COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State's annual spring game got off to a slow start on Saturday but once the teams got settled in, the offenses started to perk up and the Gray team walked away with a 37-14 win before the skies opened up and the rains came.
All three Ohio State quarterbacks played for both teams as Urban Meyer and the coaches wanted as much data as possible in determining who will be the starting quarterback moving forward as the Buckeyes look to replace the departed J.T. Barrett.
Joe Burrow was 15-22 for 238 yards and two touchdowns through the air while Dwayne Haskins was 9-19 for 120 yards and two touchdowns as well. Tate Martell threw his hat in the ring as well, but more with his legs as he ran for 69 yards and a score while going 5-16 passing, mostly to Ohio State's second and third team wideouts.
"We are going to have some very good meetings and productive meetings," Meyer said. "I want to see all the statistical data that we have charted and go from there."
It won't be an easy decision.
"We have to do what is best for Ohio State and what is best for those players," Meyer added.
It is far from certain that the Buckeyes will have all three quarterbacks come fall camp but there is hope that the Buckeyes will have the deep roster of the three along with Matthew Baldwin.
"I hope so, I am just going to leave it there," Meyer said.
Ohio State's pair of 1000-yard rushers did not see many carries on the day with one each for Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins. Weber made his count more with a 63-yard run that set up a short Ohio State touchdown drive.
Antonio Williams and Master Teague each made the most of their carries. Williams had five carries for 47 yards and a score while Teague was a workhorse for the Gray team with 14 carries for 73 yards and a score for the early enrollee.
Demario McCall had himself a day with 11 combined catches for 165 yards and two scores from his H-back position. He was the favorite target on both teams with 26 targets on the day. Binjimen Victor showed up as well with five catches and 91 yards with a score as well for good measure.
The offensive line saw some shuffling with players like Michael Jordan and Branden Bowen still on the mend. Isaiah Prince lined up at his familiar right tackle position rather than left while Thayer Munford drew duty on the left side and was greeted rudely by Nick Bosa and Chase Young.
Isaiah has been playing a lot of left (tackle) too and I think we are just trying to get that rotation, who is going to be the third tackle, obviously you have a good one coming in too. Josh Alabi and with Nick (Petite-Friere)… we are just figuring out what is best.
The spring game was not built for defensive numbers with two-hand tag for the first couple of series and no-contact uniforms on the quarterbacks. The Buckeyes will have to answer a lot of questions on that side of the ball as time moves on, but Meyer knows that he has some players coming back.
The player that has probably had the best spring of anyone on our team is Dre'mont Jones. He was outstanding this spring," Meyer said. "For a guy to come back, when a lot of people thought he should leave, a lot of times we have to deal with… whether it be effort issues or 'why am I doing this' issues, it has been zero. That is a credit to his family and Larry Johnson."
Meyer does not like to go for field goals but feels good about the position with Sean Nuernberger making field goals from 40, 42, 48 and 52 yards for the Buckeyes.
"What you saw today, he has been very consistent throughout spring," Meyer said.
How does Meyer feel about his team now that spring practice is in the books and the team is on the clock for the season opener?
"(I still have) a lot of questions," Meyer said mentioning that he saw a lot of his 2017 team honored with their Big Ten/Cotton Bowl rings during a break in the game. "It is a little bit like when you say goodbye to the 2014 National Champs, I know we did not win a national championship but that was heck of a team that we had last year. I am pretty pleased with where we are at. This is not where we were last year where it was a veteran team."
