Typically some of the starters play limited roles or not at all at scrimmages.  Yesterday was no exception as the second and third teams saw most of the action.  Team depth will probably make or break us this year and these scrimmages give those guys a chance to show their stuff.

The defensive line depth will probably include  a combo of true freshman and redshirt players who have yet to experience their first college football down.  Good to see QB pressure from guys like Nic Barber and Eric Price and Tony Davis.  We lost two 300+ lineman from last year so guys like John Taylor may need to fill that inside void.

The QB situation may be the most intriguing. Tettleton of course has won the starting job and seems to be able to read defenses well enough to provide us with a QB that stays away from big mistakes.  Bates may be out of the picture somewhat but Snyder and Bell and Vick have all shown flashes of potential. Vick gets raves from those who have watched him so far this year and Bell threw the only TD pass through the air yesterday. You want both to redshirt yet who knows....stranger things have happened.

We also seem to have the RB depth we even lacked last year. I wasn't even sure Fulcher would play this year but he ripped off a 56 yard TD run.  Blankenship should also push for pt with last years major RB's Harden and Boykin.

Where to play Joe Stefanski?  He's listed as a MLB and led the team in tackles yesterday. Maybe the thought is to redshirt true freshman Russell and let Stefanski be the back-up MLB. Linebacker and WR seem to be 2 of our deeper positions. True freshman  LB Jovon Johnson looks like a 3rd teamer who could play this year. Landon Smith at WR is another who may lose his redshirt.

Been workin on the Solich Soarer so maybe I'll fly on down to the 9:15 scrimmage on Saturday morning....have to get clearance from the Vinton County airport....make sure my flight plan is clear.

I hear there there a number of sacks. Since I know the o-line can play, and I'm not worried about them, this is good news, I think. If the defensive line can get some sacks in scrimmages, they should be able to get some against any MAC club, so some of the concerns there may be overstated.

Also it is good to hear that Tettleton is making good reads and decisions. I believe that for an outstanding season what Ohio needs this year is solid QB play with few errors, and not an individual to try to carry the team on his back.

Your comments about the various freshmen confirm what I have believed, that this is the best recruit class yet under Solich. This program will have a very good year this year, but the teams in the future are going to continue to get better. I hope they will be able to redshirt most of these Freshmen.

Doc, as far as flying the Soarer over Vinton County, there was recently a major drug bust there (pot being grown in secluded fields).  I think air reconnaisance had something to do with that bust.  Maybe you could cut a deal with the Vinton County Sheriff and the DEA to do some more checking of the fields from the skies.  You could make a few bucks on your sojourn to Athens. 

As long as you guys don't make me go to Meigs......they shot me down with an Appalachian Stinger missile....a twelve gauge with deer slugs mounted to a fire tower.

Lots of variables in red-shirting.  In 2000, Fiami was trying to red-shirt Ben Roethlisberger and Ryan Hawk until injuries in last game (or very near the end of the season) forced the buring of a red-shirt.  I remember a quote from Ryan Hawk that when they chose to burn his shirt, he knew Roethlisberger was probably "The Guy" which we all know now was and should have been the case.

Still follow Grobe and he has burned more red-shirts the past few years than he did in the past, but is trying to return to saving more now.  His recruiting was a bit lean for a couple of years in part due to rumors he might go to another school and a lack of quality at the second and third team depth charts forced his hand.

After loosing to William & Mary two years ago, Al Groh knew he was going to get canned by UVA and he did everything he could do to burn/waste red-shirts just to spite the program. He practially sent the freshman waterboy's and equipment managers into the game to burn their redshirts.  The message board began to melt down the last two weeks of the season when the fans realized what was happening.

I would imagine that Solich will do what he can to save redshirts, but of course the timing of circumstances will include the team record at that point of time and what is still attainable in terms of team goals. 

I understand staggering the freshman and possibly staggering redshirts.  I am still a bit confused on the total number of years and how a medical redshirt works into the mix.  My confused point here is that if you burn a redshirt now and then the player suffers a major injury another year how all of that plays out with ability for a second redshirt season.