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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Last year Ohio States offensive engine was powered mostly by All-American tailback Ezekiel Elliott, and the passing game took a back seat. Coach Urban Meyer wants that to change.The Buckeyes ran the ball nearly two-thirds of the time in 2015, leaning mostly on Elliott, who averaged about 140 yards per game, and quarterbacks J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones. The 188.8-yards-per-game passing average dropped Ohio States aerial attack to 100th in the nation. It just never got on track.With Elliott gone to the Dallas Cowboys as a first-round draft pick, Meyer said hes seeking more balance between the rushing and passing games. Ideal, he said, would be a 50-50 split. He thinks thats realistic with the 2016 team, which opens the season Saturday against Bowling Green.Well know more obviously Saturday, but we have depth at receiver, Meyer said. We have a returning quarterback that understands what were trying to do.The Buckeyes running game is one of the big questions heading into the season. Redshirt freshman Mike Weber is starting at tailback, and Meyer said H-back Curtis Samuel will also run the ball. Meyer said he wants to see Barrett carry less of the load on the ground after averaging 62 yards rushing per game last season. He said 10 to 12 rushing attempts per game is ideal for the quarterback -- Barrett had at least 15 attempts in each of the last four games last season.Direct quarterback runs, where we call it, five to seven, eight, maybe, depends on the game, Meyer said. And then hes a natural scrambler. When things break down, I think thats one of his strengths. Hes one of those quarterbacks that very rarely takes a sack. Hes always getting that plus yardage.Co-offensive coordinator Ed Warinner said Samuel may be a key to that balance and is likely will touch the ball 10 to 15 times per game.Curtis is a very skilled athlete, a very elite player with the ball in his hands, Warinner said. So were just going to try to find as many ways to use him as possible. I mean he can do great things at wide receiver, he can do great things with the ball in his hands from the running back position.None of the other receivers are proven, although everyone in the program is raving about the potential of wide receiver Noah Brown, who was set to be a starter last year before breaking a leg in training camp. Wide receiver Corey Smith and H-back Dontre Wilson have limited experience, but the other receivers who will play Saturday have yet to catch their first pass.Barrett said the pieces are in place for a more balanced attack.The key, he said, is just getting it out of my hands as fast as I can and getting it to our playmakers and be able to fly around, kind of like we did back in 2014. I think thats the direction were headed. Were still getting some kinks out but Im happy with where its at.BURROWS OUT: Cam Burrows, who was expected to see playing time at safety, is out for the season with a foot injury. Burrows broke the foot and had surgery in October, which led to him being redshirted last season. He saw some playing time in 2013 and 14. Hes going to stay with the team and be a weight room assistant this season.PHENOMENAL FRESHMEN: How young is this Ohio State team? The depth chart released this week includes 17 redshirt and true freshmen, including true freshman Michael Jordan starting at left guard. A freshman hasnt started on the Buckeyes offensive line on opening day since Orlando Pace in 1994. Barrett is eager to see how Jordan responds.I remember in the spring game, it was kind of one of those things where there were 100,000 people, and a saw him look up a couple times and I said, `Yeah, theyre here. Theyre not going away, Barrett said. Relax.---Follow Mitch Stacy at http://twitter.com/mitchstacyFor some of his other recent stories: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mitch-stacy Cheap Basketball Shoes Online . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. 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COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Southern Conference will keep four league championships in North Carolina despite the NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference withdrawing championships because of the state law restricting the rights of LGBT people.The league said it will honor commitments for these tournaments: mens soccer in Greensboro, mens and womens basketball in Asheville and mens golf in Pinehurst.We dont want to punish the local host communities by pulling the championships out of the state this year, Commissioner John Iamarino said Friday. That point did resonate with presidents and chancellors.The league said in a statement its presidents and chancellors reaffirmed their resolute opposition to legislation that discriminates against any individual.Iamarino said his conference was prepared for criticism in light of the NCAA and ACC decisions over the North Carolinas law, which excludes gender identity and sexual orientation from local and statewide antidiscrimination protections. It also requires transgender people to use restrooms at schools and government buildings corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates.HB2 was signed into law this year by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, who has defended it as a commonsense safety and security measure.The Southern Conference is headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Its 10 schools -- Citadel, Chattanooga, East Tennessee, Furman, Mercer, UNC Greensboro, Samford, VMI, Western Carolina and Wofford -- are in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.The decision on the championships came after two conference calls among league leaders.While not unanimous, we found enough commoon ground to get to this point, Iamarino said.ddddddddddddHe said the league was influenced by the North Carolina host communities, all urging the conference to hold its events as planned. In Asheville, Iamarino said he met with about 30 people, including some from the LGBT community, who promised to fight the HB2 law but wanted the basketball tournaments to remain.Iamarino said the venues involved are privately controlled and the league is confident of there will be an inclusive atmosphere at the events. The mens golf event will be held at Pinehurst Country Club and the basketball at a neutral site in Asheville.The soccer will be played on the Greensboro campus.Earlier this month, the NCAA removed seven championships from North Carolina, including first- and second-round games of the mens basketball tournament scheduled for Greensboro. The ACC soon followed suit, pulling 10 of its championships from the state, including the football title game that was scheduled for Charlotte.The ACC on Thursday relocated the football game to Orlando, Florida.Iamarino said Southern Conference presidents and chancellors will meet in May to see if more action is necessary. He said theres concern similar laws could extend beyond North Carolina.This could be a long-term issue, he said.Iamarino said hes also concerned the schools against keeping the championships in North Carolina might take their own actions, perhaps boycotting the league events played there.Its a real concern, he said. Well continue to communicate and prepare for everything. ' ' '