Buckeye Bullet Points: More Talented Than Tebow Edition

Today, Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer previewed the UAB game with his call-in show on 97.1 The Fan. He complimented the Blazers athleticism, while reiterating that their offense loves to test teams by throwing deep downfield.

On defense, Meyer said UAB will blitz more than 50 percent of the time…and then added something interesting. “When you get down to the redzone,” he said, “it’s three out of four snaps are all no-deep pressure, which means they’re going to bring it. And that’s where Braxton, a really good quarterback, a well-trained quarterback, will have a good day against that.”

Meyer wasn’t done discussing Braxton either. The Buckeye head man was asked to compare Miller to another signal caller he once coached: Tim Tebow.

“Very similar guys,” Meyer said. “They’re both competitive human beings. They’re both very talented people. Braxton has more talent. Tim is probably more of a grinder.”

Other highlights of today’s show include:

• Meyer confirmed that DL Michael Bennett will miss Saturday’s kickoff against UAB, but added that he hopes to have him back when Big Ten play starts against Michigan State next week.
• Also on the injury front, he again said that defensive backs Bradley Roby (shoulder) and CJ Barnett (sprained ankle) are hurt. Their status for this weekend is uncertain. However, Travis Howard (shoulder/stingers) is ready to go, and Doran Grant is ready to chip in.
• Meyer announced that running back Rod Smith has jumped Brio’nte Dunn on the depth chart. Meyer also mentioned he’d like to get Smith some touches this week as a reward for his special teams play and exceptional week of practice.

UPDATE: I notice this post is generating a lot of discussion. For those who are interested in the wider context of Meyer’s remarks, it should be noted Meyer never said Braxton Miller was a better quarterback than Tim Tebow. He may believe Miller to be more talented and Tebow to be more relentless, but those are just two of any number of qualities a successful quarterback must possess. He never said who was more athletic, more football savy or a better leader, for example. And Meyer is also on the record as saying he’s not yet ready to endorse a Braxton Miller Heisman campaign. So that’s the bigger picture.