be higher.
That punt return part could be scary, depending on how many reps he gets at doing that in practice.
and this is why they want AJ to get the ball into the stratosphere. Hard to get a good return off when the gunner has time to run up to you, kneel down, and re-tie his cleats before the ball even gets there.
The trade-off with college kickers is they generally sacrifice distance for height or vice versa. While a higher kick does reduce the average return distance, the side-effect is good field position from a fair catch. Now if AJ can kick it as high as the Beamer Barn and 50 yards downfield or get it to drop at the 1 , he will have earned an NFL contract.
He may start at H-back, but at the start of the 2nd half, he'll be the only person left who can play QB for them.
If neither Barrett nor Jones is on the field in the second half, it probably won't be looking good for the home team...
Not if they're out injured.
Not happening.
That's why they play it on the field and not over chat boards.
In any case, it's just a case of hyperbole and fan confidence on my part. Don't take it too personally.
Almost got it. If he'd said "will" then he'd have lobbed that one up for you. As it is, it just comes off as trying too hard to make a joke. Trust me. I know all about trying too hard to make jokes happen.
.....*too
*ducks*
ducks?
kidding. I fixed it
QB to WR? Shouldn't he be a TE?
H-back is a nice way of saying TE. See "Cooley, Chris."
Cooley was awesome. Loved that guy.
Favorite Chris Cooley story was him using his self proclaimed "Captain Chaos" moniker during the coin toss of the Skins vs Rams game. As the players introduced themselves to each of the other 3 "captains", Chris got a little closer than usual and shook the hand of each of the 3 men and announced, [shaking hand of player 1] "Hello, Captain Chaos", [shaking hand of player 2] "Hello, Captain Chaos", etc..... HYSTERICAL. loved that guy.
My favorite Cooley moment: When he 'accidently' tweeted a picture of his own junk.
not sure if you remember but that was quite the rage at the time...i believe no less than Sean Salisbury, Mike Tirico and Brett Favre did something similar (and I'm sure I'm forgetting some others)...esteemed company
SKY'S OUT THIGHS OUT!
So did the Redskins cheerleaders!
This should be a surprise to no one.
Love it. One less to prepare for at QB.
Fud'sBud's play calling just got less complicated. Granted, I understand that Brax will be a threat in the slot, but I feel as if he would have been worse coming out of the backfield with our safties and DB's backs turned and him running for 50+ yards all game.EDIT: Not that the other two are not a threat to run, but I feel better about containment.
I think you got this backwards. Bud doesn't prepare for opposing QBs, opposing Qbs prepare for Bud.
He can also do a wheelie on a unicycle.
I'm not so sure it makes it any easier. You know potentially have 2 throwing options in the backfield with Miller and JT/12 Gauge as well as a running threat with Miller / Zeke. This switch lets us get 2, instead of 1, of our best players on the field at the same time. The challenge is for him to develop quickly into a receiving threat since he hasn't played WR; as a punt returner he will be fun to watch.
I was thinking the same thing. I'd be on the lookout for pitches / screens to miller where miller then tries to hit a deep threat by another receiver. Especially if Barrett is in as I don't think the old pass to the wr to then throw to the now open QB would be very effective with 12G in there. He's a bulldozer not a Porsche.
I don't think he is a throwing threat deep. His shoulder won't allow him to hit bombs.
While I could definitely see the trick plays happening later in the season, don't forget that part of the reason he switched positions is because his arm is injured. Until it fully heals, I wouldn't expect him to be heaving any long bombs, regardless of what position he's playing.
While a trick play like that may be tried, I'd look more for pitches or short throws as the QB rolls out to get Miller the ball and let him do what he does running. Or, a direct snap to him and let him run or pitch to Zeke. I would not have him throw much, especially early to prevent reinjury and we have 2 decent passers in our QB's so let them throw the ball and get it Miller. Having whims a note treat makes covering our WR a bit more challenging because know the have to decide - will he run or throw the ball? I'd bet on run, at least in your game, simply because he's still healing.
