Ohio State's Group Prepares For NFL Combine Challenges

The NFL Combine is one of the last opportunities an aspiring NFL player has to make a good impression. In many ways, the combine represents an initial job interview with a prospective employer. While a NFL team has game film to rely upon for the bulk of its evaluation of a player, the combine provides a team an opportunity to put a prospective player through a series of drills, physical exams, and sit-down interviews to better determine if the player is a good fit for the organization.

Ohio State has several players from its 2008 team that were invited to the NFL Combine that will be held in Indianapolis February 18th-24th. Among the players invited were CB Malcolm Jenkins, LB James Laurinaitis, RB Chris Wells, WR Brian Robiskie, LB Marcus Freeman, OT Alex Boone, CB Donald Washington, and WR Brian Hartline.

Each of the players had careers at Ohio State that ranged from Notable (Jenkins, Laurinaitis, Wells) to productive (Robiskie, Freeman), with the few who could be classified as "unfulfilled potential" (Boone, Washington, Hartline). Below are some quick thumbnails on these players as to what each can do or should do to ensure that their NFL Combine experience is positive next month in Indianapolis.

Category One ~ The Notable (Jenkins, Laurinaitis, Wells): These players are projected as first round draft choices by virtually every NFL scouting service or mock draft available. Of these players, Malcolm Jenkins should be the first Ohio State player selected in the draft, possibly in the first five picks and probably in the first ten picks. James Laurinaitis and Chris Wells should also be first round selections, but probably not until the mid to later first round.

Both Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis received Senior Bowl invitations but turned them down. The Senior Bowl is another significant opportunity to impress NFL personnel with full pads and practices. While I appreciate their respective reasons for declining these invitations, both players have placed greater importance upon their combine workouts and subsequent Pro Day workout at Ohio State in March with these decisions.

I believe both players should participate fully in all testing drills at the combine as well as at the Pro Day at Ohio State. Quite commonly, players do not run or participate in the drills at the combine and put all of their eggs in their Pro Day performance. In Laurinaitis' case, he has seemingly fallen behind USC's Rey Maualuga in the middle/inside linebacker evaluations, so he needs to demonstrate his willingness to compete in whatever drills are asked of him.

In the case of Chris Wells, Wells' productivity is often overshadowed by concerns of his durability. Similar to Jenkins and Laurinaitis, Wells should fully participate in all drills at the combine as well as his Ohio State Pro Day. Wells should also be prepared to be intensely poked and prodded during his physicals with various NFL teams while at the combine.

Category Two ~ The Productive (Robiskie, Freeman): These players are projected as first day selections in the NFL Draft (2nd-3rd round). Both players received Senior Bowl invitations and performed well in the scrutinized Senior Bowl practice week.

Brian Robiskie's biggest challenge is dispelling concerns that he lacks the appropriate speed to be an effective wide receiver at the NFL level. If I were advising Robiskie, I would encourage Robiskie to run at both the combine and the Ohio State Pro Day, as well as all other wide receiver drills. Being the son of a longtime NFL wide receiver coach, Robiskie should be well-prepared for the combine in both the drills as well as interview preparation, and I will be surprised if Robiskie's stock falls after the combine.

Marcus Freeman's challenge is atypical of most players at the combine. While many players do not test well, Freeman routinely tests out among the best of his Ohio State teammates in terms of speed or weightlifting drills. I would be surprised if Freeman does not participate in all drills.
Category Three ~ Unfulfilled Potential (Boone, Washington, Hartline): These are players who are projected as second day selections in the NFL Draft (4th-7th round), with a possibility of being an undrafted free agent. It will be extremely important for these players to participate in all drills at the combine, to perform well in these drills, and to have solid interviews with NFL teams.

Alex Boone's stock has fallen seemingly since the 2007 BCS Championship Game against Florida, when he appeared too slow against Florida's defenders. An inconsistent senior season, combined with reports of poor play in The East/West Shrine Game in January, have led most scouts to project Boone to the 4th round as a right tackle prospect. Factor in Boone's previous DUI in April 2006, and you can understand why NFL teams will be leery of investing a high draft choice on Boone.

