Spring Game News and Notes

Another humongous crowd watched the Scarlet triumph 20-7 in Ohio State’s annual spring game yesterday. In the rain, no less. The Dispatch covered it almost as copiously as it would a regular season game, so I will defer to most of their coverage. Here is a quick rundown of the hot topics in and around the game:

Quarterbacks – The main story of the game was about Joe Bauserman’s play. The redshirt freshman was 7 of 14 for 125 yards and nice TD throw. He had another TD called back on penalty. Meanwhile, Boeckman threw two interceptions. 

The focus of the story was how well Bauserman played, and I agree with Tressel when he said they are a long way from determining the backup quarterback. Was this a case of Bauserman progressing, Henton regressing, or both? Tressel had previously praised Boeckman, while Beanie thought Henton was very impressive. I hardly heard about Bauserman before the game. 

So, who benefited the most from spring practice and the game? Maybe, Terrelle Pryor (who received a big cheer yesterday). If neither Henton nor Bauserman are able to solidify the backup job with consistent play, Pryor may find himself as #2 in both jersey number and depth chart position by the end of the season with a tight grip on the '09 starting job. Undoubtedly, Pryor will have a specific package designed for him, albeit small, and if he excels with it he may become the second best option whether he knows the offense inside out.

Running Backs – Boom Herron led the scrimmage with 30 yards on 10 carries. Brandon Saine had received considerable hype throughout the spring including big production in the jersey scrimmage. He had 4 carries yesterday. What does it all mean? According to the Dispatch, not much.

Wide Receivers – Taurian Washington and Ray Small had nice games and those performances are probably the most significant of the spring game. As we have discussed before, the 3rd WR spot is wide open and any player stepping up is a good sign. Whether it is Washington, Small, Sanzenbacher, or another, somebody needs to improve because it appears the tight ends are going to be a non-factor again.

Defense - While the defensive tackles are hoping to improve and the defensive backs are shorthanded, the defense figures to be just fine. With nine returning starters back, even a slight increase in last season’s production would make the defense extremely formidable.