Ohio State has released it’s information for this Saturday’s season opener against Miami. The Ohio State depth chart was also released. Here is the release:
FIRST AND 10
• Urban Meyer is the 24th head coach in Ohio State’s 123-year history of playing collegiate football.
• Ohio State coaches are 21-1-1 in their debut games. The only Ohio State coach to lose his debut: Jack Ryder, in 1892.
• Ohio State coaches are also 21-1-1 in their home debuts. (Alexander Lilly the only non-winner; in 1890).
• Ohio State is 4-0 all-time against Miami.
• Ohio State won the last meeting with the Redhawks, 34-14, Sept. 3, 2005 at Ohio Stadium.
• Ohio State has won 57 consecutive regular-season non-conference home games against teams not ranked in the AP Top 25. The last loss: 34-17 to Florida State, Oct. 2, 1982.
• Ohio State returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense, plus two kickers.
• Ohio State is 57-7 at Ohio Stadium since the start of the 2002 season.
• Ohio State has opened a season with a win every year since 2000.
• Ohio State is 31-2 in its last 33 season-openers. Both of those 0-1 starts took place in the Kickoff Classic at Giants Stadium – 1999 to Miami and 1986 to Alabama.
BUCKEYES RANKED 18TH BY AP
Ohio State is ranked 18th in the initial Associated Press poll of the 2012 season. The Buckeyes, who have been ranked by the AP more times – 789 – than any school in the nation, are appearing in the AP preseason poll for the 24th consecutive season, the longest such streak in the nation. This initial ranking in 2012 also marks the 45th consecutive season Ohio State has appeared in the AP toll, tying Alabama for the longest active streak.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Ohio State is one of five Big Ten Conference teams ranked in the AP preseason Top 25 poll. The others, all appearing on Ohio State’s schedule this season, are No. 8 Michigan, No. 12 Wisconsin, No. 13 Michigan State and No. 17 Nebraska. The Buckeyes’ first Big Ten game is at Michigan State (Sept. 29) and the team hosts Nebraska the following week. Ohio State closes its 2012 season at Wisconsin Nov. 17 and at home against Michigan Nov. 24.
33 CONSECUTIVE HOME OPENING WINS
Ohio State has won 33 consecutive home-opening games with the last loss happening 34 years ago – Sept. 16, 1978 – when Joe Paterno’s No. 5 Penn State team defeated No. 6 Ohio State, 19-0, to open what would ultimately be Woody Hayes’ final season as head coach. A few more home game notes:
• Ohio State has an all-time opening game record of 106-12-4. The Buckeyes’ last season-opening loss came against the Miami Hurricanes in the 1999 Kickoff Classic in East Rutherford, N.J.
• All-time, the Buckeyes are 110-8-4 in home openers since 1890.
• The largest opening day crowd at Ohio Stadium was 105,092 in the 2009 opener vs. Navy.
WELCOME HOME Urban Meyer
The 2012 campaign will be the debut season as Ohio State head coach for Ohioan Urban Meyer. Born in Toledo, raised in Ashtabula and with degrees from the University of Cincinnati and The Ohio State University, Meyer returned to his home state – as did his wife, Shelley, who is from Frankfort, Ohio – to become the 24th head coach in the storied history of Ohio State football.
“MAKE THE GREAT STATE OF OHIO PROUD”
Back home in Ohio to live for the first time in nine years, Meyer addressed publicly early in his tenure that his goal was for his coaches and players and program to “make the great state of Ohio proud.”
EIGHT ASSISTANTS WITH OHIO TIES
Meyer’s coaching staff includes eight assistants who were either born, raised and/or schooled in the great football state of Ohio. Like Meyer, seven of his assistants grew up in the state.
• CB coach Kerry Coombs is from Colerain, graduated from the University of Dayton and has coached in the state for 30 years; 24 years in the high school ranks and five years collegiately.
• RB coach Stan Drayton is from Cleveland, graduated from Allegheny College and is in his fourth year coaching in the state.
• Def. coord./LB coach Luke Fickell is from Columbus, graduated from Ohio State and has been a college coach in the state for 14 years.
• Off. coord/QB coach Tom Herman was born in Cincinnati.
• FB/TE coach Tim Hinton is from Amanda, graduated from Wilmington College and has coached collegiately or in the high school ranks in the state for 28 years.
• WR coach Zach Smith, the grandson of Earle Bruce, grew up in the Columbus suburb of Dublin.
• DL coach Mike Vrabel is from Akron, graduated from Ohio State and is in his second year coaching at his alma mater.
• Co-off. coord/OL coach Ed Warinner is from Strasburg and graduated from Mount Union College.
