Season success starts on the mat

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Winter workouts are moving forward for the Buckeyes, ready or not. But it is best to be ready if you want to move ahead with plenty of opportunity on the starting roster. The Buckeyes return a grand total of six starters, three on each side of the ball, and February is the time to make a name for yourself before spring ball starts in March.

It all starts with mat drills, something that veteran players know all too well but this is not a team that is blessed with a lot of experience. The Buckeyes are long on talent but definitely short on experience. But what exactly is a mat drill? The University of Georgia Strength and Conditioning staff put out a video going through what their mat drills are like.

With 14 players going to the NFL Scouting Combine in less than a week, the Buckeyes roster turns over with many new players ready to elevate. But even with that, there are a lot of Ohio State players that either enrolled during Summer 2015 or are early enrollees for 2016 that have never gone through winter workouts, something noted by 2016 team captain Pat Elflein.

"I think last week that (one of the coaches) told me that there were 47 guys, that was their first time doing mat drills and that is what we did this morning. I was like 'wow' that really hit me this morning that 47 guys had never done this workout that we are about to do before," Elflein said. "That just shows how young we are. But those guys are hungry and they have been getting after it so we are happy with how it is going so far."

Winter workouts are where Mickey Marotti really makes a difference for the Buckeyes. Urban Meyer leans on Coach Mick all season long but during the winter, the coaches are not permitted by the NCAA to be involved largely in offseason workouts and it is on the S&C staff to make sure the team is ready for September, October, November and beyond months in advance.

The young players responded well to mat drills when they were first introduced but it is not a one-time endeavor.

"I think it was good, they came in with the right mentality and they were ready for it," Marotti said. "I think the older guys did a good job and a lot of the 'Tweeters' or the Twitter people out there like Darron Lee and Zeke, I read their stuff and (are saying things like) good luck with mat drills. So the kids were ready for it, those young kids. The problem was the next day, it was another hard day and they were not ready for it. We had some issues, but that is part of the growing process."

Elflein knows that the purpose of mat drills is not solely physical and has worked with the younger guys to embrace all of the challenges that are presented.

"They are rough. 5:55 the horn is blowing and we are out there grinding," Elflein added. "They are really tough. Mental toughness and you have to make decisions and either you are going to separate yourself and be that guy or you are going to be with the pack. Mat drills are trying to separate those guys. You going to be average or are you going to stand out?"

The Buckeyes had no shortage of guys who stood out in 2015, and while the ultimate team goal of winning a National Championship went unanswered, 14 players going to the NFL Combine and what is shaping up to be a record NFL Draft shows that plenty of guys bought in.

"It is another decision that you have to make," Elflein said. "Are you going to separate yourself or are you going to be average? They put you in these uncomfortable situations to see how you respond. The whole offseason is just a mental game, they are trying to mess with your mind and it is tough."