I'm not saying that's going to be the only play they run with him. But is he limited so much that he can't throw a ball once a game maybe?? I mean if he can't even endure a throwing motion once in a while (i understand repeated use) then how is he going to hold up to being hit??
I think we are on the same page, what I was saying is don't expect him to be used to throw the ball as much as the Meyer H-back. You might see a trick play or two but I suspect you'd see more pitches and design runs that a direct snap or pitch and throw play.
The only thing that makes it any easier is preparation. A few media members were saying that this wasn't supposed to come out at this point, and that is why Meyer tried to put a blanket on it.
No one doubts Miller's skill whatsoever, as well as the flexibility this gives OSU's offense to cause opponents trouble. That said, I think it is beneficial to have more more cards turned over going into camp than less.
Most would have guessed this is how it would have played out, but the less guessing the better in my mind.
Definitely agree with you on that one. But out of the 3 QBs, I always thought Miller was the most dangerous.
Wow. I honestly didn't see this coming. Not having watched him play, I wondered why so many OSU reader boards were bearish on his chances at earning the starting nod this fall. I wish the best for him. I think having this info now will only help our coaches and defense prepare. Having beaten #15 (Barrett) once already, our chances of winning just increased in my mind. This game might include some trickery on their part, though. Having Miller and Barrett in the game at the same time could present some confusing looks.
The OSU boards were bearish because the OSU boards (like most boards) are delusional. This guy blew out his arm again in his 1st live practice after 8 months of rehab. Another 12 months of rehab had a very small chance of changing that.
He wasn't a very strong NFL prospect at QB before the injuries, let alone after them. So the questions really became 1) how long do I continue pretending to be a QB and get to a position where I might have pro potential and 2) and what position do I switch to?
My guess is that this wasn't a rush decision; if he really thought he could still be a QB, he would have likely transferred months ago. What worries me a little is that he chose receiver - which indicates that he may have shown some natural ability there. What doesn't worry me is that it is much harder to switch positions than most fans think; some pull it off with relative ease, but most don't.
(See VT recruiting of Athletic / Mobile QB's and our attempts to turn them into WRs)
I also think this was a much more involved decision than just waking up one moment and saying "I want to be an H Back and punt return guy." No one doubts his running ability and speed and thus his talents are well suited to the new positions. He may not get many passes as he learns the receiver role and gets better at it and everyone is comfortable with his recovery; even so he presents a challenge to opposing defenses in that he can run, pitch or even throw if needed and did all those things very well before as a QB. His running ability makes him a threat to take every punt to the house as well. Overall, I think it's the smart move for him as it plays to his strengths while minimizing concerns over his arm and ability to throw the ball in the NFL.
The press seems to keep saying he's becoming a WR which is not what he said; then again the sports press seems to write whatever comes into their head anyway.
For the long term, Miller is cementing his reputation in Ohio as a true Buckeye and can pretty much write his own ticket once his football career is over. He's displayed leadership, maturity, loyalty, and a willingness to put in the hard work to be successful and place his team above himself as well.
Miller doesn't strike me as a punt returner. That requires a skill set that isn't as similar to RB (which is essentially what Miller was) as it seems on face value. If it was, given the reduced value of RBs in the NFL now, we'd see a lot more RBs returning punts. AFAIK, we don't.
Yeah, I kinda hope Miller is on PR duty, to be honest. That is a totally unique position. QBs are trained to keep their eyes downfield, regardless of what is going on around them. PR are trained to keep their eyes on the ball regardless of what is going on around them.
And that's just for starters.
I can see everyone looking to Miller to make some big play and getting blown up or muff the punt. I actually see this move as a positive for VT.
Not scared one iota here.
