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 workforce is attempting to create their very own legacy as a result of no workforce at Ohio State has ever been capable of repeat. However on the similar time, they’re additionally a wholly totally different workforce — apart from two of the most effective gamers within the nation in [wide receiver] Jeremiah Smith and [safety] Caleb Downs, and clearly some others as nicely.”
Cohen: Ohio State despatched 14 gamers to the NFL Draft. Texas despatched 12. However the large distinction is what you simply outlined in that Texas isn’t altering any of its playcallers or coordinators, whereas Ohio State definitely is. How vital is that when there’s quite a lot of roster turnover on each side, however one workforce can also be going to have quite a lot of operational modifications as nicely?
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Quinn: “It’s a huge change. It could’t be understated. All the things from the way you get the play name in and ensuring the very first thing that issues probably the most is traces 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 form of like to attend and see and form of let the clock run down. All of it relies upon. So everybody has a special character with how they deal with that.
“The character of the coordinators themselves [will be different]. Offensively, you will have some coordinators who have 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 in all probability not. It is dependent upon the character of that man.
“A defensive coordinator, for instance, if I am going hit an enormous 40-yard acquire downfield, some coordinators wish to then have this protected name that they nearly form of simply line up in and play a protected protection. It may 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 best 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 learn how to disguise that. Properly, how briskly can he get the complete 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 operating straight away with arguably the largest 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 sport that may inform you both sure, he’s prepared for this second, or no, he won’t be fairly prepared for this?
Quinn: “The best approach 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 sport [last year], which they performed quite a lot 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 drive balls to Jeremiah Smith or drive footballs to the surface when there’s actually nothing there as an alternative of going to the center, that’s extra of the weak spot for Cowl-2, which is quite a lot of what [defensive coordinator] Pete Kwiatkowski did within the semifinal sport. 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 combined up the other ways they bought 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 totally 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 often 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 in all probability going to be extra aggressive than I used to be versus Will Howard, particularly as a result of Will Howard was a little bit bit extra of a runner, you understand? Sayin is succesful, however he’s a smaller man and I’m positive he’s going to need 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 totally different from a quarterback who sat and waited one 12 months, like Sayin did, and a quarterback who sat and waited for 2 years, like Arch Manning at Texas?
Quinn: “You need to construct off these experiences. And while 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 sport. He will get in, Texas is thrashing them fairly dangerous, they’re driving down the sphere. He runs up within the pocket, form of breaks out to his proper and form of flips it out to the operating again for a landing. That form of play, that’s large to construct this basis of confidence like, ‘Hey, I can do that.’ As a result of this can be a totally different stage. You are able to do all of it you need in follow, however till you really do it in a live-game situation, that’s what brings confidence to a younger man. That’s invaluable expertise to Arch Manning and form 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 sport, in my thoughts it’s actually large.”
Cohen: Each offensive traces 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 individuals 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 precise deal with, however the different 4 guys have began video games and performed vital snaps final 12 months. I believe it’s not as large [for the Buckeyes] as it’s for Texas, the place the Longhorns have one starter again and the remainder goes to be lots much less skilled guys. I believe Texas has their work reduce out for them extra. However one of many explanation 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 sport. All of that may be a actually large piece concerning if these quarterbacks are going to be protected, how efficient they’ll be capable 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 big for all these new starters they’re going to have. Going up towards a proficient [defensive] entrance and going up towards 100,000-plus followers screaming their heads off to start out a season, understanding the ramifications of this sport.”
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Cohen: Is there a participant or two who won’t get talked about within the first 5 or 6 names that a mean fan would take into consideration, however that you just discover notably fascinating in how this matchup may 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 extremely vital function. He’s a heck of a participant. That’s the rationale he’s at Ohio State. However him as a cross catcher in that center of the sphere, he’s going to be large, 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 quite a lot 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 defensive position is important.”
Cohen: The final query is the plain one. How do you see this sport shaking out?
Quinn: “I can’t reply this as a result of we’ve bought 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 in regards to the quarterbacks and the ability gamers, as all the time. And sure, there will likely be a handful of performs that may decide the end result, as a result of I believe it is going to be tight. However this will likely be extra of a defensive battle than anything.
“I’ll be curious to see all of the first-game issues that you just’re on the lookout for: 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 sport so we will 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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