COLUMBUS, Ohio – “This next week is real.”
That was what Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer told about 100 members of the media during a Sunday press conference on the eve of a stretch of intense practices leading up to the Aug. 30 season opener against Navy.
“It’s on. It’s two-one-two-one-two [two- and one-a-day practices]. I can’t add those up, but that’s a lot of practices in the next five, six days,” Meyer said. “That’s when the home sickness sets in and you start feeling real sorry for each other.”
The Buckeyes’ have practiced three times the past two days.
After winning 24 consecutive games to begin his tenure at Ohio State, Urban Meyer closed out last season with two painful losses.
The defense, particularly the secondary, was dreadful in the Big Ten championship and Orange Bowl defeats to Michigan State and Clemson, respectively. Eight months later, pass defense is still a concern, as is the loss of four starters on the offensive line.
But the Buckeyes still have a lot of the qualities that helped them win those 24 in a row. Braxton Miller, coming off shoulder surgery that cost him spring practice, is back for a run at a third straight conference player of the year award. The defensive line is promising and there are intriguing possibilities everywhere else.
Some players have been limping or nursing injuries.
The most significant was surgery sophomore running back Ezekiel Elliott had on his left wrist last Friday. The heir-apparent to Carlos Hyde rejoined the team the same day and was expected to make a full return around mid-week.
Two freshmen sustained knee injuries and linebacker Kyle Berger faces surgery on the same knee he injured before his senior season at Cleveland St. Ignatius High School last year.
Ohio State, which confirmed the injuries on Tuesday, said the Cleveland St. Ignatius High School product would have surgery next week.
Classmate Dylan Thompson, out of Montini Catholic in Lombard, Ill., also sustained a knee injury but he will not require an operation.
Both players are out indefinitely.
Team spokesman Jerry Emig also disclosed that third-year wide receiver Frank Epitropoulos from Upper Arlington will end his playing career to concentrate on academics in hopes of going to medical school.