I think it's more his talent as a runner who can create big gains and as an athlete who's skills can translate to a number of positions. As a QB, he would read a defenses, get the ball and the look for a lane. As a punt returner, he may spend less time reading the defense while he watches the ball but once he get step ball it's a matter of finding a lane and avoiding tackles, much like a QB tag a power back who is breaking tackles to gain a few extra yards. Miller's ability to shift direction and break open a run is what counts here, not the ability to drag a few players along to pick up the first down. He may or may not be successful aa a PR, but the running ability he displayed is a good sign he has th potential to be a dangerous PR.
Miller has a really really quick first step and is elusive in the open field. Characteristics that are key for PR
David Wilson had similar characteristics (but faster) and he would have not have been a good punt returner.
There are reasons you don't see many 6'2" 215lb punt returners. They're not quite as quick and elusive when they're not following a line or eluding 210 lb gunners instead of DLs.
Delusional is correct. I've had numerous fans here in NE Ohio state all kinds of crazy scenarios (involving all 3 QBs) they thought were both practical and likely. They're like kids with GI Joes after that championship! They seem to grasp that Urban is a smart coach who values his job, but then it's too easy to forget that they have talent in a whole lot of positions besides at QB. There is some kind of mental block in the some of their heads that they automatically win in week 1, so they can pretty much just show up in made-up formations and win by 50, kinda like they dreamed it up back in their Ninja Turtle days.
I don't think their players will be so nave (But do I wish they will). Urban Meyer won't be taking a team he never led last season lightly.
As far as Braxton goes, he is pretty athletic but won't be playing more than a few role positions here and there. Unless he screams up the depth chart, I don't see him playing much more than a touted Freshman recruit behind the normal starters. His arm sounds like it won't be 100% week one, either. Unless he can break a big play on a spot rotation, or they can sneak him in for a trick play without us noticing he's more likely a non-factor in week 1.
I see Miller as basically a bigger Deon Newsome. He's gonna be their sweep guy and there will be counters and trickeration off of that.
So, we should expect some trickery..
Probably
Like they need you to promote their marching band.
As an ex marching bandsman myself, I have to admit, that's pretty darned slick.
Agree.....their band is pretty awesome at that stuff. I don't know if it's cause they are the only ones that get shown doing stuff but I haven't seen any other band do the things they do on the field.
There is another band and I'll have to look it up they "borrowed" some ideas from.
As one engineering geek to another here is one you might enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQAURLlukO8
yep, you guys definitely win the marching band contest. May it be the only thing you win until after labor day.
I'd imagine he will be used like Percy Harvin was at UF. He can also throw which adds another wrinkle. Definitely gonna cause some match up problems and open up some trick plays for them.
I'm pretty excited for this. As a VT fan, it scares me, because if he wanted to play QB, he wasn't going to see the field, but as a football fan it excites me because he is going to be so much fun to watch as a WR.
Hope he likes a little contact.
FodieJoster likes contact, not sure about Brax. My money on Fodie.
Dang, I was hoping he would be the starter. We're in his head already. Blow him up Fuller!
We are in all of their heads... what I'm looking forward to is how anOSU reacts and how Bud counters it. Will be a great chess match that I will have to watch the next day to figure out how whatever happens happens.
... and then read French's column to find out what REALLY happened.
Good for us. There's an inverse relationship between opposing QB experience vs. the chances of a Bud Foster enrampagement.
He has 1 month to learn a position and then go up against Bud Foster's d?
So many delusional anOSU fans just had to change their thought process, I wonder how eleven warrior is reporting this, Navy how does it look over there.
Very positively. A number of us felt BM would make a switch to H back, based on his injury plus his ability to run is better suited for a WR/Back role in the NFL than as a QB. Overall, folks are just happy for him for what he accomplished and for sticking with the program when he had the chance to bolt.
Yes a number like you or are rational, but a large segment, the beat VT by 40 crowd, don't know what to think.
