** 2019 Opponent Previews : Ohio State (Game 5) **

[Saunders]

Athlon: #5 Ohio State Buckeyes Preview & Prediction

At Ohio State, successful eras can stack on top of one another — but that certainly doesn't mean it will be a smooth transition for new boss Ryan Day. After all, Day is now walking in the hallowed footsteps of Urban Meyer, who retired the day after the Rose Bowl win over Washington. Day inherits an OSU squad that is missing the likes of defensive end Nick Bosa and record-setting quarterback Dwayne Haskins, among other key personnel, but he showed the coaching chops to keep the program on a high plane last year while Meyer served a very public three-game suspension.

Day also has shown that he will go wherever necessary to find coaches who improve his staff. Case in point: the addition of co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison and linebackers coach Al Washington, who arrived from Michigan. The newcomer under the largest spotlight, though, is quarterback Justin Fields, who transferred to campus after one season at Georgia. A top-five prospect nationally in the 2018 recruiting class, Fields now has the reins of Day's high-powered offense.

https://athlonsports.com/college-football/ohio-state-football-buckeyes-prediction-preview-2019

CollegeFootballNews: 5 Things You Need To Know About Ohio State & Season Prediction

Welcome to the new job, Ryan Day. Now win the Big Ten title and go to the College Football Playoff or your season is a … okay, isn’t not right to call a campaign that falls short of winning a championship a failure, but …Anything less than an 12-1 season with another Big Ten championship will be a fai … disappointment. Of course there’s going to be a drop-off – even at Ohio State – when there’s a change from one of the greatest college football coaches of all-time to just about anyone else, but Urban Meyer left the cupboard stocked with the most talented team in the Big Ten...

https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/06/ohio-state-football-preview-prediction-players-2019

The Athletic: Despite coaching change, expectations remain sky high at Ohio State

The shelves are kind of bare in Urban Meyer’s old office. The room inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center belongs to Ryan Day now, and though there are some decorations on the shelves and a picture of Day and his family on the wall behind the big, wooden desk, things are transitioning.

Day didn’t want to put too much work into making this office truly his until a remodeling is complete. Day tried to find illustrations of the upcoming renovations, but he couldn’t find them. So he described it instead: There is going to be darker wood accents and new shelving, and he’s going to rearrange the office furniture. “It’s going to be beautiful,” Day said.

https://theathletic.com/1028643/2019/06/17/ohio-state-football-2019-schedule-roster-depth-chart/

More to come...

 

[DevoHusker]

More to come...

I cant decide if Urban leaving is going to make much of a difference or not... :dunno

 

[Salsa Red]

I don't think programs have sustained success after Meyer leaves them. We'll see with Day.

 

[Landlord]

I don't think programs have sustained success after Meyer leaves them. We'll see with Day.

Utah didn't immediately keep the same leve of success but they certainly did a great job sustaining their program after him. Four years later they went undefeated and depantsed an Alabama team that was ranked #1 for like 5 weeks straight.

Florida, you're right.

tOSU seems to sustain success through everyone though.

 

[jaws]

Utah didn't immediately keep the same leve of success but they certainly did a great job sustaining their program after him. Four years later they went undefeated and depantsed an Alabama team that was ranked #1 for like 5 weeks straight.

Florida, you're right.

tOSU seems to sustain success through everyone though.

I would be more confident if Haskins would have stayed in school. The QB position is a huge question mark. However, Day was able to develop Haskins, I am sure he can work with Fields. The defense can only get better from last year.

 

[Undone]

It'll be interesting to see whether they'll stick with an offensive scheme that resembled more of a 'Texas Mack Brown' style passing spread that they had with Haskins, or if they'll go back to more of the Power Run Spread that they had ran more of in most of Meyer's previous seasons there.

I do think they'll struggle a bit, comparatively speaking for them. But heading into the season they are undoubtedly the top team in the conference no matter what anyone says. This is a simple function of their recruiting classes, year in year out.

But still, I'm expecting them to struggle a bit offensively in the first half of the season.

 

[Husker in WI]

I'm expecting them to struggle at QB quite a bit.  You can have the best wideouts in the entire world but if you have a QB that can progress through his reads fast enough or read a defense and know the route changes his wideouts will be making based on said defense...it won't do you a bit of good.

All the preseason hype for Fields is just hype...guy hasn't played a single down at OSU and people are already thinking he'll be better than Martinez.  Can you guys believe that?  Proof is in the pudding and he hasn't even opened up the cardboard jello box.

I agree for the most part, it is ridiculous to expect Fields to be better than Martinez. But their offense (and spread offenses in general) are pretty much designed to make easy reads for the QB - I fully expect Fields to have a very good year.

I'm also dreading the fact that they actually have a dual-threat QB again as well, the nice thing about playing Haskins was the complete lack of running ability. Obviously Fields will be a step back as a passer (probably a very large step), but he's basically another running back. I think we're still a year or two away from having all of the athletes we want on defense - I love Mo and Ferguson, and Honas should be good as well, but I'm worried about Fields just running away from them. Less of a problem if Deontai and Dismuke can lay a few hits on him.

