Curtis Samuel is fast becoming an offensive talisman for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The do-everything hybrid back has been an integral part of OSU’s epic dominance over their previous two games. The first example came last Saturday night at home in a 62-3 shellacking of Nebraska. A week later, Samuel was at it again on the road as the Buckeyes upended Maryland in similar fashion…literally. The final score was also 62-3.
Curtis Samuel Showing Potential, Versatility for Resurgent Buckeyes
Against the Cornhuskers and in front of a nationally televised prime-time audience, Samuel accounted for 178 total yards and two touchdowns. Both scores came through the air as the Brooklyn, NY native averaged 17.13 yards per catch on eight receptions. The highlight was a 75-yard bomb which showcased his big play capabilities as a pass-catcher.
ICYMI: You're kind of good at football @OhioStateFB's Curtis Samuel.
More video » https://t.co/D2xZAwntcV https://t.co/NTQtX8rqo9
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) November 6, 2016
It’s always nice when you can come out of the locker room after halftime and put together a one-play drive for a touchdown. But having a dynamic playmaker in Samuel made it all possible. His ability to run a clean post route as an outside receiver while achieving separation in man coverage was on full display. And it helped turn an already one-sided game into an all-out romp.
Fast forward to Saturday afternoon in College Park, MD, and once again Samuel treated onlookers to some fantastic play. In a game where ten Buckeye players caught passes, Samuel led them all with five receptions for 74 yards and one of three touchdown tosses from J.T. Barrett. For the second straight game, the junior highlighted the rapport he has with his quarterback.
Curtis Samuel hauls in a 36-yard strike from J.T. Barrett to put Ohio State up 21–3. pic.twitter.com/vGz7FIEYOp
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 12, 2016
It seems simple. Samuel runs a fairly routine go-route straight down the field and gets by Maryland cornerback Alvin Hill rather effortlessly. It certainly didn’t hurt that Hill had no support over the top from his safety. But it still takes time and practice for that kind of chemistry to develop in the vertical passing game.
But Wait…There’s More
It’s not just Samuel’s penchant for hauling in balls thrown to him by Barrett that makes him so effective. After all, he’s referred to as an H-back, something that’s an essential component to Ohio State’s offensive identity under Urban Meyer. Such a role requires a high level of versatility and it’s abundantly evident Samuel possesses that in spades.
In addition to his six receiving touchdowns on the year, Samuel also has seven on the ground. Two of them came on Saturday against Maryland, both being of the goal to go variety.
Heading into this game, Ohio State was 55th nationally with 63.83 percent of red zone attempts resulting in touchdowns. But six of their seven drives which went inside the Maryland 20 on Saturday resulted in six points. Having a player with the raw speed and athleticism of Samuel in the backfield able to hit the gaps and find the end zone with regularity can only help in that regard.
Things are certainly clicking after two weeks where the result was never really in doubt. But let’s not forget. This team isn’t far removed from a challenging two-week stretch where they lost in upset fashion to Penn State and didn’t exactly impress the following game against Northwestern.
That narrow 24-20 win over the Wildcats was particularly noteworthy. It was in the aftermath of that game where criticism abounded as to Samuel’s role in the offense or lack thereof. His only score of the game came in the fourth quarter to break a 17-17 deadlock. It led to many fans, pundits and observers clamoring for him to get a bigger share of the reps.
But Meyer has always been comfortable with how he’s been using Samuel this year. The Buckeye head man doesn’t want to over-utilize him at the risk of making the offense look predictable. As it is, he’s on pace to exceed Percy Harvin’s total yardage total in the H-back role under Meyer in 2007 when he was still at Florida.
Buckeyes Peaking at the Right Time
It’s hard to argue that OSU is playing the best football in the nation right now. They’ve outscored their previous two opponents 124-6. In those two games, they’ve gained a total of 1,171 yards compared to just 380 from Nebraska and Maryland combined. With just a road trip to East Lansing remaining before the showdown everyone’s been waiting for, this team’s confidence should be sky high.
Samuel’s prolific play has certainly played a part. He may finally be realizing the potential that was expected out of him when he arrived in Columbus. And given what we’ve seen over the past two weeks, that’s a scary thought.
