Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer said his team’s Wednesday practice wasn’t an ordinary training session. Meyer said it was one of the best off-season practices he has ever seen.
“Let me just say this about that practice,” Meyer said of Wednesday’s practice in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. “That was A-1-A. That’s our best practice of the spring, one of the best spring practices I’ve seen.”
The intensity level and competitiveness of the players, as well as coaching by the assistants all received an “A” grade, Meyer said.
“If you want to see a ball practice, that was a ball practice,” Meyer said.
The OSU staff has been stressing a winners-and-losers approach at spring practice, and at Wednesday’s practice, the results were noticeable, OSU’s first-year coach said.
The OSU offense chalked-up its first win against the defense in a scrimmage Wednesday. Rising sophomore quarterback Braxton Miller completed most of his passes including a deep throw to rising junior running back Carlos Hyde for a touchdown. The play came off a Miller scramble.
“You saw (Miller’s ability). You saw it the Wisconsin game last year,” Meyer said. “That’s every defensive coach’s nightmare; they actually had the play stopped. Having a quarterback that makes something out of nothing is every coach’s dream, and we got one.”
Rising redshirt sophomore wide receiver Tyrone Williams made his presence felt during the practice. The 6-foot-6 Williams made sure his teammates knew he was ready to practice during his clash with the defensive backs in one drill.
“You’re scared, you’re scared Trav,” Williams said while shouting at rising redshirt senior defensive back Travis Howard.
Kerry Coombs, first-year cornerbacks coach from Cincinnati, kept the enthusiasm coming. Coombs has developed a reputation as, perhaps, one of the more vocal Buckeyes coaches.
Coombs wasn’t shy to let his players know what he was looking for on the field.
“Did you guys see that right there?” Coombs shouted about a play Howard made. “That’s good coverage. That’s what I want to see.”
Ed Warinner, first-year co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from Notre Dame, was pushing his linemen. Warinner didn’t seem too happy during one particular drill.
“That’s not a punch, that’s a love tap,” he shouted from the sideline.
The Buckeyes will practice in front of students, faculty and staff members on Saturday in Ohio Stadium.
