Ohio State's first-quarter flurry in last weekend's season-opening win over Buffalo included two-point conversions on the Buckeyes first two touchdowns.
It's safe to assume that Urban Meyer knew his team wouldn't necessarily need the points vs. Buffalo. Future opponents, however, now have something else to think about.
"It's a pain in the rear end you have to (prepare for)," Meyer said.
It also fits Meyer's pedal-to-the-metal approach. The 2013 Buckeyes are trying to both be faster and play faster than they did a season ago, and Meyer admits going unconventional -- both with the approach and the execution with the kicking team on the field -- comes from watching what may have been the fastest team in the country a year ago, Oregon.
Under Chip Kelly, Oregon would often -- but not always -- go for two after scoring its first touchdown of a game. Some would be conventional two-point tries, but many would involve bringing on the kicking team, lining up most of the line, the kicker and an upback far to the left, and allowing the holder/backup quarterback to read the defense before deciding to try a quick-snap play for two or resetting and bringing the line over to the middle for a one-point kick.
Meyer was on the field for last year's Fiesta Bowl, when Oregon followed its first touchdown with a lateral and subsequent two-point conversion run out of an unconvential formation. Kansas State was clearly caught off guard, and Meyer was taking notes.
"I watched Oregon do that early in the game and I just know it drives defensive coaches (crazy)," Meyer said. "You have to work on it. We have been working on that since last February. It worked pretty good. I don't know how often we'll do that, I don't know that. We usually decide that on Wednesday. But it's in the package."
After the Buffalo game, Meyer called the two-point conversions "cheap points." They all count, and it's possible that more than giving future opponents something to think about, he's also sending a subtle message.
"I want to score every time we touch the ball," he said this week.
Ohio State brought its kicking team out following the first touchdown but lined up in a swinging-gate formation with most of its linemen wide of the far-side hashmark and Kenny Guiton, the Buckeyes backup quarterback, in a shotgun formation with a center and an upback almost lined up as a guard. Guiton saw the numbers to his team's advantage, called for the snap and ran it himself for two points.
On the second touchdown, Ohio State lined up in the same formation. Apparently seeing that Buffalo had overadjusted back toward Guiton in the middle of the field, the quarterback called for the snap and threw a quick pass to Jordan Hall, who had a wall of blockers in front of him and got in for a 16-0 lead with 7:05 left in the first quarter.
Out of the swinging-gate set, Oregon would often throw fade routes to 6'6 defensive end Dion Jordan, the No. 3 overall pick in last April's NFL Draft. The call would usually be up to Oregon's holder/quarterback -- almost always the backup quarterback -- using the same kind of reads Guiton made last weekend.
Reads that started with Oregon film going back to last February.
Oregon was only 4-of-6 on two-point tries last year, a small percentage considering the Ducks scored a jaw-dropping 89 touchdowns. The Ducks were 5-of-7 in 2011 in going for two and 6-for-7 in 2010, including a pair of successful attempts in the BCS National Championship Game, the second of which tied the game in the fourth quarter.
That was by necessity, really. The others are designed to create extra work and headaches for opposing defenses. In 2010, only other team besides Oregon even attempted more than three two-point conversions -- and the Ducks didn't start doing it until the second half of the season.
Future opponents now know Ohio State trusts Guiton and has the plays in its arsenal. When we'll see it next remains to be seen, and Meyer is fine with that.
"We always tell our players to expect the unexpected, but they caught us not ready," Buffalo coach Jeff Quinn said. "Watching Urban Meyer for many years, we knew something was going to happen. It's smart on their part. You have to defend the next play. (Ohio State put) one extra guy at the center position...the next time we had a guy over there and they threw it over (to the left).
"They caught us a little off guard there. It was my mistake in coaching. After that, we had to settle down."
