Dotting The 'Eyes

Ex-Browns GM projects Simon as LB

From the where-are-they-now files, Ohio State had a familiar face at practice yesterday: Phil Savage. Yes, the former Browns general manager is back on his feet as executive director of the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Here’s the scouting report he filed today on Buckeyes defensive end John Simon. Interesting take.  

Courtesy of the Senior Bowl:

Tapes Viewed: 2011-Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan; 2012-Miami/OH, Central Florida, California, UAB

Practice Attended: Tuesday, September 25

Summary: John is a three-year starter at defensive end for the Ohio State Buckeyes. After playing as a backup in 2009, he has been in the lineup ever since and has tallied 122 total tackles, 32.5 tackles-for-loss and 13 sacks during his productive career.

On the hoof, he has more of a 3-4 outside linebacker build than classic DE frame. He is close to being maxed out weight-wise with a developed body overall. He has a compact upper with almost 32” arms and—for his height—is high-cut to a degree in the lower with sturdy legs and a bubble.

He generally aligns in a three-point stance as a DE in the Buckeyes’ 4-man front, however, they will have him stand up on occasion and rush through the A (guard/center) or B (guard/tackle) gaps in their “Joker” (Sub 3-man front) package.

Regardless of his assignment, this is a hard-charging, relentless competitor who simply does not quit. He has excellent initial and body quickness, but does have some lateral tightness when changing directions in space. He comes off the football in attack mode and his hands are combat ready. They are like a bundle of butcher knives for the opponent to handle and that is how he wins.

For the most part, John has success early in the down with his first-step takeoff and active hands or late in the down with his never-give-up attitude. Against the run, as a DE, he can get covered up at the point-of-attack because he simply does not have enough girth and length to do more than hold his own. If he projects to OLB and is over a TE, then he definitely has the physical strength and will to confront the blocker. On runs away, he stays disciplined and square to the line-of-scrimmage as he skates down the line and watches for the QB bootleg.

As a pass rusher, he specializes in hand-to-hand combat and, again, gives more effort than he has actual talent to race the edge. At times, he will charge upfield and try to run through the outside shoulder of his opponent or swat and rip to the inside or, simply, spin to the inside. He does get blocked and bottled up some, but this is a prospect that plays with purpose and a passion and always ends up near the action. He rarely drops off into coverage, yet looks to have enough movement ability to play the curl-to-flat zone.

For the NFL, John appears to project best as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Some scouts have speculated that he might be a Mike (inside linebacker) in the pros, however in this opinion, that move takes him away from what he does best which is his hand-fighting ability and urgency to get to the passer. To think that he can take on blockers from depth, disengage and then run to the perimeter is a tough call, but there is no doubt that he can align as a left OLB in the 3-4, defeat a TE in the run game or accelerate off the LOS and go hit the QB.

This player has some similar qualities to Kevin Greene, the former Rams/Steelers/Panthers’ star that “overachieved” during a 15-year/160-sack NFL career, in that both have outstanding upper strength and hands, straight-line acceleration and an overwhelmingly competitive nature. If Simon can find the right fit and stay healthy, he can enjoy the same kind of success; otherwise, he is still the kind of player and personality that would be welcomed to most any NFL team as a Sub pass rusher and special teams’ contributor with off-the-chart intangibles.

In one sentence, he is one of the fiercest competitors in all of college football.

What the NFL scouts want to see in 2012: John’s characteristics as a prospect are defined, so the next question will be to see him play on his feet at the Senior Bowl and in spring pre-draft workouts. In the meantime, developing a second “escape” move other than the spin to the inside will be important to him.

Miller Time in the Big Apple?

An expanded version of today's Ohio State End Zone on the way-too-early Heisman campaign of Braxton Miller.  

My foresight is legally diagnosed as 20/400. I am not the best at predictions, having once bet against the Globetrotters, then tried to break even by betting for the Rapture. But here goes one anyway: Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller will be among the Big Apple-bound finalists for the Heisman Trophy.

