COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — There are two new banners hanging high on the walls of Ohio State’s indoor practice field.
One – placed between the signs celebrating the national championships in 2002 and 1968 – says ”12-0 Undefeated Season 2012.” The other one, placed by itself on the east wall of the massive facility, simply says, ”The Chase …”
The first is a 30 by 10-foot reminder of what the Buckeyes accomplished last year, and the other refers to the challenge ahead.
They greeted the players when they took the field for their first of 15 spring workouts on Tuesday. It was their first practice since the day after Thanksgiving, their last tuneup before the season-ending game against archrival Michigan. Even though the Buckeyes were the only major-college team to go unbeaten, they were banned from going to a bowl because of NCAA violations committed when Jim Tressel was the head coach.
”We’re all chasing something,” second-year coach Urban Meyer said. ”We’re 15 practices behind a lot of teams – as a matter of fact every team that played in a bowl game last year. So the chase is on. Some guys are chasing starting positions. Some guys are chasing bowl games. Some guys are chasing NFL contracts. … They’re chasing their dream.”
Meyer spoke to the players circled around him before the start of the practice, stressing core values and what is expected of them. Then the players broke into position groups and worked on individual skills. There was no tackling since players didn’t wear full pads, but rather jerseys, helmets and shorts or uniform pants.
Continue Reading: Buckeyes open practice, Meyer discusses team needs