199 YEARS OF COACHING EXPERIENCE
Meyer’s Ohio State coaching staff has 199 combined years of NFL, college and high school coaching experience. The total includes three coaches on staff with college head coaching experience (Meyer, Luke Fickell and Everett Withers), two with a combined 32 years of high school head coaching experience (Kerry Coombs and Tim Hinton), two with 12 years of offensive coordinator experience on the collegiate level (Tom Herman and Ed Warinner) and two with 15 years of collegiate defensive coordinator or co-defensive coordinator experience (Withers and Fickell).
FICKELL: FOURTH DC RETAINED BY MEYER
Urban Meyer has held four head coaching positions and at each school he has retained the previous staff’s defensive coordinator. It’s an impressive list that now includes Luke Fickell, co-defensive coordinator for six years previously at Ohio State. The others: Tim Beckman at Bowling Green (Beckman is now head coach at Illinois); Kyle Whittingham at Utah (he is entering his seventh season as Utah head coach); and Charlie Strong at Florida (Strong is in his third season as head coach at Louisville.).
ABOUT THE REDHAWKS
The Miami RedHawks finished 4-8 last season and 3-5 in the MAC East Division, which tied for fourth. Miami was predicted to finish third in the MAC East Divison in 2012 at the conference’s media day in July.
The RedHawks are led offensively by senior QB Zac Dysert, who was second in the MAC last season with 292.8 yards passing per game. He threw for 23 TDs and 11 INTs. Junior wide receiver Nick Harwell, a Biletnikoff nominee, ranked second in the MAC last season with 1,425 yards receiving, third with 97 receptions and tied for fifth in the league with nine touchdown receptions. Harwell averaged 129.5 yards receiving per game and had nine games with over 100 yards receiving, including his season high of 229 at Temple.
Don Treadwell is in his second year as head coach.
OSU-MIami Series History
The Buckeyes lead the all-time series with Miami, 4-0:
1904: at Ohio State 80, Miami 0
1911: at Ohio State 3, Miami 0
2000: at Ohio State 27, Miami 16
2005: at Ohio State 34, Miami 14
OHIO STATE vs. OHIO SCHOOLS
Ohio State is 179-48-15 all-time vs. in-state schools and has won 37 consecutive games dating to a 7-6 loss to Oberlin in 1921.
123rd FOOTBALL SEASON
The 2012 football season will be the 123rd season for the Ohio State football program. Football became a varsity sport at Ohio State in 1890. Ohio State ranks fifth all-time in NCAA Division I history with 825 wins. Ohio State’s all-time record is 825-315-53.
100th BIG TEN SEASON
The 2012 season will be Ohio State’s 100th season of play in the Big Ten Conference. Ohio State joined the former Western Conference during the 1912-13 academic year, but it could not compete in the conference in football until 1913. Ohio State ranks second in all-time Big Ten wins with a record of 457-171-24. Ohio State also ranks second with 34 outright or shared Big Ten championships.
90th YEAR IN OHIO STADIUM
Ohio Stadium, grand and venerable and registered on the National Register of Historic Places, will host its 90th football season in 2012. Ohio Stadium is endearingly nicknamed the “Horeshoe” or the “Shoe” because of its open south end. It is also referred to as the “House that Harley Built” after Chic Harley, Ohio State’s first three-time All-American who fans flocked to see at Ohio Field in 1916-17-19. Just one year after Harley’s career at Ohio State was over, things were in motion for a new stadium for the Buckeyes.
From authors Marv Homan, a former Ohio State radio announcer and sports information director, and reporter Paul Hornung, who co-wrote “Ohio State – 100 Years of Football,” the stadium took shape this way:
1919 – Led by Harley, Ohio State recorded its first win over Michigan, 13-3, and the program was becoming a major force in the Western Conference. Ohio Field could not support the legions of fans that wanted to see the team play.
1920 – Professor and athletic board member Paul French, and Director of Athletics Lynn St. John, started an extensive stadium fund raising campaign while interest was soaring. The goal was to raise the “unrealistic” amount of $600,000 for the stadium campaign. Five weeks later more than $900,000 had been pledged. Ohio State went undefeated that season and received its first invitation to the Rose Bowl, further raising interest in the program.
1921 – A ground-breaking ceremony was held Aug. 3 with Ohio Governor Harry Davis part of a crowd of over 2,500 at the event. It was speculated the stadium would hold 35,000 fans. Upon completion, it would seat over 60,000.
1922 – The $1.5 million dollar stadium, of which more than $1.0 million was donated by proud and dedicated Ohio State football fans, was christened when Ohio State defeated Ohio Wesleyan, 5-0, in front of a crowd of 25,000. Ohio Stadium was dedicated prior to the Oct. 21 game against Michigan. With temporary stands in the south end of the stadium, a crowd of 72,500 was on hand.