Can you imagine where the Buckeyes would be without their dynamic sophomore? Neither can anyone else. ESPN.com voted Miller fourth on its latest Heisman watch list while the Heismanpundit/CBSSports.com straw poll of 11 national writers has him at second behind only West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith. (SI.com pegs Miller fourth; Yahoo! Sports has him fifth.)

Miller is averaging 329 yards per game of total offense, has thrown seven touchdown passes and is the nation’s leading rusher at quarterback (126 yards per game). He will have to evolve as a passer as teams at times cram approximately 16 players in the box to stop him.

“I've seen defenses in the last three weeks that I've never even dreamed of in my mind to try to stop the quarterback from running the football,” offensive coordinator Tom Herman said. "It's an interesting quandary to be in when you have such a dynamic player back there that defensive coverages tend to be completely skewed and opposed to what you grew up knowing. ... Teams now are trying to get eight, nine guys in the box to be sound against him running, so the variety of coverages that we see on first and second down is absolutely mind-boggling."

If Miller stays healthy, though, his numbers may well be there. Who's going to stop him? Alabama-Birmingham, which is allowing 477 yards per game heading into Saturday's nonconference finale at Ohio Stadium? Indiana? No. 18 Michigan is the highest-ranked team OSU faces the rest of the season. While coach Urban Meyer isn’t ready to call his precocious signal-caller a Heisman contender, I asked my Magic-8-Ball if the Big Ten will douse No. 5's candidacy? The response: “My sources say no."

 

Here's a look at the latest projections:

 

The HeismanPundit/CBSSports.com Heisman Straw Poll

1. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia -- 24 (8 first-place votes)

2. Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State -- 10

3. De'Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon -- 8

4. Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State -- 5 (1)

5. (tie) Marqise Lee, WR, USC -- 3 (1)

Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford -- 3 (1)

ESPN Heisman Watch

1. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia -- 72 (12 first-place votes)

2. De'Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon -- 50 (3)

3. Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA -- 34

4. Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State -- 17

5. Matt Barkley, QB, USC -- 14

 

Meyer wants an 'inferno' at Ohio Stadium

Add Urban Meyer to the Horseshoe-isn’t-loud-enough camp — only he puts the responsibility on his players. The first-year Ohio State coach said this week his team needs to start giving fans a reason to leave the stadium hoarse each Saturday.

“Is this what you expect? It’s not. I expect much more,” he said. “I expect a stadium to be an inferno, I expect players to be diving over each other to hit quarterbacks, I expect the offense to score a multitude of points and be celebrating in the end zone.

“So it's nothing close, but I understand the journey. It's not a sprint, it’s a marathon to get it where we want. The first two weeks, it's nothing close to what we had envisioned and I think this place should be like. I think that stadium ought to be absolutely electric. I think it's been OK but we need to play better. You want to get a stadium going? Go hit a quarterback. You want to really get a stadium going? Put a hand on the punt. That’s when people come out of the seats.”

Asked for a timetable on the realization of this vision, Meyer smiled and said Saturday.

 

Hall nears return

Ohio State’s depleted band of running backs could gain a key reinforcement this week.

Coach Urban Meyer said today “there’s a chance” Jordan Hall will play Saturday against California after the senior back was medically cleared over the weekend. The Buckeyes’ projected starter spent 10 weeks recovering from a torn tendon in his foot.

"There is a chance that Jordan could play this week," running backs coach Stan Drayton said. "It’s a day-by-day thing."

More certain is the status of Carlos Hyde, who was ruled out after suffering a strained MCL in OSU’s win Saturday over Central Florida. If Hall is limited or can’t play, the Buckeyes will rely on their backup, backup backs to relieve the rushing burden of quarterback Braxton Miller -- and neither has yet to inspire much confidence. Freshman Bri’onte Dunn, the listed starter, has 12 career carries while sophomore backup Rod Smith lost a fumble on one of his three touches against Central Florida.

