Ohio State Football Notebook: ‘When it shows up, it’s pretty cool’

Managing Screen Time

College football has implemented a number of new rules and features this season, including a new playoffs, in-helmet communication, and new teams in new conferences. Another change that hasn’t been talked about as much but the coaches all love is the allowance for the usage of tablets on the sideline and in the coach’s booth.

After each series, video is made available on the sidelines so that the position coaches and players can go over it for whatever information they need. They get three different views of the plays — from the sideline, from the end zone, and also the television copy.

“We’re getting everything in real time,” said Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. “You can pretty much grade a player after every series.”

“I do think having that tablet on the sideline is very helpful,” OSU head coach Ryan Day agreed. “Because when you can identify what has happened on the last play, not just coming from the booth, but showing them, especially a young player.”

The Buckeyes have already run into that early in the season with their offensive line. Nothing ever goes perfectly up front, but now they can correct it immediately.

“There was a play in particular where one of the guys missed a block, and I’m like, I haven’t seen that one time in all preseason,” Day said. “Just let it go. Don’t start stressing or having anxiety over it. Just go block the three technique. I mean, you’re blocking Tyleik Williams every day in practice. I watch it on film.”

The ability to look at the film immediately also eliminates any mystery on what may have happened. What a player says and what the camera says can often be two different stories.

“Where maybe in another scenario you’re more frustrated from the sideline because you’re not sure exactly how that just shook out,” Day said. “‘We just didn’t use good technique, and he was a little tentative there.’ Then as time went on, the game went on, got his feet underneath him and just started rolling guys out of there. I think it’s really helped our coaching in terms of being accurate in what we’re saying during a game.”

Don’t Sweat The Safeties

This Ohio State football team has arguably the best pair of receivers, the best pair of running backs, the best pair of defensive ends, the best pair of offensive tackles, and the best pair of safeties in the nation.

Having a pair of safeties like Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom as the Buckeyes’ last line of defense is a luxury that any defensive coordinator would love to have.

Jim Knowles is the fortunate defensive coordinator who has Ransom and Downs on hand to do whatever, whenever. To no surprise, they have lived up to Knowles’ expectations, but he is continuing to push them.

“They have, and we just keep pushing and push everybody, striving for perfection,” Knowles said. “Those are two guys, let’s face it, we haven’t had to unleash very much, so to speak. You’ve seen on those specific examples, when we have unleashed them, they go from A to B pretty quick. I think it’s just a matter of continuing to push, putting some tweaks in, keeping their aggressiveness alive through the different calls. We just haven’t had to do it very much. When it shows up, it’s pretty cool.”

As the opponents become more challenging, Knowles will ask more of his safeties. And he knows they’ll be able to handle whatever he can cook up.

“I don’t want to say you take it for granted, but you don’t sweat it,” he said of his safeties. “You know you can go in to those two and say, ‘Hey, this week we want to do it this way. By the way, against this, I want you to make this call. Okay? Ready, break.’ You know what I mean?

“When you have to put in these slight adjustments week to week, it’s not something — you don’t say, ‘can that guy handle that?’ You just kind of roll. ‘Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.’ ‘Okay, got it, coach.’ And that’s it. It certainly makes it easier to make adjustments.”

Building Depth Through Playing Time

The Buckeyes had over 80 players see in action in last weekend’s 56-0 win over Western Michigan. That number is good for morale, building depth, and also for helping the evaluation of the younger players.

That number is eventually going to shrink as the Buckeyes start playing more talented teams, but every position is different. Some positions will always rotate. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson will always try to keep his defensive linemen fresh, for instance.

While those positions are all different, the charge is still the same from head coach Ryan Day. If a position coach has a player who is playing at “starter level,” then they deserve to play.

“But I think at each position, it’s based on how those guys do,” Day said. “And if the position coach feels like he’s playing at starter level, if they’re playing at starter level, I’ve said this before, they deserve to roll and they deserve to play. I mean, just because [starting left guard] Donovan [Jackson] is coming back doesn’t mean Austin Siereveld doesn’t deserve to play. He does. So we’ve got to get him into the mix and figure out what that balance looks like. So same thing at quarterback.”

The amount of playing time that the younger players have gotten so far these first two weeks will help, but there is still more work to do.

“At some point, we’re going to have to get these guys in there and playing meaningful snaps in a meaningful game,” Day said. “So it’ll just depend on each position and where they’re at. And then those guys have got to help on special teams. And then obviously when injuries pop up, they’ve got to be ready to go. So we’ll just keep evaluating as time goes on.”

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