Ohio State Football: Five Reasons Jim Tressel Should Open Up On Offense

What "The Vest" wants, he usually gets.

Jim Tressel has always had a great amount of control when it comes to his Buckeyes. You can see it in his stonewall approach to the media. You can see it in his supervision of his players.

But the one facet of Tressel's control that all Buckeye fans have become accustomed to is The Vest's conservative, ball-controlling offensive attack.

It hurt him against USC. It helped him against Iowa. But usually it leaves Ohio State fans wanting more from their offensive players.

The Rose Bowl game against Oregon could show a shift in Tressel's philosophy. He opened up his offense and allowed Terrelle Pryor to thrive as a passer.

With an offseason of growth from players and plenty of time for Buckeye coaches like Tressel and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman to scheme, look for Tressel to step somewhat away from his conservative approach.

He already showed a little of it in spring practice and the spring game. With the potential the Buckeyes have, don't be surprised if it continues.

With that said, here are five reasons that Tressel should ditch "Tressel-ball" and open up his playbook.

5. The Pass-catching Ability of Zach Boren

Boren might play second-fiddle in his family behind his big brother Justin, but he should make a name for himself this fall.

The sophomore emerged from spring as the more than likely candidate to start at the fullback position.

He'll be used mainly to make holes for Boom Herron and Brandon Saine, but Boren brings more to the table than just blocking ability.

The Pickerington, Ohio native also has the knack of catching the ball out of the backfield. He has above average speed for a fullback and also has some great hands, a perfect combo for a target on a Pryor dump-down pass.

We saw a little preview of how this can work during the spring game. Boren ended up leading the Scarlet team with four catches for 44 yards during the game.

Although he won't be as big of a factor as other people on this list, look for Boren to get a bevy of passes his way when the receivers are blanketed.

4. The Versatilty of Brandon Saine

Saine is known as one of the fastest running backs in all the country gaining the nickname "Zoom", and that speed also makes him effective as a receiver.

We saw a little of this last year, when Saine finished the year with 17 catches for 224 yards.

When the Buckeyes opened up the offense against Oregon, the running back once again showed his pass-catching ability. He scored the first touchdown of the game on a 13-yard catch and also had an electrifying 36-yard catch where he tiptoed down the sidelines to the Duck 3-yard line.

With his speed and quickness, Saine would be an extreme headache for any linebacker to cover out of the backfield.

If motioned out, he also has the hands and ability to makes plays happen.

On top of that, the ability of Herron and Saine on the ground will clear things up for the passing game. The talented duo will eat up huge chunks of yards with a revitalized line in front of them.

The versatility is what makes the running back so dangerous. With 2010 on the horizon, Tressel should be coming up with ways to get "Zoom" more involved in the passing game.

3. The Emergence of Jake Stoneburner

Ohio State hardly ever uses a fullback in its passing game, something that Zach Boren is looking to change this season.

The Buckeyes also rarely rely on catches from their tight end. Like Boren, Stoneburner will try to change that assumption in 2010.

In 2007, I got the chance to see Elder High School and future Notre Dame product Kyle Rudolph (arguably the best tight end in the country for this upcoming season) and Dublin Coffman's Stoneburner play against my former high school team.

After seeing both play, I didn't think Rudolph was leaps and bounds ahead of Stoneburner. They bring similar qualities to the table; height, speed, and great hands.

Rudolph is one of the most dangerous tight ends in the country. Why can't Stoneburner be one?

With everything he brings to the table, Stoneburner has to be a factor in the Ohio State offense this season. Like Boren and Saine, he provides another target for Pryor to throw to.

He also would be a matchup nightmare. When split out wide, he has the height to dominate safeties and the speed to burn linebackers.

Tight end is usually one of the most bland positions on the Ohio State offense, but Stoneburner has the chance to change that in his time at OSU.

2. The Talent of DeVier Posey

Posey comes into 2010 as one of the most highly regarded receivers in the country.

And you know what? He deserves every bit of that recognition.

The Buckeyes' No. 1 target and Pryor's best friend emerged as Ohio State's best receiver threat when he broke through with 828 yards and eight touchdowns in 2009.

Posey has all the tools to be a great receiver. Last year, he showed how dangerous he can be when he puts them all together. With another year of development under his belt, Posey has the ability to be downright scary in 2010.

And as Pryor goes, so goes Posey. If the quarterback continues to make strides, expect even more catches out of No. 8.

With one of the Big Ten's top wide—outs at his disposal, Tressel has the chance to unleash Posey in 2010. It'll be hard for Tressel to be conservative with a game-changer like Posey at receiver.

1. The Growth of Terrelle Pryor

We saw a glimpse of what Pryor can be during the Oregon game. Word from Columbus is that he showed that ability even more during the spring.

Pryor is finally developing into the player everyone expected when he committed to Ohio State.

He's spent most of his career receiving scrutiny for his decision-making and throwing accuracy, but the Oregon game showed what he can do when both are on-point.

On top of that, look at the players he has around him. I've already mentioned guys like Posey, Stoneburner, and Saine, but Dane Sanzenbacher is a very good No. 2 receiver. A talented offensive line should also be able to protect the quarterback.

Plus, Pryor's running ability will give defenses fits when he decides to scramble.

If he continues the development that's expected, Pryor should be able to convince Tressel to hand over the keys to the Buckeye offense. Pryor also seems more calm and relaxed, and he's also developed into a leader for the Buckeyes.

Tressel has tried to open up the passing attack with Pryor before, only to retreat to his conservative ways shortly after.

But the quarterback has reached the point where his ability can't be ignored anymore.

Conclusion

Although I'm not saying Tressel should totally ditch his conservative play—calling and come out guns a'blazing this fall, I do believe he should open up the offense and let his passing attack be a focal point.

Yes, we might have talented running backs in Herron and Saine, and they also might have the support of a great line in front of them.

But all the talent Ohio State has in its passing game can make them extremely dangerous this upcoming season.

If Pryor continues to grow, his throwing and scrambling ability would make him almost impossible to contain with the offense spread out.

On top of that, he has a ridiculously stacked supporting cast surrounding him, led by his close friend Posey.

Tressel loves control and he loves his ground game. But with the ability we have in our passing game, 2010 could be a year of change in Columbus.