Also Monday, Meyer said he hopes defensive end Nathan Williams returns against Cal. The senior, who is recovering from microfracture knee surgery, missed the UCF game after reporting soreness from playing 30 snaps in the opener.

"From everything I hear, he's actually on schedule, you know, so it just takes time," Meyer said. "I'm hoping we have him for this week but I think for the next 10 weeks, it's going to be, 'How is Nathan Williams doing?' It's going to be probably the same response."

 

UCF coach O'Leary: Horseshoe 'not a loud stadium'

When Texas quarterback Vince Young was asked about the ear-splitting Rose Bowl crowd that watched his Longhorns beat Southern California for the 2005 national title, he basically rolled his eyes.

“It wasn’t that bad,” he said after the game. “Ohio State, man, Ohio State was the loudest place I’ve ever played.”

It may also be the loudest stadium I’ve ever written. (Good luck calling a deadline audible with the copy desk as 105,000 strong clamor for a late defensive stand.) If other places have a better argument on being consistently louder -- LSU, Wisconsin, etc. — I at least put Ohio Stadium in the conversation for big games. I was there the night Texas beat OSU in 2005, and it indeed remains the loudest I’ve heard a stadium.

But count Central Florida coach George O’Leary among those not buying the mystique. Here’s the full quote that sent Ohio State's message boards into overdrive:

“I tell you what, it’s like Michigan. It’s not a loud stadium," O'Leary said on his weekly radio show. "I mean, they sit on their hands in that stadium. I’ve been there before. You take Wisconsin, you take Iowa, you take UCF, it's much louder than that stadium. It really is as far as the noise is concerned, because it is so far away from the field. But a lot of stadiums are a lot louder than that place. I didn’t even bring in music this week, or any type of noise because I think we should be able to execute without it.”

My take: When this is what qualifies as controversy these days, it's a good bet Ohio State officials are smiling.

OSU Monday update

News and notes from Ohio State's weekly press luncheon:

BELLAMY QUITS: Former starting defensive end Adam Bellamy will not rejoin the Buckeyes because of a personal issue. The junior, who started 10 games for OSU last season and entered fall camp listed as a co-starter at defensive end with Nathan Williams, took a leave from the team last month.

Defensive line coach Mike Vrabel recently said he hoped Bellamy would return. But Meyer said today that door is closed.

“He just lost his love of the game of football and didn't want to play anymore,” Meyer said. “A year ago, he went through a very similar situation. He's a great kid. I love his family. Good people. We wish him well.”

WILLIAMS VEERS OFF COURSE: After Nathan Williams allowed Miami quarterback Zac Dysert to slip out of his grasp early Saturday, he vowed it would not happen again.

So did Vrabel — but for a different reason.

Turns out, the OSU senior defensive end was perhaps a bit too anxious in his first action since suffering a major knee injury in last year’s opener. Assigned to cover the running back on the play in question, he instead took the opportunity to pursue Dysert.

“No, he didn’t see the opportunity,” Vrabel said, laughing. “He did not do what he’s supposed to do. There was no opportunity. That’s one of those classic double-minuses. You get a minus for not doing your job and a minus for missing the sack.”

Does Williams have the flexibility to make an executive decision?

“To not cover the back?” Vrabel said. “No. God love him, he can tell you whatever he wants. But he knows he’s supposed to cover the back.”

In all, however, it was a successful return for Williams, who played about 30 snaps Saturday. Look for him to return to his old starting role by Week 3 against California.

“He was very sore yesterday,” Meyer said. “I'll see them today, but I would anticipate that the rust is officially knocked off him and we'll be ready to go. He was in a good mindset after that game.”

