Scarlet Tops Gray 20-14 In 2012 Ohio State Spring Game

Michael Thomas making an impact early

New head coach Urban Meyer told everybody he planned to work on the passing game during Saturday’s Scarlet and Gray Game, and he wasn't joking.

What he didn’t say was the Buckeyes would be unveiling an up-tempo spread offense that left the Buckeyes working to run a new play every 25 to 30 seconds. As it turned out, it was largely entertaining even if there weren’t many points scored.

The Scarlet rallied for a 20-14 win over the Gray before an announced crowd of 81,112 on a raw 45 degree day at Ohio Stadium. (At least the rains subsided before the scrimmage began.)

Buckeye quarterback Braxton Miller was 24 of 31 passing for 258 yards with an interception for the Scarlet team.

His top targets were freshman Michael Thomas (12 catches, 131 yards), Chris Fields (five catches, 72 yards) and Nick Vannett (four catches, 38 yards). Tailback Rod Smith had 46 yards on eight carries with a touchdown, while Carlos Hyde also had a TD run.

Miller said he has developed a special bond with Thomas, an early enrolling freshman who spent last fall at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy.

Gray team quarterback Kenny Guiton completed 16 of 24 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown with a critical late interception. He also rushed for a touchdown on the final play of the third quarter.

Corey “Philly” Brown had seven catches for 90 yards for the Gray.

Unprompted, Meyer shared the team’s top playmakers – excluding the quarterback position -- in his opinion.

“Right now, the top playmakers in order would be Jordan Hall, Jake Stoneburner, Carlos (Hyde) and then Philly Brown, Michael Thomas and Devin Smith,” said Meyer, who watched the entire 91-play scrimmage on the field from behind the offense. “And then we have (Jeff) Heuerman right there and (Nick) Vannett as well.”

There were no kickoffs as each series at the start of a half or after a score started on the offense’s 35-yard line. There were four 10-minute quarters. The second half was played with a running clock.

The Scarlet team had the ball to start the scrimmage and went 65 yards in eight plays to a touchdown. Miller came out firing, completing all four of his pass attempts for 51 of those yards. He hit Thomas for 11 yards, Tyrone Williams for 6, Chris Fields for 25 and Williams again for 9. Carlos Hyde did the rest, going up the middle for the 1-yard touchdown behind a block from Jack Mewhort. The Scarlet led 7-0 with 7:43 left in the first half.

Guiton then led the Gray on a prolonged drive from the 35 down to the Scarlet 19. That included 12-yard runs by Guiton and Dunn. But Guiton’s third-down pass to Brown was broken up by safety Christian Bryant. Kyle Clinton attempted a 36-yard field goal – with Meyer standing right next to the holder – but it was wide right.

The Scarlet team then drove from its own 20 down to the Gray 24. Miller hit Fields for 21 yards on a crossing route. But the drive was stymied when Miller was sacked by Adam Bellamy. Drew Basil came in and hit a 41-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 9:47 left in the second quarter.

Meyer then had Basil attempt a series of field goals that did not factor into the scoring. He was good from 41, Bellamy blocked an attempt from 45, good from 45 and 53 and short on a pair of 58-yard attempts.

The next Gray series was marred by sacks by Michael Bennett and Ryan Shazier for the Scarlet. But the Scarlet gave the ball right back as Miller overthrew Vannett and was intercepted by Gray’s Adam Griffin. Later in the half, Miller had an apparent 49-yard completion to Fields – reminiscent of his heave to Devin Smith to beat Wisconsin –negated by an offensive pass interference penalty.

The Gray took over on its own 49 after a short Scarlet punt. Aided by a personal foul on Joel Hale, the Gray had a first down at the Scarlet 28. On first down there, Guiton threw down the middle perfectly to Smith on a crossing route. He hauled it in at the 10 and deftly split a pair of defenders on his way to the 28-yard touchdown that cut the Scarlet lead to 10-7 with 37 seconds left in the half.

Miller and the Scarlet moved quickly into field goal range as he hit four straight passes – 10 yards to Thomas, 11 and 15 yards to Vannett and 14 more to Thomas – to get out of bounds at the 15 and stop the clock with six seconds left. Basil’s 32-yard field goal capped the half and put the Scarlet up 13-7 at the break.

Sitting Down With 2012 Linebacker Recruit Camren Williams

Williams is down to two schools

The 2012 recruiting class took a huge momentum shift nationally, when Urban Meyer raced into the picture for Ohio State. Enough cannot be said about how Luke Fickell and Mike Vrabel continued to recruit, and recruit well. Before Meyer came onto the coaching staff, Fickell had wrapped up 9 recruits on his own, and had picked up some pretty decent players.