I haven't looked, but the segment you are referring to I would imagine spinning this into more headaches for Bud Foster and therefore an even bigger beat down...
Most are rational, it's just that the delusional ones are the loudest.
Such is life.
I would say this last till about midway through the 2nd qtr on Labor Day when Dadi has knocked the 1st and 2nd stringer out of the game amirite?
Perhaps Terrelle Pryor gave his ole pal a ring and told him about how his NFL career panned out..
Didn't TP have enough trouble with selling his golden pants trinkets to worry about giving a college player a piece of jewelry? /s
what's with all the "delusional fans" shade at anOSU? They are the national champs. They're the only team that have the right to be delusional. They won it all and return loads of starters. The QB that is moving to WR didn't even play last season and their 2nd string didn't even win the big game or any playoffs. They have a big chance at repeating as champions this year, for anyone here that thinks that isn't a real possibility and that they aren't afforded the luxury of looking down on their opponents you're kidding yourselves. I mean look at their schedule this year, after the loss to VT they very well could run the table again and repeat with ease. With ease! Let's give them that respect.
Everyone has the right to be delusional. It doesn't change the fact you're still delusional.
We don't need to call them delusional though. Especially when the few OSU fans that visit here are not the ones proclaiming a 40+ point victory over us. I know not every VT fan is gracious and perfect win or lose, and I hate it when someone assumes I'm an obnoxious VT fan just because of that one obnoxious VT fan they met. After all, if OSU beats us 59-0 like they did to wisconsin (a team that had 4 more wins than we did last year) are we the delusional ones?
Why would we be the delusional ones? Because they beat Wisconsin? Did you not see week 2 last year? Our average at best team last year brought the hammer down on them at home. I don't see in any realm that we would be delusional for thinking we can beat them again with a more experienced team at home now.
It's not unreasonable to expect OSU fans to think they'll spank us. It's a revenge game, something Meyer is very very good at doing, and they are STACKED. Probably one of the best teams of this millennium. If I was in their place I'd be pretty cocky as well. Expecting a 20 point victory is cocky, but delusional? Considering how they destroyed their playoff opponents, I would say it's not.
40+ point victory is delusional, definitely, but 20 point isn't.
finally. well done, mattfan +1
http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2015/07/24/miller-positi...
Now this:
The circus has officially begun.
A team and a fan base that seem to really be feeling themselves and a QB controversy that will have the entire nation watching. Sounds distracting.
On a side note, as far as we know not a single OSU player has gotten in trouble this offseason. Kudos to them for sure.
If I was Meyer, I wouldn't want Tech to know what he was doing until Ohio State's offense first took the field. Have to wonder if he's unhappy the potential cat got out of the bag.
Meh... Guy hasn't been practicing that position and now some expect him to jump right in and contribute? Maybe later in the season, but he is going to be clueless out there early on, and especially in their opener. He simply hasn't had enough practice to run even the simplest of routes effectively, he'd get eaten alive by our secondary. And if they put him in a position where he has to pass block, that just became the huge weak point of the Offensive Line.
I mean, good for them, they can get him on the field, but I can't help but feel if he plays any significant role in the game, it will play right into our hands.
I'm not so sure that is the case. He is a very talented runner, and his arm injury didn't impact that, so he could be used in the H-Back for pitch and direct snaps more than as a receiver. A plus is, since he has experience at QB and reading defenses, he can take a snap or pitch and decide wether to run, pitch to Elliot or even throw a screen to a WR. he adds a new wrinkle to our offense although I don't think it's a game changing move. It makes it somewhat easier to game plan since now it's JT or 12 Gauge but we've added the "what to do against Miller when he is also lining up" angle. He's too good of an athlete not to get playing time and this gets him on the field without pulling a QB.
