Hubbard sees Buckeyes as No. 1
Headed toward the season opener Thursday night at Indiana, Ohio State’s Sam Hubbard doesn’t mind saying he thinks the Buckeyes, despite being ranked No. 2 behind Alabama in both major polls, are underrated.
The junior defensive end was asked Monday whether he thought Ohio State being held in such esteem by The Associated Press poll and coaches’ poll was legitimate. That’s considering that the last time the Buckeyes played, they lost 31-0 to Clemson in a College Football Playoff semifinal. But Hubbard thinks the 2017 team could be special.
“I think we should be No. 1, yeah,” Hubbard said. “But it’s like coach (Urban) Meyer says, if they’re keeping score, we want to be No. 1, and we’ve got to play like we’re No. 1. Definitely, we feel like we’re the No. 1, so we’ve got to play like it.”
He indicated there is an eagerness to prove it as they roll out of the preseasoncamp toil of going against each other for a month.
“We’ve had a long camp and a long offseason,” Hubbard said. “We’re really excited to get back out there and go against somebody other than ourselves. We’ve had a tense camp. We’ve been getting after each other, and it’s time to get after somebody else. We’re really ready.”
Is Weber ready?
Top running back Mike Weber missed much of the action of preseason camp because of a strained hamstring; the 1,000-yard rusher from a year ago returned to full practice just last week. Will he be ready for Indiana?
“He’s very close,” coach Urban Meyer said.
Meyer said an evaluation was to be made headed into Tuesday, with freshman J.K. Dobbins apparently in line to get the start if Weber can’t go.
Sheffield family safe
Cornerback Kendall Sheffield, a junior-college transfer, is from Missouri City, Texas, a town southwest of Houston in one of the areas hit hard by the torrential rains from Hurricane Harvey. But Meyer said he called Sheffield’s family, and he reported that “they are safe” for now from the flooding.
Dobbins is from La Grange, about 100 miles west of Houston. Although parts of that town are flooded from the Colorado River, Dobbins told a team spokesman that his family is safe.
J.T. Barrett is from Wichita Falls, which is just south of the Oklahoma line and well north of the storm. He said he has extended family in the Houston area but did not elaborate.
His season has yet to begin, but Warren Ball already is in the headlines after being voted one of Akron’s three captains, named the starting running back and ranked No. 22 on the Sports Illustrated Freak List of workout warriors.
When Ball, who is 6 feet 1 and 225 pounds, enrolled at the university last year as a graduate transfer from Ohio State, coach Terry Bowden remarked that “what you notice about Warren is how big he is relative to who we’ve had here, and how fast and strong he is.”
It has been the playing part of the equation that Zips fans can’t wait to see.
Last season, Ball stormed to 110 yards rushing and one touchdown on 18 carries in a 47-24 opening victory against VMI.
The following week, he ran for 71 yards on seven carries in a 54-10 loss at Wisconsin and was lost for the season to an ankle injury.
Injuries have slowed Ball since he was a junior at DeSales and missed six games with a high ankle sprain.
“The game of football is never guaranteed,” Ball said. “It’s a violent sport, and injuries are part of the game. You can’t control injuries. The biggest thing with me is overcoming adversity mentally and physically. I try to attack every day. I’m just thankful to be in this position.”
The NCAA granted Ball, 23, a sixth season of eligibility. He graduated from Ohio State with a bachelor’s degree in sports industry and is on course to get a master’s degree in sports administration in December from Akron.
“This has been a blessing to be in this position for a sixth year, and I’m trying to do the most to make it a great year for the team,’’ he said. “It’s all about the team being successful and not just me. I want to help the young guys learn and grow, especially with the mental aspect of the game and off the field.’’
Ball played behind Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott with the Buckeyes, but he played in 32 games from 2013 to ‘15 on special teams.
His best rushing games came against Illinois (37) and Kent State (41).
“I’ve been around a lot of great players like Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott and picked their brains,” he said. “The knowledge I received from them is something I use every day.
“I’ve learned how to attack it every day because of them, beginning in the weight room.”
Getting to the NFL is a goal even if Ball doesn’t play a single down.
“It would be great to get into the NFL and have a front-office job,” he said. “I want to stay in football, and my goal is to be with a team.” Crouch, a junior from Newark Catholic, will start at quarterback. In 2016, he played in four games and started one.
Snell, a sophomore from Westerville Central, has been voted third-team preseason allSoutheastern Conference after running for 1,091 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Edwards, a fifth-year senior from Eastmoor Academy, is a backup tight end. Last season, he played on the defensive line because of injuries to others.