Donald Washington gave up his last year of eligibility after a suspension-racked junior season. Washington played primarily as a nickel back, after losing his starting position to Chimdi Chekwa. I would expect Washington to participate in all drills at the combine and at the Ohio State Pro Day, and to test well. It will be important for Washington to have a solid interview about his previous indiscretions to be selected in the draft.

Brian Hartline gave up his last year of eligibility after an inconsistent junior season. With the transition from Todd Boeckman to Terrelle Pryor, Hartline's production fell as Ohio State emerged as more of a running offense built around Pryor. Hartline did not help himself with occasional drops throughout the past season, nor did Hartline help himself in the eyes of the Ohio State coaching staff for a curfew violation in the days leading up to The Fiesta Bowl. Hartline will need to ace all aspects of the combine and Ohio State Pro Day, and it still may not be enough to be drafted.

With the NFL Combine less than a month away, it will be interesting to see which of these Ohio State players excel or fall in the eyes of NFL evaluators.

Isn't It Great Antonio Henton Transferred From Ohio State?

In what I can only describe as a case of "I told you so", Ohio State has struck out with Tajh Boyd as well as Austin Boucher as quarterback options for this upcoming recruiting class to be signed on February 4th. Boyd will sign with Clemson, and Boucher will stay with his recently-made commitment to Miami University.

In the case of Boyd, Ohio State began recruiting him after Tennessee's Lane Kiffin told Boyd that he did not believe Boyd would fit into the future coaching staff's plans. Boyd visited Ohio State, but also visited Oregon and Clemson, before deciding on Clemson on 01/27/2009.

As for Boucher...Boucher was originally committed to Toledo, but re-opened his recruitment in the wake of Toledo's "reassignment" of Coach Tom Amstutz. Boucher was told by Ohio State that he was Ohio State's "Plan B" recruit in the wake of Boyd's decision, and decided to accept Miami University's scholarship offer this past weekend.

My allegiance to my alma mater is going to come shining through, but the reality is I cannot blame Austin Boucher for deciding to play for Miami. Nobody wants to be a fallback or settled upon selection, in football or especially in life. I wish Boucher nothing but the best in his endeavors at Miami University, as well as Mr. Boyd at Clemson.

As for Ohio State? Considering the rumors Joe Bauserman is contemplating a transfer, Ohio State should spend its remaining days between now and fall camp wooing Mr. Bauserman as not only a backup to Terrelle Pryor, but also reassure him that he will earn valuable playing time next season. An injury to Pryor would end all Big Ten hopes Ohio State may foster at this time, and Bauserman would be the most capable backup on Ohio State's roster.

Other alternatives? Ohio State has players such as DB Zach Domicone, DB Orhian Johnson, DB Rocco Pentello, and WR Grant Schwartz who all played high school quarterback, and it would make complete sense to move one of these players to the third quarterback spot. In the event of an injury to both Pryor and Bauserman...let's just say Ohio State's offense would not exactly instill fear in the heart of an opponent.

As for Antonio Henton? Glad to see Georgia Southern is treating you well...

Playoffs Are Gaining Steam Every Year

While Florida was voted the national champion for 2008 (congrats, by the way on the impressive win over Oklahoma), more and more people (besides President-Elect Obama and myself) are jumping on the playoff bandwagon. It's not just a case of Utah doing everything within its power, going undefeated and knowing that they will NEVER be given an opportunity to win the national championship. It's the other one-loss teams such as USC and Texas who also won their bowl games, who are left thinking, "What did Florida accomplish that we didn't?!?".

I found this article by Andy Staples of SI and found something interesting that should be brought up to all of the university presidents who oppose a playoff (E. Gordon Gee of Ohio State can be even front and center on this one, as he is the most vocal college or university president opposed to a playoff). The BCS contracts recently signed with ESPN will bring in $125 million/year. Not bad. How much would a 16-team playoff (some clown recently proposed that, I seem to recall) potentially generate? $400 million.

