Ohio State football: Start time for season opener set; Brian Hartline talks about wide receivers

That does not come as a major surprise as Fox recently made an effort to put its biggest game of the day on at noon in hopes of winning that time slot rather than compete with the SEC on CBS in the 3:30 p.m. viewing window.

The announcement came shortly after the third preseason interview session for the Ohio State beat with Buckeye players and assistant coaches.

Here are some notes from that session, which featured receivers:

COACH BRIAN HARTLINE

At this point his depth chart probably looks the same as it did at the beginning of spring before workouts were shutdown by the coronavirus pandemic.

He knows the importance of contingency plans and cross trains everyone so they can play all three spots.

The best players will play and he’ll fit them into spots as necessary.

Sophomore Jameson Williams is improving with age as expected. He is building a portfolio of work. He could be better but is making progress.

Regarding the highly decorated freshman class getting playing time, Hartline said the cream will rise to the top.

He hopes they are getting close to three deep at each spot.

Kam Babb, who is working his way back from multiple major knee injuries, is a special individual.

Asked about putting on pads for the first time, he said he is sick of that basketball B.S. they have been doing on the field and ready for pads. It will be a big day moving forward, and he is looking forward to it.

He thinks there will be a good amount of contact, but they will build to full contact since it has been so long since they have really hit (December).

Football comes down to which team blocks and tackles best and is the toughest, and it is hard to develop those things without pads.

He said Chris Olave has a desire to be great and has always emphasized the importance of getting his degree, so he doesn’t think he was ever going to leave early for the NFL if the season was canceled. (Olave later confirmed this.)

Williamson is known as a speedster, but he is developing as a route runner and taking the mindset that he needs to figure out what he wants to accomplish when he is on the field. He has a physically many receivers don’t. He needs to stay under control. Understands being crafty and wants to be the best. He also is doing a better job keeping his life organized off the field. In short, he is working on being more than just a fast receiver.

Regarding Demario McCall, Hartline said head coach Ryan Day always has a plan for guys with unique skill sets and he looks forward to taking advantage of McCall’s.

The move of Wilson inside has probably been hindered by the lack of spring football and a regular offseason, but he has learned a lot about the slot position. Like the freshmen, he could be further down the road but it is what it is. Wilson has done a great job learning and being versatile, and playing the slot helps him get a better understanding of the offense overall. There are more nuances to understand inside.

The biggest thing Hartline looks for with young receivers getting playing time is consistency. What do they do away from the ball? Will they avoid silly mistakes? Those seem to be more prevalent in college football and the NFL.

Moving Wilson to the slot is in part designed to get a more dynamic guy there. He can identify space, work around linebackers, through linebackers and more. He should create a matchup issue. How much remains to be seen. That slot position, known as the "H" in Urban Meyer’s offense, has become more of a receiver spot rather than a WR/RB hybrid it was known as when Meyer was at Florida. Wilson is smart, savvy, has great wiggle and a sense for space.

Freshman Mookie Cooper is farther along than anticipated since he missed the end of his senior season of high school because of injury.

Overall his group is communicating well and helping each other out. There is a lot of competition in the room. You want to be around the best to inspire yourself to improve, and they learn a lot from each other.

CHRIS OLAVE

He is trying to bring energy and lead by example. He is not a big talker.

He hasn’t put the miscommunication with Justin Fields that led to a game-ending interception in the Fiesta Bowl behind him yet. He has not really talked to Fields about it, but it Olave is using it as a chip on his shoulder and moving forward.

Playing in an empty stadium with definitely be different. They will have to bring their own energy, which is something they are used to from practice at least.

JAMESON WILLIAMS

He is also looking forward to full-contact practices starting because the defense takes some liberties with contact when they are just in partial pads.

He expects Fields to be great in his second season as a starter, and he sees Wilson as being dangerous at any position because he runs great routes.

DEMARIO MCCALL

He has bounced between receiver and running back in his Ohio State career, and he feels fine at either spot. He just wants to find his role, and that can include special teams.

He has been frustrated by not being able to carve out a role already in his career, and that adds to his determination to make this a special season.