Let the Battle Begin

I think it’s time to start the chatter about the upcoming football season. After all, it has been an entire 3 weeks since I’ve been rambling about the Buckeyes. Talking about the team collectively is always a headache since we could be bouncing off walls for hours. We’ll take it one unit at a time, starting with the quarterback. The back and forth on the controversy of Burrow and Haskins plus the mixup with adding Martell in there, will go on all offseason. I’ll start with Martell since there seems to be so much recent buzz about a two quarterback system if he is one of the top two options come fall. I'm not saying that I don’t think Martell is capable of being named the lone starter, (I think the kid is lights out) but given Urban’s track record, I don’t see that happen unless injury plagues either Burrow/Haskins or both. With the explosiveness and speed that Martell can offer, there are plenty of packages that can be added to the offense for Tate that benefit him and the rest of the offense. Going undefeated as a starter and a three time national champion, the kid knows how to win and how to compete. There could also be usage for him at an H-back position or slot receiver. I don’t think that’ll be his main calling, but if it gets him on the field, he’ll take it. If he does win the job outright, I expect the offense to still run smoothly. With a young quarterback, the Buckeyes could rely heavily on the run and groom Martell along the way, with a lot of read option play. The speed and elusiveness will always draw comparisons to Johnny Football and Baker Mayfield, and even though the fans might not like it, those are pretty great comparisons considering it could warrant a heisman along the way. Next up is Dwayne Haskins, the redshirt sophomore out of Maryland. The kid flat out has a cannon for an arm. Everybody saw his “coming out party” so to speak, against TTUN. There were a lot of people that were hoping he would be the starter in the big ten championship once JT had surgery right after the last regular season game. Regardless, he has a legitimate shot to be the outright starter and rightfully so. His arm strength alone would give the Buckeyes something different that they haven’t seen since the three game stretch Cardale put together. His accuracy is solid, but with more reps and time he could become elite. His ability to run the read option seemed questionable, but again, with time and more reps I think the holes in that part of his game can more than serviceable. Haskins seems like a legit competitor, and has all the tools he needs to be a Heisman type quarterback (numbers wise). I won’t give up on Martell or Burrow and give Haskins the job yet, especially if Burrow has anything to say about it. Burrow might be the most intriguing of the three candidates, given his status he’s held the past two years. Everyone wants to jump the gun because Haskins played well in TTUN game, and looks like a polar opposite style of JT Barrett since everyone wants to see a QB who can “air it out”. Let’s not count our chickens before they hatch though; Burrow was the backup to JT the last two years, and only gave up that spot this year when he broke a bone in his throwing hand. The guy looks like a legitimate prototypical NFL QB (some of you probably think I’m high saying this). But seriously, he has the right tools and size to be considered a pro. Now whether or not he can make the throws in game remains to be seen, but you can’t tell me his tangibles aren’t noteworthy, seeing as every NFL draft scout wants to rub one out for Josh Allen already. Burrow is a class act, and could potentially run the system Meyer likes better than Haskins could, with Burrow’s read option skill at a higher level right now. If Burrow would lose the job this year, I can’t imagine him sticking around. If Haskins or Martell is awarded the job in the spring, it seems logical that Burrow would transfer to a 1-AA school so he doesn't have to sit out a year (go win Bo Pelini and Tressel a championship at YSU). He would automatically be a starter at probably every program, and could boost his draft stock with a stellar year or two depending on what he chooses. If he does in fact win the buckeye job, I see an almost seamless transition in the offense, with the former Mr. Ohio being a solid runner and can air it out on any given night. He’s the dark horse for some reason, but doesn’t necessarily deserve that title. The race for the spotlight is on. Would I love to see Burrow, Haskins, and Martell all win the job in the next consecutive three years and then move on to the pros? Without a doubt. The chances of that aren’t out of the question, but seems improbable. Either way, we all know the next few months will be exciting. Kick back and let the Buckeyes handle their business. Riding shotgun to this team always has its perks.