1928 – L.W. St. John announces that all stadium debt has been paid, a remarkable achievement considering Ohio Stadium had only been standing for eight years.
OHIO STADIUM STATS
Ohio State has an all-time record of 396-109-20 in Ohio Stadium and the stadium has an official capacity of 102,329. The Buckeyes have not played before fewer than 100,000 fans in the last 70 games, or since the completion of a three-year renovation project in 2001 that restored and improved the stadium but also boosted attendance from an 88,000-plus capacity to over 100,000. Ohio State has played before more than 105,000 fans 43 times with a record crowd of 106,033 vs. USC on Sept. 12, 2009.
OHIO STADIUM SIGHT AND SOUND
A $7 million improvements project this summer replaced the 11-year-old Ohio Stadium scoreboard and audio system with a larger, high definition screen flanked by two clusters of speakers with new LED ribbon boards running the length of the south stands. The new Panasonic scoreboard is 42-feet-by-124-feet. The improvements project also included the conversion of 223 standard televisions in the stadium to HD sets.
OFFENSIVE NOTES
Ohio State will unveil its spread attack offensive formation Saturday against Miami for the first time. The offense is geared toward getting as many as six offensive players “in space” and making the defense have to cover all six…or try. Behind a rebuilt and reconditioned offensive line that features a pair of 13-game starters from 2011 on the left side (LT Jack Mewhort and LG Andrew Norwell), Ohio State’s go-to men will include:
• QB Braxton Miller, who had 11 rushes of 20-or-more yards in 2011 including an Ohio State QB record 81-yarder vs. Indiana and a 44-yarder vs. Wisconsin;
• RB Jordan Hall, who is out for at least the first two games, has 2,513 career all-purpose yards (26th at Ohio State) and he had 10 plays of 20-or more yards last season, including a 90-yard kickoff return vs. Colorado and a 38-yard reception vs. Purdue;
• WR Corey Brown, whose 14 receptions in 2011 featured four of 20-or-more yards including a 54-yard touchdown vs. Michigan;
• WR Devin Smith, who averaged 22.6 yards per reception as a freshman with touchdown receptions covering 40, 36, 32 and 31 yards;
• RB Carlos Hyde, whose 63-yard touchdown rush off right tackle against Nebraska was most impressive and who had three more carries above 20 yards while totaling 556 yards and averaging 5.3 yards per carry last year; and
• WR Jake Stoneburner had four receptions above 20 yards as a tight end, including a 32-yard screen pass vs. Nebraska. He finished with seven touchdown receptions.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
The defensive line, featuring 68 combined starts among the unit, will be the foundation on this side of the ball, but solid play from a veteran secondary that has five players who have started nine or more games apiece will be huge while the young linebacker starters get acclimated. The line should be formidable, and it could be like an “SEC” defensive line, according to Urban Meyer, if Nathan Williams is able to make a return off his knee surgery. Here’s a few to watch on defense:
• DL John Simon, who was a third-team All-American last year, all-Big Ten and who has 28 TFLs among his 110 career tackles;
• DL Johnathan Hankins, an athletic, 322-pound interior player who had only eight fewer tackles (67) last year than Ohio State’s team leader;
• DB C.J. Barnett, whose 75 tackles led the team in 2011 and who has started every game he has played in (15);
• DB Bradley Roby, a 4.31 sophomore speedster who led the team with nine passes defensed in 2011 while starting all 13 games;
• LB Etienne Sabino, a fifth-year senior who had 62 tackles last season and was the team MVP in the Gator Bowl;
• DB Travis Howard, whose 11 career passes defensed (four interceptions; seven PBUs) lead the team;
• LB Ryan Shazier, a sophomore who had the most tackles as a true freshman (57) in the last 15 years, or since Andy Katzenmoyer had 86 in 1996;
• DL Garrett Goebel, a fifth-year senior captain whose work in the middle occupying two blockers allows his teammates plenty of opportunity to thump.
FIVE CAPTAINS
Captaining the Buckeyes in 2012 will be a handful of seniors: FB Zach Boren; DL Garrett Goebel; RB Jordan Hall; LB Etienne Sabino; and DL John Simon.
SIMON 7th TWO-TIME CAPTAIN
John Simon is just the seventh two-time captain in Ohio State history and the first since All-American linebacker and St. Louis Ram James Laurinaitis was so honored in 2007 and 2008.