The question is though, if you could give 30 carries to Elliot or less than 20 with the remainder going to Braxton, which would you do? Yes, you get another weapon, but you also take away touches from your other weapons. Elliot at this point will be far more reliable than Miller IMO.
so it's kind of like playing GT. Anyone in the back field may end up with the ball. We have a pretty good plan for that every year (INTs from last year notwithstanding): play good assignment defense and put the guy with the ball on the ground in the backfield. 60% of the time it works 100% of the time.
Ehhhh, fewer touches for Dontre Wilson. Or fewer carries for Elliott. Or fewer scrambles from Barrett. Or fewer rumbles from Jones. Or fewer receptions from Thomas or Marshall or Smith.
Only so many snaps. Whoever gets the ball will be really good.
I don't think Meyer owes Miller anything. If he isn't producing, you could see this H-back business fade away quick during big games. I could see him giving him reps in garbage time, but Meyer knows to ride his horses when it counts.
Sidenote: I just rewatched the anOSU-Oregon game from last year. Elliot and Jones just were able to grind down Oregon on the ground and break their will. I know their defense can be described as 'finesse', but the Buckeyes looked like a completely different team; what a machine.
Hokies will have their hands full, but I know Bud has this under control.
I don't think you could call their D finesse at all - Ducks played against USC and Stanford and won against them, and those teams play power football.
They just blitz a lot and take a lot of chances in the hope that an extra possession for their O will turn into points.
if this means VT is now a 19 point dog instead of a 16 point dog AT HOME at night, then I think it's a fantastic move as I double down on the Hokies. this is a gift. the masses are asses.
In week 2 he will switch back to QB since he will not have to face another Bud Foster defense.
I'VE NEVER BEEN SOOO EXCITED FOR AN OPENING GAME BEFORE!
(ok maybe Bama in 2009 - wasn't as excited for Boise in 2010).
LETS JUST PLAY NOW AND GET THIS THING STARTED!
Same here!
I respect Braxton a lot for what he's done for the university. He stuck through the bad years, waited his turn and when he got injured was nothing but supportive to his teammates. And now he's willing to change positions to do what's best for the team, and maybe what's best for himself although I'm sure in his heart he always would've liked to be successful as a QB.
It's the same reason I greatly respect Logan Thomas. They're both 100% team players who put their team above themselves.
The risk of having either Braxton or Barrett being able to throw or run is going to be a huge issue that Bud is hopefully going to be able to solve. Both guys are gamebreakers, and that's without even mentioning EzE.
Not worried about slow developing gadget plays. Confident that our DL will be in the backfield quick enough to disrupt that. Also confident that Kendall and Facyson are disciplined enough to deal with that. Not worried about Braxton as an H-Back because their H-back from last year is better. And I'm certainly not worried about him as a punt returner, because he probably hasn't returned a punt since maybe his freshman or sophomore year of high school, and don't think he'd be very confident doing that. Meh. I don't think he sees the field that much in week 1. I'm not even sure he's fully healthy. Onward to the next thing...
I posted on here on another thread why I thought Braxton would go to a slash position. It made too much sense for his shoulder situation, his NFL future, and Ohio State's needs. Now Ohio State has a more manageable 2-headed QB monster and they added a weapon into the arsenal. It was a no-brainer IMO. If it hadn't happened, I would have been pissed, but it really had to be. At the same time, I think if Braxton thought he could throw and stay healthy, he would have competed at QB because that's where his heart is. So this decision, while best for his now and future still represents a form of sacrifice.
Braxton Miller is a freak with the ball in his hands in the open field. The chance to get the ball to him in those situations will stress any defense. The big question with him is, and will always be, can he be durable? He is injury prone - and that's an understatement. But if he is on the field, he will scare the bejeebers out of people - and rightfully so. We'll have to see if he can hold up to the punishment. Assuming he gets through camp healthy, game 1 is not when you want to see him, but I would have the goal of hitting him hard every time he touches the ball and even when he doesn't.