BENNETT QUESTIONABLE: Williams was officially listed as a backup behind sophomore J.T. Moore on the latest depth chart. Michael Bennett is third-string as he battles a nagging groin strain. Bennett was set to start Saturday but aggravated the injury during warm-ups and was unavailable. His status for Saturday against Central Florida remains unclear.

MEWHORT EARNS 'A': Meyer singled out left tackle and St. John's Jesuit graduate Jack Mewhort among the handful of players who graded as "champions" Saturday. "Three knockdowns, very physical, played very good," Meyer said.

Looking into the crystal ball

On this opener morn, I peer into my cracked and somewhat grimy crystal ball. Here's what I see for the 2012 Buckeyes.

Sept. 1 Miami (Ohio) at Ohio State, noon

Pick: OSU

Skinny: Gamblers who took the Buckeyes giving 24 points should be resting comfortably by halftime. Miami quarterback Zac Dysert and receiver Nick Harwell form one of the top tandems in the nation. But that’s about the RedHawks’ only edge.

Sept. 8 Central Florida at Ohio State, noon

Pick: OSU

Skinny: UCF’s 56-14 rout at Akron last night begs the question: Are the Knights that good or is Akron, well, Akron? We’ll go with the latter. OSU wins the first of two “Ineligibowls” this season. (UCF and Penn State also face bowl bans.)

Sept. 15: California at Ohio State, noon

Pick: OSU

Skinny: This intersectional game looked more glamorous when it was scheduled years ago. As it stands now, TV executives judged it worthy of a 9 a.m. PST start. The Golden Bears are picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 North.

Sept. 22 Alabama-Birmingham at Ohio State, TBA

Pick: OSU

Skinny: The Buckeyes are fortunate they don’t have to worry about strength of schedule points with this anchor on their schedule. UAB hasn't won more than five games since 2004.

Sept. 29 Ohio State at Michigan State, TBA

Pick: Michigan State

Skinny: In a battle of the Big Ten’s top two defenses, Ohio State fails its first road test and loses in East Lansing for the first time since 1999.

Oct. 6 Nebraska at Ohio State, 8 p.m.

Pick: OSU

Skinny: OSU stomped Nebraska in Lincoln last year before Braxton Miller went down and everything unraveled. Expect the Buckeyes to even the score in their first primetime game of the season. 

Oct. 13 Ohio State at Indiana, 8 p.m.

Pick: OSU

Skinny: The only suspense: How long will it take deflated IU students to begin chanting "Let's play basketball?" Over/Under: Eight minutes into the first quarter.

Oct. 20 Purdue at Ohio State, TBA

Pick: OSU

Skinny: This Boilermakers team will be better than the ones that stunned Ohio State in 2009 and last season. But so will the result.

Oct. 27: Ohio State at Penn State

Pick: OSU

Skinny: Hard to predict whether Penn State will be inspired or beaten by the end of October in the wake of NCAA sanctions that promise to wipe the Nittany Lions off the national map for the better part of a decade. I lean toward Option B. Expect OSU to win its third straight in Happy Valley.

Nov. 3 Illinois at Ohio State, TBA

Pick: OSU

Skinny: Old friends Urban Meyer and former Toledo coach Tim Beckman both know how nice it is to succeed Ron Zook. The difference: Zook, though he recruited well at Illinois, didn't leave Beckman with a core capable of winning the national title. Not even close.

Nov. 17 Ohio State at Wisconsin

Pick: Wisconsin

Skinny: OSU will be rested and ready coming off a bye week. Then again, so will Wisconsin (The Badgers play Indiana the week before). I give UW the narrow edge -- OSU has lost two of its last three games in Madison -- further stoking this growing rivalry.

Nov. 24: Michigan at Ohio State, noon

Pick: OSU

Skinny: Ask me again after tonight -- Prediction: Alabama 28, Michigan 17 -- but bowl-less OSU and Meyer would enjoy nothing more than dousing Michigan's rose-colored dreams.

Final record: 10-2