Ohio State Two-Time Captains
John Simon – 2011-12
James Laurinaitis – 2007-08
Joe Cooper – 2000-01
Steve Belisari – 2000-01
Pepper Johnson – 1984-85
Archie Griffin – 1974-75
Richard Ellis – 1891-92
RETURNING STARTERS
Ohio State returns 15 returning starters from its 2011 team; eight on defense and seven on offense. The seven on offense include skill position players QB Braxton Miller, FB Zach Boren and WRs Jake Stoneburner, Corey Brown and Chris Fields, and linemen Jack Mewhort and Andrew Norwell.
The defensive side includes three of four linemen – John Simon, Johnathan Hankins and Garrett Goebel – and all four starters in the secondary: safeties C.J. Barnett and Christian Bryant and cornerbacks Bradley Roby and Travis Howard. LB Storm Klein started 10 times in 2011 but will miss at least the first two games of the season.
MORE START STATS
The cumulative experience of Ohio State’s team features players who have combined for 138 starts on defense and 127 starts on offense. Here’s the breakdown by position:
DL – 68 (John Simon leads with 26 starts with Johnathan Hankins, Garrett Goebel and Nathan Williams all with 13);
DB – 62 (C.J. Barnett and Orhian Johnson have each started 15 times; Bradley Roby/13, Travis Howard/11 and Christian Bryant/nine are vets);
OL – 42 starts (LG Andrew Norwell and LT Jack Mewhort have 13 starts apiece, and Marcus Hall has six; Reid Fragel has started nine times as a tight end);
RB – 33 (Zach Boren has 27 starts and Carlos Hyde and Jordan Hall three apiece);
WR – 24 (Corey Brown has nine, Chris Fields eight and Verlon Reed five);
TE – 18 (Jake Stoneburner, now a WR, has started 18 times at TE);
LB – 18 (Storm Klein has 10 starts while Etienne Sabino has five and Ryan Shazier three); and
QB – 10 (Braxton Miller).
A SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST
The Senior Bowl released its first-ever watch list for players it will consider – players will be added to this list – for its post-season all-star game. Ohio State was represented by eight players on the list, a total that ranked in a tie for fourth nationally behind three schools – Oklahoma, Nebraska and Georgia – that had nine players represented apiece.
Buckeyes on Senior Bowl list to date…
FB Zach Boren
OL Reid Fragel
DB Travis Howard
DB Orhian Johnson
LB Etienne Sabino
DL John Simon
WR Jake Stoneburner
DL Nathan Williams
BLACK STRIPE WATCH LIST
The Ohio State freshman have been watched closely this fall. Coach Urban Meyer had a black stripe taped on each of their helmets at the beginning of camp. Getting the black stripe removed is a signal that a freshman is ready to become a full fledged Buckeye. Each freshman is assigned a big brother, a leader on the team, who helps the younger player get through the rigors of fall camp while teaching what it takes to be an Ohio State Buckeye. It is a program that Meyer has implemented throughout his head coaching career, beginning in 2001 at Bowling Green. Eight have had their stripe removed so far.
Way to Go Bucks!
1. DB Devan Bogard (Orhian Johnson)
2. DL Noah Spence (Michael Bennett)
3. DL Tommy Schutt (Garrett Goebel)
4. OL Taylor Decker (Jack Mewhort)
5. DL Adolphus Washington (Johnathan Hankins)
6. RB Warren Ball (Jordan Hall)
7. QB Cardale Jones (Braxton Miller)
8. LB Joe Burger (Adam Griffin)
9. RB Bri’onte Dunn (Carlos Hyde)
CHANGES
A number of players have changed numbers and positions since Ohio State last took the field for a game. Among the more notable changes:
• Bradley Roby is now wearing jersey No. 1;
• Jake Stoneburner is more wide receiver than tight end;
• Former TE Reid Fragel is battling for the starting right tackle position and wearing No. 77;
• Daryl Baldwin has switched from the d-line to the o-line and he’s now in jersey No. 76;
• Chase Farris kept No. 57 but he switched from d-line to o-line this spring; and
• Midway through spring drills Chris Carter moved from the o-line to the d-line.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TEAM STATS
Urban Meyer’s 10 previous collegiate teams have been extremely balanced in all phases of the game. His teams have led their respective conference in a statistical category 43 times, including in 17 offensive categories, 12 defensive, nine special teams and five times in turnover margin. Some highlights:
• His team’s have led in total offense four times, including three times by Florida;
• Four times his teams have led in scoring offense and passing efficiency;
• His defenses have led a league three time against the rush and twice in scoring;
• His return teams – punt and kickoff – have led a total of five times; and
• His teams have led in net punting three times.
