Last week, I wrote about how the Buckeyes looked broken and needed to be fixed. And after this week, I think they're on their way to doing that. My three biggest concerns were Ed Warinner taking over for Tom Herman, the QB situation, and the offensive line. And something was done to improve those, in my belief.
In the case of Ed Warinner, Urban Meyer has said that their synergy in play-calling hasn't been as "smooth" as it was under Herman, and a lot of that has to do with positioning. Previously, Herman would sit up in the box to get an aerial view of the game, which allows great advantage in seeing how schemes are planned and executed. Ultimately, it allows you to get a more true view of the X's and O's. Because Warinner stands on the sidelines, he doesn't get this view. Thus, Meyer has delegated some of the play-calling to quarterbacks coach Tim Beck, who does sit up in the box. Urban has said it's not a demotion to Warinner, it's just to aide in smoothing out the playcalling. And in my belief, it worked a bit better. While the offense isn't the absolute machine is was last year yet, the up-tempo pace certainly seemed to work a lot better. Meyer knows what he needs to do, and he's making moves, so I'm not as worried about that anymore.
In regards to the QB situation, Meyer has finally set Cardale Jones as the definite starter. While JT Barrett will likely see some snaps when we go up by a decent amount, the decision is final. The spot is Jones' to lose, and if Barrett wants to start, he's going to have to supremely outperform Jones. This decision will solidify the confidence of both QBs, as they won't have to look over their backs with the fear of being demoted. Jones knows he's the guy, and Barrett knows he's the backup. That was another worry, and Meyer fixed it.
The third concern of mine was the offensive line. In previous games, they didn't look like an elite college program line. In this last game, however, I saw noted improvements. Guys made their blocks, there were less sacks, and Cardale looked like he had more time and a bigger pocket to throw in. However, they're not quite the same as last year and definitely have room for improvement.
As a fan, I would not be alarmed anymore. Remember that at this time last year, we had a lot more issues. It was after a double overtime win at Penn State that the team started to play at an elite level. It'll take some time, but I believe before we know it, this team will be one of the greatest offenses we've ever had the pleasure of watching.
