Better special teams are a necessity

By Doug Lesmerises

Cleveland Plain Dealer

COLUMBUS

Drew Basil copped to his nervousness at the start of preseason camp. Ohio State assistant Dick Tressel admitted the Buckeyes may have mishandled Basil last year and when Basil lined up for a 49-yard field goal to end practice, he banged his kick off the left upright.

That said, Ohio State’s field goals seem to be in good hands and feet with the sophomore, who’s taking over for departed senior Devin Barclay. Basil has a strong leg, and after a slow start, he’s kicked well in camp.

“Just knowing I’m the first man up, I’m not going to lie, my legs were shaking a little bit,” Basil said of his early jitters.

“He really in the last week-and-half has stepped up to the plate,” Tressel said.

But Basil’s most important kicks may not go through the uprights. A year ago, Ohio State’s special teams coverage was a year-long issue, the Buckeyes one of 16 out of 120 teams in major college football to give up multiple kickoff returns for touchdowns. Some of that fell on the way the Buckeyes attacked the coverage and the players who raced down the field. Some of it fell on the kick, with Basil serving as OSU’s kickoff specialist as a true freshman.

“Last year, we asked him to do things that were a little out of character, and I think that put him in a bad situation, because his leg was so strong,” Tressel said. “That probably wasn’t the best idea. We probably should have just had him kick field goals and not try to be some super leg.”

The goal for the kickoffs is four seconds of hang time, with the ball landing between the goal line and the 5. On the biggest returns surrendered last year, hang time was a problem.

“Hang-time issues and trying-too-hard issues for the placekicker,” said Tressel. “I think he’s a lot more comfortable this year and we’ll be in a better situation to effectively cover the kicks.”

Ohio State held a modified version of a kick scrimmage, devoting several periods of practice time to covering punts and kicks. The Buckeyes were attacking with more youth and speed than a year ago.

Check out the roster of athletes on the first kickoff coverage unit that took the field: safeties Orhian Johnson, Corey Brown, Jamie Wood and Ron Tanner; cornerbacks Dominic Clarke and Doran Grant; running backs Rod Smith and Carlos Hyde; linebacker Ryan Shazier; and receiver Verlon Reed. Players on the second coverage unit included linebacker Curtis Grant, cornerback Bradley Roby and receivers Corey Brown, Devin Smith and Evan Spencer.

Tressel said finding cover guys is difficult, because the Buckeyes take so few full-speed reps at what can be a dangerous, physical play.

“But you start with your best hunch after watching a few reps with the guys that are athletes and seem to want to,” Tressel said. “I think that’s a big part of it when trying to find out who your best cover guys are. Usually, it ends up being guys who want to.”

Curtis Grant, the five-star recruit and freshman linebacker, is one who said he wants to.

“I’ve been on a lot of coverage units, but every day the list changes,” Grant said. “All you can do is work hard and pray you get that spot.”