Ohio State To Host the "Jesse Owens Spring Game" Tomorrow

On Saturday, Ohio State will host its annual Spring game at 1:30 p.m. in Ohio Stadium, but with a new name and format from previous years. Nationwide is sponsoring this year's event, and it is now entitled the "Jesse Owens Spring Game," a nice nod to a past Buckeye and American great. It is a little odd to see a Spring game receive official corporate branding and still be a ticketed event, but I cannot complain when the proceeds are benefiting various charities. The Ohio National Guard Family Readiness and Warrior Support Program, LiFE (Learning in Fitness & Education) through Sports Program, and the Ruth and Jesse Owens Scholars Fund will all receive a portion of the funds generated by the festivities.

Ohio State will also unveil camouflage helmets for the first time in program history, and they will also be connected to charitable causes. 25 of the camouflage helmets will be autographed by Jim Tressel, numbered with an authentication code, and then sold for $1,000 apiece. The profits from the helmet sales will go directly to the three charities mentioned above.

Tickets will be available for purchase on game day, but be aware that the price is rather steep for a spring game. The cost will jump from $7 in advance to $15 for walk-up at the gates, and transactions will be restricted to cash. You can still purchase $7 tickets at the Athletics Ticket Office, online at OhioStateBuckeyes.com, through Ticketmaster and at area McDonald's locations today, so get on that if you are planning to attend.

The format for the game is being altered this year, as well. With low numbers on the offensive line and an unclear quarterback hierarchy, the coaches decided to turn this year's game into a controlled scrimmage rather than a traditional contest. The coaching staff will create game-like situations and take the team through various scripted sequences in order to work on specific plays, down-and-distances, and other unique situations like the redzone. They are putting a twist on the usual scrimmage format, however, with an extra incentive for an offense to find success. If an offensive possession achieves its goal during the scripted plays, it will be allowed to continue the drive until a turnover on downs or a touchdown occurs. The coaches are using this format to encourage further competition and maintain a semblance of a game atmosphere.

Hit the jump for a preview of the positions to watch on Saturday.

Spring games are generally meaningless events, but it shouldn't surprise anyone that they have turned into events. At this point in the off-season, three months removed from college football, we are starved for any glimpse of the Buckeyes, even if it's a somewhat inflated, contrived experience.  This year's edition will actually be more informative to us as viewers, though, since the format more closely resembles a practice schedule.

In past Springs, the coaches have used the game as a reward to the players for three weeks worth of hard work and focus. The players held a draft to determine the two teams, trick plays were installed, and former Buckeye alums were brought in as honorary captains and play-callers for the game. It was a fun but useless way to cap off the Spring and head into difficult summer workouts.

This Spring game should be more meaningful. With five suspended players and a host of graduations from last year's Sugar Bowl team, the coaches are looking for young players to mature and earn playing time. In particular, the wide receiver depth chart is filled with young athletes hoping to make an impact. We will see our first glimpse of redshirt freshmen James Louis, T.Y. Williams, and Verlon Reed, and we can also gauge true sophomore Corey Brown's progress from his freshman season. Brown, who, with DeVier Posey's absence the first five games, will be Ohio State's top receiver next season, was singled out by Jim Tressel for having an excellent Spring in an interview with the Big Ten Network.

The quarterback situation is obviously the biggest question mark surrounding the 2011 Buckeyes. Joe Bauserman will receive the first series in the scrimmage, but every quarterback should receive a roughly equal number of snaps throughout the day. This will be the Spring game debut for two young quarterbacks, redshirt freshman Taylor Graham and true freshman Braxton Miller. Graham is the son of former Ohio State quarterback Kent Graham and may have the strongest arm of anyone on the team, including Terrelle Pryor. From practice reports, he has struggled with accuracy and timing, and I'm curious to see how he compares to the other quarterbacks on the roster.

Braxton Miller is the show-stopper, if there can one in a Spring game. Everyone wants to see the freshman from Huber Heights Wayne takes his first collegiate snaps, and I'm no different. As someone who's seen Miller play multiple times in high school, I think I know what to expect, but I'm eager to see how his skills translate to college ball. I do believe that Miller will be the starting quarterback for Ohio State against Akron on September 3rd, but my opinion could change if he visibly struggles in the scrimmage.

We will have a gamethread up tomorrow, so feel free to drop by and discuss Buckeye football in a live blog for the first time since January.