COLUMBUS – Nothing has returned to normal for Ohio yet.
There is some progress on that front, however, and the Buckeyes are starting to finalize plans that could make this year seem a little more routine for the program.
This starts with a full set of spring practices, which looks like it should be within Ohio’s reach starting next month and preparing for a potential Spring Game on April 17th. There will still be daily tests and social distance limitations during meetings and probably no crowd at Horseshoe for the fight at the end of the camp – but it is better than the alternative.
“I think for us it’s just that we are planning to have a somewhat normal spring, where we can have six weeks of preparation working on the facility and then have a normal spring training schedule,” said Day. different is that we are still in protocols. We still can’t have a lot of things grouped together. We have to make sure that we are still following all these things. We are still being tested and all that.
“But we hope that we will all be together and not finished like last year.”
The Buckeyes are already returning to winter training, they have hired a coach and a large group of first-time registrants is now on campus. So, with so much action already underway, Lettermen Row is starting to look forward to three questions emerging for the program now with the technical team.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day will have a long off season ahead of him. (Birm / Lettermen Row)
Can the Buckeyes keep Al Washington close?
Ryan Day appeared to have his third coaching staff at Ohio State fully closed last week, but a few days later, the potential for yet another change came in the form of an aggressive bid for an important assistant. Linebacker coach Al Washington was offered the job of defensive coordinator and a big boost from Tennessee on Sunday, and that clearly gave him a lot to think about in his future.
There are obvious disadvantages to leaving Ohio now to join a SEC program that has become an empty shell and a national joke for incompetence – even before Tennessee starts an investigation of its own coach that is likely to lead to some form of NCAA sanctions. Washington won a raise, there is no doubt about it. The state of Ohio should also be able to provide him with one, although it is likely to be less than the $ 1.5 million that the Vols are hanging in front of him, according to several sources on Lettermen Row. This situation should not drag on for too long, and there is optimism from Woody Hayes Athletic Center that Washington will stay for a third season with the Buckeyes. But this is a big domino that can fall and drastically change the off-season of the day.
What will Parker Fleming provide to the state of Ohio after the promotion?
The criticisms from former players were encouraging and the coaches who worked with Parker Fleming repeatedly praised his work ethic and knowledge of the game. Clearly, Ryan Day assessed the quality control employee in the same way that he acted relatively quickly to promote Fleming to a full-time position leading the special teams after Greg Mattison’s retirement.
Fleming is in his second stint with the Buckeyes, so he is well aware of expectations and very familiar with the way the program does its business. The transition must be perfect, especially since he is not a newbie as an assistant thanks to his previous work with James Madison and Texas State. Still, the job is demanding when it comes to bringing together an elite group of units from special teams and helping recruit some of America’s most talented players. Fleming’s development in the technical committee will be worth monitoring from now on.
Will Buckeyes add coaching analysts?
The arms race at the top of college football included an army of officials in addition to full-time assistants, and most of the time, the state of Ohio plunged just a toe into these waters. But several sources have indicated to Lettermen Row that Day is prepared to bring in some coaching veterans to serve as analyst jobs this off-season, and the search for options appears to be restricted to the final options.
Former Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads appears to be emerging as one of the top candidates to lend a hand on the defensive, and his experience may help replace part of what was lost with Mattison’s retirement. And, offensively, Day could have a place for a familiar face from his past with former Boston College pass game coordinator Todd Fitch, preparing as a candidate after serving as an interim coach last year at Vanderbilt. The Buckeyes are not going to go crazy piling up as many bodies as possible for the coaching staff, but when the right adjustments come in, Day is ready to make moves.