Once Urban stepped in though, the bar was set a couple of feet higher. Recruits are gaining interest fast, and now are taking a serious look at where they stand.

Now another recruit has joined the mix, and we didn't have to wait long to hear from another star prospect.

That prospect is Camren Williams of West Roxbury (MA) Catholic Memorial. Williams, a 6-2/200 linebacker, is a four star recruit that is currently committed to Penn State. He the brother of current UNC offensive lineman Brennan Williams.

We talked with Camren on Tuesday night, and he gave us the latest info on his recruitment and thoughts on Ohio State.

Mike Vrabel Retained As Linebackers Coach

In addition to the hire of Everett Withers, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has decided to keep Mike Vrabel on the staff as their linebackers coach. Here's what Urban had to say: 

“I had heard such great things about Mike Vrabel as a player, but the key thing for me was I wanted to talk football with him," Meyer said. “"I wanted to see him recruit, and I wanted to meet his family. I have since spent a lot of time with him, and he has a wonderful family."

“I also spoke to a number of people I know well, who also know Mike very well, including Bill Belichick. Coach Belichick and I had a really good discussion about Mike. While Mike is young, we both agreed that the unique experiences he has had as a player, coupled with the things he has already accomplished as a coach and recruiter for Ohio State, has prepared Mike for this opportunity. I am very pleased he will be on the staff."

Meyer has now named six assistants to his Ohio State staff. In addition to Withers and Vrabel, Luke Fickell will stay on and call plays as co-defensive coordinator, Taver Johnson will handle secondary duties, Stan Drayton will coach the running backs and Tom Herman will handle the quarterbacks while also serving as the offensive coordinator.

Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest Ohio State news and updates. 

Recap: Day 1 of Fall Camp

Berry is ready to start

Buckeye football has finally hit the camps, which can only mean that College Football is just a couple weeks away from getting it's start. While our Scarlet and Gray get prepared, the media (including us), have all the latest news about what you need to know as they progress through camps. With that, let's jump right in to what we know.

From left to right: Andrew Norwell, Jack Mewhort, Mike Brewster, Marcus Hall, and J.B. Shugarts are your starters on the offensive line. Mike Adams also worked in some reps, but with him facing the 5-game suspension, we need Norwell to get his reps in more. Chris Carter was a very nice surprise after he reported in overweight, but yet still raised some eyebrows in camp as he was moving very quickly at the left tackle position. He could add some much needed depth to the offensive line.

As for the defensive line, Nathan Williams, Jonathan Hankins, Garrett Goebel, and of course John Simon. Solomon Thomas had to sit out because he was suspended for the first 5 games as well, and was wearing a yellow jersey. John Simon is a man, and he could be a serious threat along with Hankins and Williams. This defensive line should have no problems whatsoever.

Mike Vrabel Accepts OSU Job, Headed Home

Much to our expectations, Mike Vrabel has accepted the job to Ohio State. That job title is assistant coach, and could be a great find for the Buckeyes. Not only does this help out current players trying to get to the NFL, but think about the recruiting it could bring Luke Fickell's staff. A just retired NFL player that was outstanding at what he did could be a serious attention grabber for some big time defensive recruits. Simply because he has been there and knows what NFL scouts are looking for and what teams will treat them like, etc.

Vrabel will bring some serious intensity to this team and get them fired up. I'm truly excited about this pick up, because if anyone is going to motivate this team into doing things no one thought possible it's Mike Vrabel. An impressive NFL career that included 4 Super Bowls, Vrabel knows how to win. This is a refreshing choice by the Ohio State office, and I think we're in for a treat.

Mike Vrabel To Join The Ohio State Staff?

Could Vrabel take the field as a Buckeye again?

Since the loss of Tressel, and the promotion of Luke Fickell, there has been a vacancy on the Buckeye staff, with many people left wondering who would take over Fickell's old spot.


"Two university sources have told CFT that, while it’s not a done deal, “there’s a very good chance” former Ohio State defensive lineman and current Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Vrabel will fill the vacancy on the defensive side of the ball.  One source stated that an announcement could be made as early as this coming Monday.


The 14-year veteran has yet to retire from the NFL and has been actively involved in the ongoing labor saga, although he would be a free agent if/when a new collective bargaining agreement is reached; his deal with the Chiefs expired following the 2010 season.  Should this OSU opportunity come to fruition, a retirement announcement, obviously, would be part of any announcement of his hiring by the Buckeyes."