I would ask you guys to watch Ohio State's games 3-12 last year, and then say you want to see JT again. Because I have watched all of those games (multiple times), I believe that JT runs the Urban Meyer offense more efficiently than any QB ever has in the history of the Urban Meyer offense. He is a born leader, he is tough as nails, he can run every concept in the playbook from first to last, he distributes the ball to all weapons, he gets it to the right guy at the right time, he has remarkable touch and accuracy, he makes the right reads a high percentage of the time, and he helps old ladies across the street. I'm obviously a JT guy. :)
I believe Cardale will get at least a series a quarter, and he will stress defenses by stretching the field with accurate downfield passing and with power running. That's my take on it FWIW.
PS: The thing about Ohio State players staying out of trouble is interesting to me. Urban took over an OSU program on probation due to the Tatgate scandal and a history of tons of arrests and troubled players at Florida. He got here, and anyone who got into trouble met with immediate suspension, and, ultimately, tough punishment. Carlos Hyde slapped AT a woman in a club who had hit him - 4 games. Stud CB Brad Roby got in a bar fight - 4 games. A TE lost a year for underage drinking. The last guy to get into trouble was last Memorial Day when DE Tracy Sprinkle was involved in a riot/fight at the "Grown and Sexy Lounge" (if you can believe that) in Lorain, Ohio. Urban's discipline has been somewhere between appropriate and excessive, but it seems to have had the effect of making young men think about putting themselves in places and positions where they are going to find trouble. I give kudos to Urban for learning from past mistakes and creating a culture where this BS will not be tolerated.
I just don't see Braxton seeing the field much week 1. Tyrod Taylor was an animal on a broken play, but even Logan Thomas had trouble making a designed run work as well as an improvisation. Without lining up as the QB, I don't think Braxton is going to be as scary for us as he will for them in a new position. I'm sure he'll see the field on a few plays, but he's not even a starter at this point. He's going to be hard to disguise, but more than likely he'll be a big distraction to a play going the other way in week 1.
I think JT struggled against Penn State although I think it was because the line struggled. I am not sure Penn State did anything special I just remember the highlights. The Buckeyes have exceptional talent but they can be beaten.
OT - I'm passing time by watching the 2004 season.
Observation - Bryan Randall should have gotten an Oscar nod for his play action. Dude could flat sell a fake.
I'm not really understanding the sentiment by some OSU fans on getting 2 or 3 of the QBs on the field at the same time or alternating them. I really think it's a silly way of trying to rationalize/utilize the depth at QB. Let's look at this honestly: unless something has changed, you can only have 11 guys on the field at once. So if you want to run a gadgety trick play or some clever formation with all 3, what two guys are you taking off the field? You really want to take a Zeke Elliott or one of your best receivers out to have Miller, a guy who has played QB his entire career and hasn't been healthy in a year, line up in the formation? And even the notion of giving one QB an entire series or quarter is ridiculous. How are you ever going to let a QB get into the flow of the game switching guys in and out? Sure, a wildcat guy for 10-15 plays a game in certain down-and-distance situations is fine, but there's no way a guy can get into the feel of the game being moved all over the place.
The whole Miller thing is just a non-issue for me. Yes, the guy is talented and a threat with the ball in his hands, but he's not going to suddenly be dominant at a new position in one month. Putting him on the field will most likely be as a decoy to test the defense; you will have to account for him, but I don't think he is going to be incredibly effective. Yes, if a QB can get him the ball in space, he can make a play. But you trust him to run crisp routes game 1 against an All-American like Fuller or another talented DB of ours? I just don't think taking your best players out for "trickeration" is a very smart idea to depend on.
God I hope they put all three on the field at the same time.
Yeah, I honestly really hope they actually try all of that stuff I mentioned. Let's have JT at QB, Jones at FB, and Miller out wide. Sounds great.