 

[jaws]

I'm expecting them to struggle at QB quite a bit.  You can have the best wideouts in the entire world but if you have a QB that can progress through his reads fast enough or read a defense and know the route changes his wideouts will be making based on said defense...it won't do you a bit of good.

All the preseason hype for Fields is just hype...guy hasn't played a single down at OSU and people are already thinking he'll be better than Martinez.  Can you guys believe that?  Proof is in the pudding and he hasn't even opened up the cardboard jello box.

It is funny because I read the same thing last year about Haskins. There will be growing pains, just like last year as Haskins grew more comfortable reading defenses throughout the year, but I am hopeful that Day and Yurcich will have Fields ready to play and progress as the season goes on. 

Maybe he will be better than Martinez or maybe he won't. Does it really matter right now or ever?

 

[Saunders]

Added the CFN preview.

 

[Nebfanatic]

It is funny because I read the same thing last year about Haskins. There will be growing pains, just like last year as Haskins grew more comfortable reading defenses throughout the year, but I am hopeful that Day and Yurcich will have Fields ready to play and progress as the season goes on. 

Maybe he will be better than Martinez or maybe he won't. Does it really matter right now or ever?

Fields will be one of the best QB's in the conference and will be in the running for awards and accolades post season. Not sure why anyone is suggesting otherwise. Do people forget this guy was right behind Trevor Lawrence in the 2018 class?? He will be great for yall. Don't understand why people are predicting such a dropoff.

 

[bugeater17]

Fields will be one of the best QB's in the conference and will be in the running for awards and accolades post season. Not sure why anyone is suggesting otherwise. Do people forget this guy was right behind Trevor Lawrence in the 2018 class?? He will be great for yall. Don't understand why people are predicting such a dropoff.

He may very will be. However, I watched the Ohio Spring game and he struggled with many aspects of the offense, including accuracy. His game is definitely run first - which is likely why he looked a little uneasy in the format of the spring game. I get that it was a spring game and he will improve, but I think that is where a lot of the commentary is coming from. 

 

[Nebfanatic]

He may very will be. However, I watched the Ohio Spring game and he struggled with many aspects of the offense, including accuracy. His game is definitely run first - which is likely why he looked a little uneasy in the format of the spring game. I get that it was a spring game and he will improve, but I think that is where a lot of the commentary is coming from. 

I could have said the same thing about Martinez's first spring game with us. Fields had just transferred in, I expect it to be a little shaky. I don't think he is going to light the league on fire and be the defacto best player on OSU, but I think he will be right there with the top QBs in the BIG and around the country. Day is a good offensive coach and they will put Fields in a situation to succeed often. 

 

[bugeater17]

I could have said the same thing about Martinez's first spring game with us. Fields had just transferred in, I expect it to be a little shaky. I don't think he is going to light the league on fire and be the defacto best player on OSU, but I think he will be right there with the top QBs in the BIG and around the country. Day is a good offensive coach and they will put Fields in a situation to succeed often. 

I'd have to disagree with you on the bolded part and the circumstances were completely different. Not only did Martinez look pretty good his first spring game - he was still a HS senior who hadn't taken a snap due to injury in over a year. Fields had taken snaps, some at big moments, at the college level before this spring game.

Although I don't think he will be in the top QBs this year, Fields certainly has a lot of potential to be down the road. I could definitely see him being all BIG in a few years - I just don't think this season he will be quite ready yet. Day is a really good offensive mind but they will need to go back to more of the OSU spread run game under Fields, as opposed to the type of offense they ran under Barrett and Haskins. 

 

[Nebfanatic]

I'd have to disagree with you on the bolded part and the circumstances were completely different. Not only did Martinez look pretty good his first spring game - he was still a HS senior who hadn't taken a snap due to injury in over a year. Fields had taken snaps, some at big moments, at the college level before this spring game.

Although I don't think he will be in the top QBs this year, Fields certainly has a lot of potential to be down the road. I could definitely see him being all BIG in a few years - I just don't think this season he will be quite ready yet. Day is a really good offensive mind but they will need to go back to more of the OSU spread run game under Fields, as opposed to the type of offense they ran under Barrett and Haskins. 

I don't know if he is going to be all BIG 10, there are alot of good QB's in the BIG this year imo, but the offense you are talking about them running is exactly what they did under Barrett. I think you are underestimating how dangerous Fields can be this year with a few more months of coaching. I'm not trying to pull for OSU just trying to be realistic. Fromm is the projected top pick in 2020 so losing out to him at Georgia is more respectable than nearly anywhere else not named Alabama or Clemson. Fields might not be ready yet, but I wouldn't put my money on that personally.

 

[Husker in WI]

The other thing is the talent pool at Ohio State is ridiculous - if there is anywhere in the Big Ten where you can get away with a QB still working on accuracy and getting up to speed, it's OSU. Fields doesn't have to be a superstar for them to win.