COLUMBUS, Ohio — With his proclamation that several of his more experienced players will sit out the majority of practice, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer knew he might be in for a sloppy spring.
But while Meyer may not have been thrilled with the effort the Buckeyes gave on their first day back from spring break last week, there still wasn't any shortage of excitement to be found inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center during OSU's second week of spring practice.
Sloppy Start
Meyer didn't mince words when it came to describing the Buckeyes' third practice of the spring session last Tuesday, admitting that spring break may have gotten the best of his players. Then again, part of Meyer's message sounded like one of his typical motivational tools, a reminder complacency won't be tolerated following Ohio State's national title season.
“Discomfort is good. And there’s a little discomfort right now. That was not a good day,” Meyer said. “Complacency is comfort. I equate the two. Discomfort is a learning opportunity. Our coaches know that. So there’s going to be discomfort right now."
One reasonable explanation for the Buckeyes' lackluster third practice was the head coach's decision to rest the majority of his players who have nothing left to prove this spring. Deemed the "2,000 club," the fourth-year Ohio State head coach said that players who have accumulated close to 2,000 combined competitive reps in practices and games will be rested in an effort to preserve their health for the fall.
"We’re on the cutting edge of just being smart about the wear and tear the student-athlete goes through,” Meyer said.
That's especially led to issues on the Buckeyes offensive line, where Taylor Decker, Pat Elflein and Jacoby Boren all qualify for the 2,000 club. Meyer admitted that Ohio State is losing some chemistry on the unit by pulling back three starters, but doesn't anticipate it being an issue come fall.
The good news, however, is that not only are younger Buckeyes getting important reps they wouldn't be getting otherwise, but Ohio State seemed to respond to the criticism from its head coach. Talking to players on Thursday, practice appeared to go much better than it did on Tuesday, giving the Buckeyes positive momentum as they enter the portion of their practice schedule in which they'll be wearing pads.
"Today was a lot better," linebacker Darron Lee said on Thursday. "Tuesday was not great. A little spring break was still in everybody, but today was a lot better. A lot more energy and a better tempo."
Quarterback Conundrum
Aside from Ohio State's Thursday bounce-back, one of the main reasons for optimism in Columbus right now is that the most-talked-about quarterback competition in college football is already in under way.
While it was originally anticipated the battle between Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller wouldn't take place until the fall, the rapid recovery of Barrett from his fractured ankle has allowed him to compete with Jones in seven-on-seven drills.
“He’s doing more than I thought,” Meyer said of Barrett, who is still not 100 percent.
During the first hour of practice on Thursday, which the media allowed to watch, reporters were treated to Jones and Barrett constantly one-upping each other with precision passes that have the college football world wondering what Meyer will do.
As for Miller, the two-time Big Ten MVP has been pulled back from activity as he continues to recover from the torn labrum in his throwing shoulder that ended his 2014 season before it ever began, according to Meyer.
If Thursday's practice is any indication, Miller will have plenty of catching up to do if he's healthy in time for the start of fall camp, as both Jones and Barrett looked especially sharp.
Meyer will obviously have a tough choice on his hands when picking between the national championship-winning Jones and Barrett, the reigning Big Ten Quarterback of the Year and Freshman of the Year—and that's before even adding Miller to the mix.
"That's the only thing that's starting to eat away at me a little bit," said Meyer. "It didn't for a while because you're just so busy. But now that I'm seeing what I'm seeing, I have such great respect for all three guys."
For now, Meyer will continue to delay that decision, with Jones taking first-team reps by default as the only fully healthy player in the trio. But eventually, he'll have to pick one, as it seems he would prefer not to use a quarterback-by-committee approach.
"The only negative is two people are going to have to watch," Meyer said.
The Race for Right Tackle
Outside of quarterback, perhaps the most intriguing position battle on the OSU offense is right tackle, a void that the Buckeyes have successfully managed to fill in each of the past three seasons. For the fourth consecutive year, Ohio State finds itself looking for a new starter at the position, but it seems an early front-runner has emerged.
According to offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Ed Warinner, Chase Farris was good enough to start for the Buckeyes a year ago, but Darryl Baldwin's steady play made it unnecessary. Now on his last call as Baldwin was a year ago, the fifth-year senior seems to be making the most of his opportunity through Ohio State's first four practices of the spring.
“I’ve been really impressed with Chase. He had a great offseason," Decker said. "He knows he’s got a big opportunity and I think he’s going to do everything he can to seize it.”
The other competitor for the right tackle spot would be sophomore Jamarco Jones, who has been manning the left tackle position in Decker's absence. The battle could carry into fall camp, but right now, all indications are that Farris has a firm grasp on the starting spot.
As for why the Buckeyes always seem to be breaking in a new right tackle, Warinner offered an explanation. As opposed to left tackle, which is viewed as the cornerstone of the offensive line, right tackle is a position that's easier to plug a guy in year-to-year, which is why Ohio State will have had a different one in each of the past five seasons.
“You try to solidify your left tackle and have a guy locked in there for at least a couple of years," Warinner said. "The new guy you’re kind of breaking in as the right tackle the way I see it."
Extra Points
- After backing up Ezekiel Elliott at running back last year, sophomore Curtis Samuel has been seen working out with Ohio State's wide receivers. A wideout in high school, Samuel could play the wide receiver-running back hybrid position that Percy Harvin excelled in under Meyer at Florida.
- Meyer revealed that in his first year as OSU's offensive coordinator, Warinner will remain on the field. Tom Herman, who left the Buckeyes to become the head coach at Houston, had previously served as offensive coordinator from the press box.
- The Buckeyes' starters at linebacker appear to be set, with Lee and Joshua Perry returning and sophomore Raekwon McMillan replacing Curtis Grant.
- Aside from Decker, Elflein and Boren, other members of the 2,000-rep club include Nick Vannett, Perry, Joey Bosa and Tyvis Powell.
- Joel Hale, who served as a reserve offensive lineman last season, is back with the defensive line this year after receiving a medical redshirt for 2014.
- Ohio State still has no comment on the potential NCAA violation committed by Miller when he promoted the workout supplement line AdvoCare on his Instagram account last week.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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