This honestly reminds me of back in circa-09, when the wildcat craze was at its height in the NFL. I remember speculation that the Patriots might try and find a wildcat QB. But the general thought was, yeah having a guy come in for 5-10 plays a game or a series is great, but you really want to take Brady, the best QB in the NFL, off the field for all those plays? The only person you end up tricking is yourself.
My understanding of defensive football involves the idea that you look at what the opponent does well, and what weapons they have, and you try to take away their strengths. If the QB is a run/throw threat, and the RB can gash you and catch the ball, and you have a deep threat or two out wide, a possession receiver or two, and an H back that can line up anywhere and is a threat to run, catch, or throw - it becomes a really difficult chore to prioritize threats and game plan to deal with them. It's the proverbial "pick your poison" dilemma. That comes from the generally accepted idea that defenses can stop maybe one thing, contain maybe one more thing, and hope the offense helps them out on anything else.
The optimism of people looking at this Ohio State offense comes from the sense that there are too many threats for a normal defense to cover. Whether that's true or not, we will find out on Sept 7. If Bud Foster can't do it, then probably no one will. But I expect him to give it his best shot, and it will be up to his players to execute what he comes up with. But you would expect him to sell out to stop RB/QB runs, with the secondary goal of preventing explosive passing plays. It will come down to whether the OSU QB can find the right guy to get the ball to, whether that player can beat the player defending him, and how well each player executes his job from that point on.
I'm an OSU homer, for sure, but I'm not willing to sell my soul via dishonesty to say something I don't believe. I really do think the OSU offense will be the epitome of the "pick your poison" type of unit, but I could be wrong. To me, if VT's 11 can hold that unit down, and win a majority of the plays, I will have no choice but to bow down to the superiority of that defense and the genius of Bud Foster. And I will do that if the final score indicates. Hold me to it. :)
No doubt the OSU offense has a lot of weapons. I just think the point where you and I differ is to what degree trickery/substituting in Miller or other QBs for novelty plays will be utilized and how effective they will be. I, myself, just don't see how taking one of your best receivers or H-backs out of the game for Miller here and there is a good decision. If you're doing it to set up a trick pass, you're going to have to have him in for multiple plays so it's not a dead giveaway what you're trying to do. At that point, do you really want one of your best weapons off the field that much just to set up a gadget play? I have no doubt OSU will use Miller some as a decoy, but I just don't think his role will be that significant, IMHO. It will be really difficult for him to become dominant at a new position and unseat guys who have been playing there for a long time in one month.
I don't think we differ too much. I don't think this is a gimmick. Braxton is one of the best athletes I have ever seen, and he is particularly gifted running with the ball in his hands in the open field. An absolute freak and a threat to score any time that happens. The H-back runs the ball on jet sweeps, catches the ball (especially screens and short routes), and will occasionally throw a pass (I think this is where people are bringing the trick play concept to this). But they will be able to hand the ball to him - that will be the easiest way to get the ball in his hands. I don't know if he will ever be healthy enough to throw the ball, so I don't think we will see that (especially early). How significant his role is will be determined by whether he can catch the ball consistently, in traffic, and when the footsteps are being heard. If he can catch the ball, he will be a major weapon. If he can't, he will be limited to hand offs.
But I think the greater way he helps the offense (especially if he can catch) is that every time he lines up, the defense will have to account for where he is and give him due attention. Urban's offense tries to make a defense make choices about which threats they are going to orient towards and which threats they are going to live with. Urban wants the defense to feel the stress of multiple run/air threats on the field at the same time, and then exploit what the defense is not oriented to. Defensive coaches (BF among the best) counter this by trying to disguise what they are orienting to and away from, and try to bait you into going with the ball where they want you to. That's the big reason I am looking forward to this Sept 7 game - the cat and mouse between the OSU offense and the VT defense. It's going to be great stuff.
