The Ohio State football team had their Spring Game on Saturday. It was the first time that fans were able to see the team as it is currently constructed. The Buckeyes had a Scarlet vs. Gray format that saw the Scarlet be the offense and the Gray be the defense. It was a great day for football too. The weather was perfect.
During the game, we saw a few players really stand out above the rest. These guys elevated their game in front of 80,000 fans and the coaches. We saw the defense be the best unit on the field, specifically the secondary was excellent. That was the case by the starters even without Lathan Ransom out there. Some of the backups really stood out though.
Backups were winners for the Ohio State football team
Jermaine Mathews was a backup that really shined in this game. The cornerback was all over the field and seemed to be near the ball the entire time he was out there. We saw how good he was last year when he was thrust into the lineup. He’s clearly stepped up his game and gotten even better.
On offense, both freshmen running backs ran hard and scored touchdowns. James Peoples and Sam Williams-Dixon both ran with a lot of power and authority up the middle. The backup offensive linemen also blocked well and opened up some holes. They weren’t the only backups to shine in this Spring Game though.
As far as the quarterbacks go, Air Noland was the most impressive one. He didn’t get any reps until the second half but really showed a nice balance of being able to throw it well and run it well. He is the one who has the most dual-threat ability of any of the quarterbacks. Noland did end the game on a sour note by throwing an interception in the end zone.
All of these players were able to show the coaches that they were ready for the moment. It’ll be interesting to see how many of them get playing time this year.
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