Michael Cohen
College Football and College Basketball Writer
Come Saturday morning, as college football fans across the country crawl out of bed to embark on the excitement of Week 1, millions of television sets and smartphones will be focused on the spectacle in Columbus, Ohio, where the defending national champions prepare to host Texas in a rematch of last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal.
Ranked No. 1 in the country, the Longhorns bring with them a famous quarterback in Arch Manning, presumed by many to be the Heisman Trophy favorite. And there to rebuff them will be a collection of Buckeyes ranked No. 3 in the preseason AP Poll, eager for the chance to build their own legacy after tasting glory in January.
To preview the game, we spoke with FOX Sports’ college football analyst Brady Quinn, who will be live on the set of “Big Noon Kickoff” at Ohio Stadium this weekend to document the action.
Here’s a Q&A between national college football writer Michael Cohen and Quinn:
Note: This interview was lightly edited for length and clarity.
Cohen: What are you most interested to see from Ohio State as the Buckeyes try to defend their national title?
Quinn: “It’s hard to answer that question because this team is so different from what they were last year, you know? Last year’s Ohio State team had closer ties to the Michigan team that won it two years prior because of all the guys that decided to stay and go back and try to have a chance of winning the national championship. So you look at the fact that they’ve got a new offensive coordinator, elevating Brian Hartline to that position. Matt Patricia comes in to take over as defensive coordinator. You have a new quarterback. I think if you went through the history of college football and teams that are trying to repeat, I don’t know if there’s any that have ever gone through this significant amount of changes and been able to [do it successfully].
“So I believe that’s the very first thing that involves thoughts is that this crew is attempting to create their very own legacy as a result of no crew at Ohio State has ever been capable of repeat. However on the similar time, they’re additionally a completely completely different crew — except two of the most effective gamers within the nation in [wide receiver] Jeremiah Smith and [safety] Caleb Downs, and clearly some others as effectively.”
Cohen: Ohio State despatched 14 gamers to the NFL Draft. Texas despatched 12. However the massive distinction is what you simply outlined in that Texas shouldn’t be altering any of its playcallers or coordinators, whereas Ohio State actually is. How important is that when there’s plenty of roster turnover on each side, however one crew can also be going to have plenty of operational modifications as effectively?
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Quinn: “It’s a huge change. It may possibly’t be understated. Every part from the way you get the play name in and ensuring the very first thing that issues probably the most is strains of communication. That communication from the coach to the participant and having the ability to deal with that, and the timing of that, there’s some coordinators who get [play calls] in fast, there’s others that sort of like to attend and see and sort of let the clock run down. All of it relies upon. So everybody has a distinct character with how they deal with that.
“The character of the coordinators themselves [will be different]. Offensively, you have got some coordinators who take a look at second-and-1, relying on the place they’re on the sphere, and it modifications how they’re going to name that play, you understand? If it’s second-and-1 they usually’re in plus-territory, they’re taking a shot. If there’s second-and-1 they usually’re backed up, they’re most likely not. It will depend on the character of that man.
“A defensive coordinator, for instance, if I am going hit a giant 40-yard achieve downfield, some coordinators prefer to then have this secure name that they virtually sort of simply line up in and play a secure protection. It is likely to be Cowl-2 or one thing like that. Matt Patricia is a man who runs a ton of man to man. I imply, he was among the finest throughout his years in New England, clearly, however even when he went to Detroit. Simply so many various types of how they get to bracket protection and man-to-man and various things, and the best way to disguise that. Properly, how briskly can he get all the Ohio State protection up to the mark with all of that, you understand? You don’t have preseason video games. So that you hit the bottom working immediately with arguably the most important matchup in school soccer historical past to start out a season.”
Cohen: What are some belongings you’ll search for with Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin early in Saturday’s recreation that can inform you both sure, he’s prepared for this second, or no, he won’t be fairly prepared for this?
Quinn: “The best manner is 2 issues: Is he going to take what the protection offers him? And that’s going to be demonstrated in [whether] he’s forcing the soccer to Jeremiah Smith, particularly if Texas does what they did within the semifinal recreation [last year], which they performed plenty of cloud protection to a facet. They tried to place both a nickel or cornerback on him with a security excessive and attempt to disrupt his launch and attempt to principally take him out of the sport plan. If [Sayin] tries to power balls to Jeremiah Smith or power footballs to the skin when there’s actually nothing there as a substitute of going to the center, that’s extra of the weak spot for Cowl-2, which is plenty of what [defensive coordinator] Pete Kwiatkowski did within the semifinal recreation. That’s the very first thing is simply his decision-making and is he taking what the protection is giving him.
“After which the very last thing is how he handles stress, you understand? If I’m Pete Kwiatkowski, he’s not an enormous stress man, however one of many issues that I assumed was distinctive that they did versus [former Ohio State quarterback] Will Howard, who had seen a ton of soccer, is that they actually blended up the other ways they obtained to Cowl-2. They’d present like a three-deep shell, after which they’d transfer into what principally grew to become like a Tampa-2. They’d transfer some completely different guys out on the snap of the soccer to get to Cowl-2. Or [Ohio State] would movement and shift, and [Texas] would run a man throughout [the formation], which normally is a man-to-man indicator, they usually’d play Cowl-2 out of it. So there’s various things they did from a protection standpoint to confuse him.
