Use ‘em or lose ‘em: Notes, week 2
September 5, 2008
As promised last week, and rudely pre-empted by Jim Tressel’s pay raise, I empty my notebook at week’s end. There’s no sense not getting these in print somewhere, somehow. So here goes:
HANDS ON THE WHEEL, SHAUN
Oh, did OSU cornerback Shaun Lane wish he had a second chance at the would-be interception he dropped last week against Youngstown. Lane broke on the sideline route perfectly, the ball hit him in the hands, and he had an open field for the TD. But the ball clanged to the ground, and Lane was distraught.
“It was embarrassing,” he said.
What made it worse was that his brother, Ben, a fullback for YSU, was standing on the sideline watching the whole fiasco.
“As soon as the ball was off of me, I could hear him in my ear: `You’re sorry, you’re this, that and the other,’” Shaun said. “So I just tried to block it out.”
The scariest part of the story came days later. Lane said he was still dealing with flashbacks and what-ifs, and was driving to the team’s practice facility when suddenly, both his hands shot up reflexively, trying to catch the phantom pass.
Steer clear of this guy on the roads.
THE SKY IS BLUE: NO, IT ISN’T
Jim Heacock is almost never happy. Or at least, he won’t admit it very often. The OSU defensive coordinator is the ultimate contrarian.
Basically, if you praise his defense, he tightens up like he just tasted poison and finds some things the Buckeyes could do better.
But if you criticize his defense, he arches his back and his pride flashes.
Case in point: This spring, Heacock was asked if he was happy with the pressure OSU got from its defensive tackle last year. No, he wasn’t, he said. We have to do a lot better.
By preseason this summer, he was taking exception to all the criticism his defensive tackles had received recently.
I understand this, and it’s part of what makes him a good coach. But it can drive you crazy in interviews.
On Wednesday, I remarked that the defense looked more mature last week, that it appeared they played smart, assignment football.
Here’s what he said:
“Overall, I thought the execution was fairly good. We had guys in the right gaps. But we did have some breakdowns, too. There’s plenty we can work on and get better at. Fortunately, they might have been on the backside or away from where the ball was going or whatever. But as we went through the film, we certainly saw a lot of areas that could be exploited that we’ve got to get corrected.”
And this after a game in which the opponent had 74 total yards, half of which came against OSU’s second and third-teamers.
I wonder, when he goes out to eat, if Heacock sends a lot of steaks back to the kitchen?
WATCH FOR BOONE
There has been little talk about left tackle Alex Boone this week, but he could be battling a more serious medical situation than has been let on.
Boone apparently is battling an infection in or around his left elbow. It’s enough that he took IVs last week for it. Linemen sort of need a healthy left elbow or they’re useless.
Jim Tressel very quickly dismissed a question about Boone on Thursday, indicating he would play, and maybe he will. Maybe.
His absence would affect this team more than the loss of Beanie Wells, though, I believe. The backup left tackle last week was Mike Adams, a true freshman who is just recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
Ohio University is no Youngstown State. If the Buckeyes are missing their stud left tackle, it would be felt.
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