The Recipe for Ohio State's Offensive Success: Large Servings of Boom and Zoom

Grant Freking—Featured Contributor


They say a man's best friend is a loyal, well-trained dog.

In baseball, a pitcher's best friend is a well-timed double play.

In football, a quarterback's best friend is an effective running game.

Think about it. If the thoroughbreds in the backfield are busting through the holes in the interior of the offensive line or hitting the corner, and advancing the ball up the sideline, the defense has to take notice.

Seven men in the box becomes eight or nine. The safeties start to cheat closer to the line of scrimmage. Linebackers become more vulnerable to the play-action pass.

It’s a recipe for success for the quarterback—which is why Ohio State’s running back tandem of Daniel “Boom” Herron and Brandon “Zoom” Saine is so important, not only to the success of the Ohio State offense, but to the development of quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

If Pryor is to take a step, or in some people’s eyes, a leap forward in 2010, Boom and Zoom have to be effective at running the rock.

There were times last season where OSU couldn’t really do anything right on offense. Some people blame it on:

A) Pryor

B) The lack of a steady starting five on the offensive line.

C) Boom and Zoom

D) The play-calling of Tressel, and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman.

I like to think it’s a combination of, E), all the above. Here are my responses to the first four:

A) It’s no secret Pryor struggled at times last year. He was trying to find his place in the offense, and I like to think he finally got comfortable in the Rose Bowl.

B) The two unequivocal truths about the offense last year were that the offensive line was saddled with injuries, and they received inconsistent play from some of its members. That should not be an issue this year.

C) I’ll concede that even if one put Boom and Zoom together, they probably would not amount to Beanie Wells, and neither is as talented as Antonio Pittman. But combined, they keep defenses honest. Zoom is a tough-as-nails runner between the tackles, and is also a pretty gifted receiver out of the backfield.

D) I was a huge critic of The Vest post-USC. I couldn’t fathom why the offense wasn’t more aggressive in that game. But by the end of the season, Tressel had again silenced his critics. He always knows what he’s doing.

It won’t all be on Boom and Zoom this year. Jordan Hall, Jamaal Berry, Carlos Hyde and Rod Smith give the Buckeyes immeasurable depth at running back that they haven’t had in years, if ever.

Last year, Zoom had 145 carries for 739 yards, and four scores. Boom carried the ball 153 times for 600 yards, and seven touchdowns. I expect slightly increased production out of both this season.

That will take a lot of the pressure off of Pryor, allowing him to throw with confidence, which will in turn gives OSU a balanced offense—and a balanced offense is a play-caller’s best friend.

Who calls OSU’s plays? Tressel mainly—It ends with him.

But it starts with Boom and Zoom.


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Navigating Towards a Title: Buckeyes' GPS System Set For Glendale

By most accounts, the 2010 Ohio State Buckeyes will begin the season ranked in the top five of the national polls.

Some of the Spring, preseason hype placed upon the Bucks stems from how they performed in their 2010 Rose Bowl victory over then-No. 7 Oregon last January, but most of it is tied to quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

Fair or not to Pryor, the comparisons to Vince Young and former Buckeye and Heisman winner Troy Smith have been made.

In their third seasons, both Young and Smith made huge strides as quarterbacks and leaders for their teams—Young leading Texas to the 2005 BCS title, and Smith winning the Heisman while leading Ohio State to the 2007 BCS title game.

Without question, Pryor is the centerpiece and face of the Buckeyes, but he won't have to do it all by himself. The Buckeyes are loaded with talent on both offense and defense.

Wide receivers DeVier Posey and Dane Sanzenbacher bring back images of Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez, while many other talented wide outs including Taurian Washington, Duron Carter, James Jackson, Chris Fields, James Louis, and Tyrone Williams will be fighting for playing time in the third and fourth spots. TE Jake Stoneburner should also figure into the mix as a TE/WR hybrid.

Anchored by Michael Brewster and Justin Boren, the O-line, which has consistently underperformed in recent years, should be one of the best in the nation.



That bodes well for both Pryor and for the running backs. J.B Shugarts, Mike Adams, Marcus Hall, Jack Mewhort, Sam Longo and Corey Linsley are a few other names you should familiarize yourself with.

The Buckeyes will field a deep and formidable stable of talented backs in 2010, led by senior Brandon Saine and junior Dan Herron. Sophomores Jamaal Berry, Jordan Hall, Jermil Martin, and freshmen Carlos Hyde and Roderick Smith will also all be looking to impress the coaching staff this Spring and once Fall camp begins.

Depending on how everything shakes out in the running backs competition, there may be a couple players who redshirt, and rumor has it, even a potential transfer, although hopefully those rumors are just that.

In years past, there have been big shoes to fill and many question marks as to who might be the next star running back, wide receiver, or linebacker.

In 2010, replacing Thad Gibson and Kurt Coleman on defense is key, but that may not be that difficult to do as in previous years—and not because Gibson or Coleman weren't great, but rather, Ohio State has stocked the cupboards with plenty of young and highly-rated potential replacements.

John Simon, Cameron Heyward, Nathan Williams, and Dexter Larimore are the likely starting foursome on the defensive front. Adam Bellamy, Garrett Goebel, Melvin Fellows, and Solomon Thomas will also see the field as the second unit.

The linebackers are solid as usual. Ross Homan, Brian Rolle and Etienne Sabino comprise the first team, and they are backed up by Andrew Sweat, Storm Klein, and Dorian Bell.

Cornerback Chimdi Chekwa decided to delay entry into the NFL draft and instead return for his final year. He will be joined by Devon Torrence in the defensive secondary, while Orhian Johnson and Jermale Hines will start at free safety and strong safety respectively.

In no particular order, others of note who will see time in the defensive backfield include Travis Howard, Jamie Wood, Corey Brown, Dominic Clarke, and Tyler Moeller (if healthy).

The time for falling short is over. No more excuses.

The pieces are undeniably in place, the goal has been established, and the GPS coordinates have been entered.

Now the coaches and players just need to put it all on the line and punch that ticket to Glendale—It's time to bring the crystal back to Columbus!



GO BUCKS!


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