College Football

Ohio State vs Clemson: With the Extra Practice is This Problem Solved?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:01 p.m. ET

Fansided, Charlie Lockhart/FanSided via Scarlet and Game

With the extra practices have the passing problems been solved?

A glaring problem for Ohio State most of the season has been a lack of consistency in the passing game. Could the extra practices leading up to the playoff game against Clemson have been just what the Buckeyes needed to correct the situation?

It was the first time in quite a while that J.T. Barrett and his receivers could get plenty of reps together in an attempt to get on the same page with their pass patterns. During the season there isn’t a lot of time to work on fundamentals and timing because Ohio State has to prepare for the upcoming opponent so quickly.

Part of the problem in the passing game has been that the wide receiver unit has been hit with so many injuries the last two years. Nearly every wide receiver missed time in the off-season and that’s when a quarterback and his receiving corps develops their chemistry. It’s not something you usually just find during the course of the season.

It could also have been a big benefit for Binjimen Victor. Urban Meyer has been wanting to get the talented young freshman more involved in the offense. Who knows, possibly Victor made strides with the extra practices.

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None of this will matter if the offensive line can’t keep Barrett upright and that has been an issue of late, particularly on the right side of the line. Quite frankly Isaiah Prince’s pass blocking hasn’t been very good.

However, things are looking up as far as that is concerned. Everyone, including coach Urban Meyer, has been bragging on Prince for spending a lot of time working on his pass blocking technique since the regular season ended.

Guard Billy Price has been Prince’s biggest cheerleader, because at one time he was that guy who was the weak link on the 2014 offensive line as a first year starter. Price has raved about Prince’s talent and how hard he is working to correct his flaws. Who better to understand the situation than Price, and remember how he turned things around in the playoffs in 2014?

I guess on New Year’s Eve we will find out if the problems in the passing game have been solved. If they have been, who would want to play Ohio State?