Meyer’s teams have been ranked among the nation’s Top 10 in team statistical categories 49 times, including NCAA statistical champions in passing efficiency (Florida; 2009) and kickoff returns (Utah; 2003).
DEFENSE AMONG THE NATION’S BEST
Ohio State’s defensive units the last seven years under Fickel and the now retired Jim Heacock have been good…real good! The defense has been an NCAA statistical champion four times in that span – 2005 rushing; 2007 total, scoring and pass defense – and it has been among the Top 5 15 other times.
LOGOS
The FieldTurf at Ohio Stadium will wear the logo of the Big Ten Conference this season. B1G logos will be at both ends of the field between the 20 and 30 yard lines and facing the press box. This year the team’s jerseys will also sport the B1G logo on the front right chest.
100
In honor of the 2012 season being Ohio State’s 100th season playing football in the Big Ten Conference, team members will be sporting a decal on the back of their helmets with the number 100 on it.
THE SILVER BULLET DEFENSE
The Buckeyes have a long-standing tradition of producing the best defenses in the Big Ten and the nation year in, year out. Here are some bullets that put into perspective the Silver Bullets dominance.
• Since the 2005 season, Ohio State has finished either first or second in scoring defense among Big Ten teams in six of the seven years. The Buckeyes were first in 2010, 2007 and 2005 and second in 2009, 2008 and 2006. The Buckeyes were sixth last season.
• Since the beginning of the 2007 season, the Ohio State defense has allowed only 11 100-yard rushers. That mark is tied for third best among FBS schools.
Fewest 100-yd rushers allowed:
(FBS Teams Since 2007)
1. Alabama 5
2. Boston College 9
3. Ohio State 11
Brigham Young 11
5. Pittsburgh 12
• Ohio State has held 68 opponents to 21 points or fewer since the start of the 2005 season, the most among FBS teams.
• Ohio State has allowed fewer than 10 points 31 times since the start of the 2006 season.
• Ohio State has featured a Top 20 scoring defense in nine of the past 10 seasons, including a top 6 in six of the last seven.
Year PPG Allowed FBS Rank
2011 21.0 27th
2010 14.3 5th
2009 12.5 5th
2008 13.9 6th
2007 12.8 1st
2006 12.8 5th
2005 15.3 5th
2004 18.3 19th
2003 17.6 16th
2002 13.1 2nd
NO B1G CHAMPIONSHIP OR BOWL IN 2012
Due to an NCAA major infraction, the Ohio State University football program is ineligible for post-season play during the 2012 season. This penalty was imposed by the NCAA Committee on Infractions in response to extra benefits and preferential treatment violations involving institutional memorabilia and apparel. Additional penalties for the football program include the imposition of a three year probationary period from December 20, 2011 to December 19, 2014; the reduction of scholarships from 85 to 82 during the 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-15 academic years; and the vacation of all wins from the 2010 season.
In response to the major infraction, the institution has increased its compliance educational and monitoring efforts regarding preferential treatment, extra benefits, institutional memorabilia and apparel. Further, a greater emphasis has been placed on the education of the Columbus community, local businesses, boosters and other constituents to ensure knowledge of NCAA, Big Ten, and institutional regulations. The Ohio State University continues to strive to create a compliance conscience within the university and throughout Buckeye Nation.
Team/Miscellaneous Notes
• Ohio State has won 34 Big Ten titles. Only Michigan has more with 42.
• Ohio State has 825 wins all-time, tied for the fifth-most among FBS teams:
Michigan – 888
Texas – 853
Notre Dame – 845
Nebraska – 836
Ohio State – 825
Alabama – 825
Oklahoma – 806
• Ohio State has had 70 consecutive crowds of more than 100,000 at Ohio Stadium.
NOT SINCE 1922-24
Ohio State ranks first among all NCAA Div. I programs with 86 consecutive seasons since last posting back-to-back losing records. The Buckeyes have not been under .500 for two or more consecutive seasons since 1922-24. Tennessee had been first until last season; the Vols hadn’t had back-to-back losing seasons since 1909-11, a span of 98 consecutive seasons, until going 6-7 and 5-7 in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
GAME SNAPSHOTS
There will be a number of team reunions and teams being honored at Ohio Stadium this season. The list of past team honorees and recognitions – to date – includes the following:
Central Florida – Scarlet and Gray Day;
California – Hall of Fame Game and 1942 team recognition;
UAB – Alumni Band/Cheerleaders Day;
Nebraska – Homecoming and 1972 team recognition;
Purdue – Breast Cancer Awareness and 1957 team recognition;
Illinois – Military Appreciation Day and 2002 team recognition; and
Michigan – Senior Day and the Tunnel of Pride.
