Ohio State’s kickoffs have been a source of frustration this season for head coach Urban Meyer and Buckeyes fans alike. After expressing dissatisfaction with Blake Haubeil’s performance as the Buckeyes’ kickoff specialist for the first five games of the season, Meyer replaced Haubeil with Sean Nuernberger for the start of last week’s game against Maryland. That kicker switch only made things worse, however, as Nuernberger clearly struggled in the role, having one kickoff returned for a touchdown while knocking another kickoff out of bounds in an ugly day for Ohio State’s special teams. Ohio State has already allowed 734 kickoff return yards this season, more than any other team in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Buckeyes’ issues on kickoffs appear to stem largely from their kickoff strategy, as Meyer and special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs typically instruct their kickoff specialists to kick the ball into the coffin corner – between…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Could Make Changes to Kickoff Strategy, But There's No Simple Solution