I think Bud is going to watch the film on Braxton from 2011 and 12, and he is going to conclude that they have to account for him at all times. But if you asked him whether he would prefer that threat to be on the field or off of it, I think he will say, "OFF!" because he would prefer to be able to focus mainly on Ezekiel Elliot and the QB - and that is why Braxton will be a tremendous asset to that offense. The more productive he is, the more of an asset he will be. I'm really interested to see how that plays out.
Agreed. Our defense will have to account for his presence on the field. I take nothing away from the fact that he is an exceptional athlete. If he can get the ball in space, he is a tremendous threat. It will be interesting to see how he develops into a new role as camp begins, as well as how his shoulder progresses. I don't doubt his role as a decoy can be very effective, especially if he shows that he can catch a pass here and there. I personally think his role will be somewhat limited in our game, though. Being a huge first game on the road with limited time to develop into the role, Urban may not want to risk over utilizing him. Our defense feeds off of forcing mistakes and turnovers, and one INT or fumble could end up swaying the game. Nonetheless, I expect him to be out there in some capacity. I would completely expect him to have an increased role as the season wears on and he can knock the rust off and get reps under his belt.
This game is going to be an absolute chess match. Bud is going to have an excellent gameplan, and OSU will have plenty of tricks up their sleeve as well I'm sure. I'm also really intrigued to see our offense vs. the OSU defense. We have a lot of versatility at TE and an improved O-line. I want to see how we can use our personnel in different formations to create some mismatches. Going to be an excellent atmosphere, it can't come soon enough.
Who comes off the field then? I want to see him block a blitzer when he has to stay in and pass protect.
I think what you're getting at is that Braxton Miller will draw attention because of his recognition as a QB. We all know QBs get the most attention on the field, so it's easy to think a guy who was an effective athlete while playing QB deserves the amount of attention a QB gets. That's where I think the crucial mistake is, because defenses can't, and shouldn't, treat Miller as a QB if he's playing H-Back. He's not the guy playing QB anymore. While it might be human nature to want to watch film of Braxton Miller as a QB and imagine how his skill set would translate to H-Back, I expect Bud to instead understand the role of the H-Back in Urban Meyer's offense and teach his guys how to react to that role. As a defense, it's more important to know your role in limiting the capabilities of the position so, while players certainly have tendencies which are good to know, you can't worry about the name on the jersey
this is one of the reasons it hurts to (probably) have lost Reavis. As French has pointed out, he was good at everything we need from a safety so he could stay on the field for whatever approach Bud was going to try per down. If we have to do safety-by-committee, it makes us more vulnerable to audibles which you guys can do because of the flexibility you pointed out.
I fully expect to see them use him in an H-back role for flare passes like they did early in the Maryland game with Elliot. Then they'll probably use him as a decoy off of that look a la Oregon vs. FSU. I would imagine this is largely to give the defense a little more to think about and a little more eye candy to test their discipline. I kinda doubt they'll give him more than a few touches a game from this look.
Sweeps and screens, maybe some funky stuff off of that. Especially week 1, he won't be tasked with reading coverages or beating a DB deep against a Bud Foster defense. Might throw it or take off deep and hope he catches a new safety sleeping though.
It seems like more and more, the sports media is convinced it will be J. T. Barrett as QB1.
As good as Jones was in his first 3 starts, he also made some really, really bad mistakes. Barrett is clearly head and shoulders above jones, well, above the shoulders. Jones' size and athleticism is all that's keeping things close right now, IMO.
Here's what you be facing when Braxton takes the field at H-back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xP4Vvc4VLc
I think the biggest thing you're missing is that as a QB, Braxton has 10 other guys blocking for him. As an H-Back, he may have 2. If you watch a lot of Braxton's biggest runs, he gets past the close initial contact at the line due to great blocking, then he has space to break his defenders ankles. Play man coverage and stay stride for stride with him and he won't get those chances to make open field plays. He will be best used on pitch and screen plays, but anything longer than 5 yards from the LOS and I really don't see him as the same threat that he was at QB.