“It’s Julian Sayin’s first begin. If I’m Pete Kwiatkowski, I’m most likely going to be extra aggressive than I used to be versus Will Howard, particularly as a result of Will Howard was a bit of bit extra of a runner, you understand? Sayin is succesful, however he’s a smaller man and I’m certain he’s going to wish to spin the soccer round and keep in that pocket, versus getting out and attempting to get these powerful yards downfield.”
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Cohen: Are you able to describe the quantity of improvement that will be completely different from a quarterback who sat and waited one yr, like Sayin did, and a quarterback who sat and waited for 2 years, like Arch Manning at Texas?
Quinn: “You wish to construct off these experiences. And if you’re a man who has performed as a lot as Arch has, despite the fact that it’s solely been a pair begins, you may return to even the Colorado State recreation. He will get in, Texas is thrashing them fairly unhealthy, they’re driving down the sphere. He runs up within the pocket, sort of breaks out to his proper and sort of flips it out to the working again for a landing. That type of play, that’s big to construct this basis of confidence like, ‘Hey, I can do that.’ As a result of it is a completely different degree. You are able to do all of it you need in apply, however till you really do it in a live-game state of affairs, that’s what brings confidence to a younger man. That’s invaluable expertise to Arch Manning and sort of constructing him as he’s come alongside. It doesn’t really feel like a lot, as a result of it hasn’t been that many begins and it’s not that many extra snaps, however with reference to the way it prepares him for this recreation, in my thoughts it’s actually massive.”
Cohen: Each offensive strains are going to have a number of new starters. From the vantage level of a quarterback, what’s it like watching an offensive line attempt to work out the kinks in actual time when it’s their first begin collectively?
Quinn: “Some folks say it’s 4 or 5 new starters for Ohio State, but it surely’s actually not. They’re going to the switch portal for the suitable sort out, however the different 4 guys have began video games and performed important snaps final yr. I believe it’s not as massive [for the Buckeyes] as it’s for Texas, the place the Longhorns have one starter again and the remaining goes to be quite a bit much less skilled guys. I believe Texas has their work reduce out for them extra. However one of many the reason why you usually see lower-scoring video games, particularly between actually good groups to start out seasons, is as a result of there’s a lot communication — each verbal and non-verbal — that goes on between these 5 guys up entrance. And once more, there’s no preseason. Sure, you do dwell reps [in practice], however not like it’s in a recreation. All of that could be a actually massive piece relating to if these quarterbacks are going to be protected, how efficient they’ll have the ability to run the soccer, etcetera.
“After which clearly, for Texas, extra so than Ohio State, is how they deal with the noise, you understand? That communication piece is large for all these new starters they’re going to have. Going up towards a gifted [defensive] entrance and going up towards 100,000-plus followers screaming their heads off to start out a season, understanding the ramifications of this recreation.”
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Cohen: Is there a participant or two who won’t get talked about within the first 5 – 6 names that a mean fan would take into consideration, however that you just discover significantly fascinating in how this matchup would possibly unfold?
Quinn: “I might say it’s extra about positions, you understand, as a result of I anticipate Pete Kwiatkowski attempting to remove Jeremiah Smith once more and forcing Julian Sayin to win with [fellow wide receivers] Carnell Tate or Brandon Inniss. So I believe that Max Klare, the Purdue switch tight finish, is a man that’s going to play a very vital position. He’s a heck of a participant. That’s the explanation he’s at Ohio State. However him as a cross catcher in that center of the sphere, he’s going to be big, in my view.
“So far as Texas goes, it’s their D-tackles. You misplaced a pair starters there. However for probably the most half, the linebacking corps, the secondary, there’s plenty of guys again for Texas, in order that’s their power. And it’s whether or not or not they’re going to have the ability to cease these in between-the-tackle runs towards Ohio State. I might say how Texas holds up on the inside of the line of defense is essential.”
Cohen: The final query is the plain one. How do you see this recreation shaking out?
Quinn: “I can’t reply this as a result of we’ve obtained to put it aside for the present. I’ll say this: I believe it’s going to be a defensive battle. I believe all of the dialog has been concerning the quarterbacks and the ability gamers, as all the time. And sure, there might be a handful of performs that can decide the end result, as a result of I believe it will likely be tight. However this might be extra of a defensive battle than the rest.
“I’ll be curious to see all of the first-game issues that you just’re in search of: ball safety, pre-snap penalties, missed assignments, is the protection tight, is everybody on-point. These are the issues that, clearly, you’re hoping that each groups play a clear recreation so we are able to simply see some good soccer.”
Michael Cohen covers school soccer and school basketball for FOX Sports activities. Observe him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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