Anyone who knows me even remotely well knows how mathematically challenged I am, but I know that $400 million is certainly larger and more economically compelling than $125 million. In these challenging economic times, university presidents should be more receptive to a playoff system, not less.

What to do in the meantime? We will all have to wait and see if the Utah AG's lawsuit against the BCS can gain some momentum and give college football fans a logical method for determining a national champion through a playoff system.

Fiesta Bowl Aftermath: Tressel's "Pryor-ities" Should Have Included Playing Boeckman More

Congratulations to Texas on its hard-fought 24-21 over Ohio State. To come from behind with only about two minutes to win the game was very impressive. I would be surprised if Texas is voted national champions by the AP, but it is still possible.

I was pleased with how Ohio State competed against Texas. The last two bowl games against Florida and LSU were over by halftime; this game literally went down to the final seconds. Considering I predicted Texas to defeat Ohio State 31-17, I can only hope that Ohio State gained some minor level of redemption in the eyes of the national media with their strong effort against Texas.

Where was the turning point in the game? I believe the third quarter, when Ohio State's offense had two series back to back when they went out three and out. Not only was Ohio State's offense ineffective, but Ohio State's defense was fatigued from being out on the field for almost the entire quarter. By the time Todd Boeckman entered the game, Ohio State trailed 17-6 with only 1:04 left in the third quarter.

Terrelle Pryor's passing statistics should give someone an idea as to what I am talking about: 5-14, for 66 yards; that's almost 5 yards per pass. Compare those stats to Todd Boeckman's: 5-11, for 110 yards and 1 touchdown; that's around 10 yards per pass. Yes, I know, Pryor ran for 78 yards and caught a crucial touchdown pass from Boeckman, but Pryor's inability to pass effectively severely hindered Ohio State when they needed time-consuming drives in the second half.

I find it odd that people suggest Terrelle Pryor will leave for the NFL after his junior season. Unless Pryor has aspirations of playing wide receiver in the NFL, Pryor needs every possible repetition at quarterback he can possibly get the next three seasons to fulfill his NFL quarterback ambitions.

Think about other college quarterbacks who run or play in a spread offense. Does anyone think Pryor is a better passer right now than West Virginia's Pat White? Missouri's Chase Daniel? Florida's Tim Tebow? All three of those players are being downgraded by NFL scouts as quarterbacks, and all of them are better passers than Terrelle Pryor. I would guess working on Pryor's passing technique and fundamentals will be the primary concern of the Ohio State coaching staff this off-season.

Again, congratulations to Texas for its Fiesta Bowl win. I can only suspect Ohio State's coaching staff will look back at this game's third quarter and second-guess their handling of their quarterback situation.

The Fiesta Bowl: Can Ohio State Defeat Texas?

Location: University Of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, AZ) 8pm EST on Fox

Head Coach: Mack Brown

Texas Players Who Were Recruited By Ohio State: N/A. Similar to Ohio State, Texas concentrates on keeping players from the state of Texas for its roster. Ohio State has OL J.B. Shugarts on its roster from Texas, but Texas did not actively recruit Shugarts.

Texas Rushing Offense vs Ohio State Defense: Texas' leading rusher is QB Colt McCoy with 576 yards, but Texas will rotate backs Fozzy Whittaker and Vondrell McGee in throughout the game. Texas' strength offensively is predominantly through the air, but Ohio State's linebackers will need to shut down McCoy on any designed quarterback runs or if McCoy takes off scrambling. I would look for Ohio State to spy McCoy with LB/S hybrid Tyler Moeller and/or Jermale Hines.

