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Urban Meyer talks OSU, Braxton, Tebow, NFL
read the rest of Meyer's takes: http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...98859/urban-meyer-talks-osu-braxton-tebow-nflUrban Meyer jumps up from a black leather couch mid-interview and speed-walks to a small whiteboard in the corner.
He pops open a red marker and starts drawing a formation, scribbling as fast as he's talking, the squeaks from the board growing louder with each mark.
Ohio State's coach uses the board to answer a question about the latest offensive trends in college football.
The second-level zone read has his attention. In the traditional zone read, the quarterback reads the defensive end to dictate whether he'll hand off or run. In this version, the quarterback is reading the linebacker.
That's going to not disappear, Meyer says. It's even in the NFL now. The NFL doesn't give you three yards.
College does -- as in, officials allow linemen to get up to three yards downfield before a throw. After following up with other coaches on this concept, one popular play is to throw a slant to the open space if the linebacker goes inside to cover the run, knowing linemen are already headed downfield to block.
Meyer estimates 25 teams or so use the second-level concept. He thinks Rich Rodriguez might have started it.
Probably next year -- 50 (teams), said Meyer, who allowed a picture be taken of the formation.
Maybe Meyer is eager to draw up a play because the spring is the time of year for coaches to imagine. Ohio State is in the middle of a defensive overhaul, with help from new co-coordinator Chris Ash and even former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano, who's not on staff but visited for three days last week to offer thoughts and observe meetings/practices.
The Buckeyes recently brought in offensive coaches from Texas A&M and Clemson for a groupthink session. Soon enough, quarterback Braxton Miller will get a simulated Gruden QB Camp' in the Ohio State offices.
These are just a few topics Meyer addressed in a Q&A with CBSSports.com after a recent spring practice, where the Buckeyes were short three wide receivers due to injury but still looked explosive from Meyer's view...