Urban Meyer on Grant: ‘He’s the Starting Middle Linebacker at Ohio State’
On Wednesday afternoon head coach Urban Meyer had some news on Curtis Grant which he shared with reporters. “He’s the starting middle linebacker at Ohio State as of right now.” It feels…
Buckeyes looking for leaders in spring practices
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — New year, new look, some regrets but high hopes. That’s what the Ohio State Buckeyes face as they open spring practices on Tuesday. Many of the team’s best-known and most talented players return from last year’s 12-0, turnaround season, including Sports Illustrated cover boy Braxton Miller , along with running back Carlos Hyde , linebacker Ryan Shazier and defensive back Bradley Roby. But there are also holes to fill – and they’re not necessarily easily patched with just any player. Defensive lineman John Simon and fullback/linebacker Zach Boren not only played well, but were the heart of a team that bounced back from seven losses in 2011. Second-year coach Urban Meyer may be more concerned with finding leaders than personnel after the standard set by last year’s seniors.
Ohio State: Middle Linebacker Is Spring’s Most Important Position Battle
The key to a successful 2013 campaign for the Buckeyes will be if a middle linebacker emerges on defense. A player just can’t emerge, though. Of the candidates vying for the starting job, whoever steps up must play up to the level that Buckeye Nation is accustomed to seeing from their starting middle linebackers. The question is, who will that be? Curtis Grant Curtis Grant received tons of hype coming out of high school, being ranked the top linebacker in the country in 2008 according to Scout.com . However, many questions surround Grant as he enters his junior season. The first two years of his career at Ohio State haven’t exactly panned out like most expected. He had a shot at the starting role last year, but was unable to solidify his spot as we saw Zach Boren become the starter as…
Big Ten helmet stickers: Week 13
Recognizing the best and the brightest from around the Big Ten in Week 13: Ohio State’s defense: After some early hiccups, Ohio State slammed the door on Michigan in the second half to…
Buckeyes’ win bittersweet, still tasty
COLUMBUS, Ohio — First there was a Gatorade bath to survive. Then came a massive bear hug from senior fullback-turned-linebacker Zach Boren, who gave so much more than Ohio State ever could have…
Coaches comfortable switching players’ positions
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Coaches across college football have been swapping out players like chess pieces. Some have moved players to new positions out of necessity, trying to fill gaps left by injuries or a lack of depth. Others have had the opposite problem, moving players to get them on the field instead of buried on the depth chart at a different spot. Whatever the reason, there’s been little hesitation by coaches to move players around, even from one side of the ball to the other. Ohio State has done it with Zach Boren , moving him from fullback to middle linebacker due to injuries. Georgia also has switched dynamic sophomore Malcolm Mitchell from cornerback to receiver to get the ball in his hands more often.
Braxton Miller Injury: How Much Running Is Too Much for a Quarterback?
Braxton Miller is a tough son of a gun, apparently, as he’s not expected to miss a start after a frightening collision with the turf left him visibly woozy and sent him to…
BuckeyeNation links: A full share
Austin Ward writes: Sophomore tight end Jeff Heuerman stepped in and performed admirably at fullback, allowing Zach Boren to help the defense at the dangerously thin linebacker position. Ward writes : Critical areas…
Zach Boren will start at Linebacker for No. 7 Buckeyes against Purdue
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Coach Urban Meyer put out an APB for tough guys. The search ended when Zach Boren turned himself in. Injuries, departures and disappointing play led Ohio State’s coaches to look for somebody – anybody – to help out at linebacker. They got a volunteer – their starting fullback. ”It was kind of a test for the first four periods of practice that I watched,” Meyer said of the trial period a week ago when he first tossed Boren into the mix on defense to see what would happen. ”He changed the entire dynamic of practice, because so much of playing football is the leadership value. Who is the tough guy on the defense? ”Who is the guy that’s going to stand up and take charge?” Boren was the answer. Now the former star linebacker in high school has made the transition from offense to defense after three years on the other side with the Buckeyes. Not only that, he led the team in tackles in last week’s 52-49 win at Indiana. …
Midseason report: Ohio State
OHIO STATE Record: 7-0 (3-0 Big Ten) Ohio State can’t tackle. It has endured multiple special teams breakdowns. It recently moved starting fullback Zach Boren to linebacker to a depth-starved position (he proceeded…