Edge: Even

Texas Passing Offense vs Ohio State Defense: Colt McCoy was the Heisman Trophy runner-up, throwing for nearly 3500 yards with a completion percentage of 77%. Unlike two seasons ago when Ohio State defeated Texas in the second game of the 2006 season, McCoy has become much stronger physically and poised mentally for a physical Ohio State defense. Texas' top wideouts, Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley, both had over 70 receptions this season and average nearly 12 yds/catch. While Malcolm Jenkins may be able to slow down one receiver, it will be imperative for Ohio State's other defensive backs (Chimdi Chekwa, Donald Washington) who line up on the Texas receivers to play well, or it could be a long night for Ohio State. I look for Ohio State to blitz McCoy with James Laurinaitis, as well as the perimeter with DE Thaddeus Gibson, to try and disrupt McCoy's timing.

Edge: Texas

Ohio State Rushing Offense vs Texas Defense: As has been the case all season, Chris Wells is the critical offensive weapon for Ohio State. Texas has the second-ranked defense against the run, allowing teams only 2.8 ypc and around 74 yards/game. While Ohio State has QB Terrelle Pryor as a threat on the perimeter plays with option runs, Texas has tremendous speed and will undoubtedly put eight or nine men in the box to shut down Ohio State's running game, daring Pryor to throw. If Texas can play Ohio State the way USC and Penn State did this season, again, it could be a long night for Ohio State.

Edge: Texas

Ohio State Passing Offense vs Texas Defense: Texas' pass defense is the weakest part of its defense, with true freshmen starting at the safety spots. DE Brian Orakpo is a future NFL first round draft choice and could give OT Alex Boone fits in a fashion similar to the last two BCS Championship Games. Ohio State's passing game will need to be more creative and quick-hitting than it showed this season with Terrelle Pryor at the helm. I would look for Pryor to take off on designed bootlegs as well as quick hits to backs out of the backfield or TE Rory Nicol. Even for minimal gains, this will give Ohio State better opportunities to get its running game going, and keep the Texas offense off the field.

Edge: Texas

Special Teams: While Jim Tressel emphasizes special teams at Ohio State, Texas boasts a solid return game with Jordan Shipley. Shipley had a 96 yard kickoff return in its game against Oklahoma, and I would not be surprised to see if Ohio State plays it safe with kicking away from Shipley or directionally to Shipley, to help its coverage units. Ohio State's field goal kicking has been erratic this season, with both Ryan Pretorius and Aaron Pettrey being given opportunities to kick field goals for the Buckeyes. Ohio State commonly comes up with field goals, but will need to score touchdowns in order to stay with the Longhorns in The Fiesta Bowl.

Edge: Even

Intangibles: For a significant portion of the season, Texas was the number one ranked team in the country, until losing to Texas Tech on the last play of the game on November 1st. Without revisiting all of the politicking done by the various fans and coaches, Texas believes quite strongly that they were robbed of a national championship berth by Oklahoma.

Ohio State has become the butt of national jokes and target of ridicule for its poor performance in the last two BCS Championship Games. With Iowa being the only team this bowl season to secure a victory, it has now fallen upon Ohio State to try and restore some sense of respect to the beleaguered Big Ten Conference.

The big question for Texas is how will they show up for The Fiesta Bowl? If they believe they can they win a share of the national championship from The AP voters, Texas will look to come out and crush Ohio State. If Texas is still psychologically playing a "woe is me" game, Ohio State can possibly be in this game.

Edge: Texas

Prediction: Everything hinges on Ohio State being able to slow down Texas' passing game, while Ohio State needs to be able to throw effectively when they have the ball. Ohio State fans are quick to point out that Texas did well against other Big XII teams that were not as strong defensively, but I believe many Ohio State either ignore or completely disregard how Ohio State has struggled offensively throughout this entire season.

While I want a good game for Ohio State, I believe this Fiesta Bowl has all the makings of the first Rocky Balboa/Clubber Lang battle in Rocky III. Ohio State will come out thinking that they belong and can play with Texas, but it will truly test the mental toughness of Ohio State if they go down one or two scores to Texas - the inevitable thoughts of "Here we go again" will resurface and it will be tough to come back on Texas by throwing the ball.

Texas 31, Ohio State 17