I feel a little guilty that the 2006 season left me disappointed. Any year in which you beat Michigan, the defending national champs (Texas), go undefeated in the regular season and play for a national championship should be satisfying. Yet the drubbing by Florida has me on the defensive again with SEC fans and people disparaging Midwest, slob-knocker football. The U found out that Ohio produces players in 2002. The 2006 Buckeyes were a terrific team, built a little differently than a traditional OSU team. Our offense was built more on speed (Ginn, Troy, Gonzo, Pittman) and little less on power football. The defense simply did not show up to play against Florida.
With that said, I'm excited for 2007 and optimistic we can reach the BCS again. Here's what I'm thinking about for this season:
QB: OSU needs consistent, solid QB-play in 2007 to have success. Boeckman has the job for now, but it seems that Antonio Henton (6'2, 210) may make some noise before it's said and done. Boeckman has been at OSU forever, but Henton apparently has big-play potential that has people making Troy comparisons. I think Boeckman will win the job this year and Henton will take over next year. I'm hoping Boeckman's time under Troy has prepared him for his chance as a starter.
RB: Beanie Wells is a load and Mo Wells is the change of pace back that can compliment him. These are two Army All-Americans who should really help an offense with so many new starters. Dionte Johnson, Pepper's son, is a big guy who can open some holes.
WR: Losing Ginn, Gonzo and Hall will put some pressure on Robiskie and Hartline to step up. Players like Ray Small and Albert Dukes need to play big as well. Robiskie and Hartline showed last year that they are very good players, but they are both young, and we're going to have to wait and see if one of those guys is truly capable of being a 1st option wide-out, or if they're both great as 2nd options. Robiskie has some speed and has the benefit of having Terry Robiskie as his dad. Hartline is going to become a real crowd favorite.
TE: Rory Nicol is entering his junior season and is primed for a good year. He's got good hands and should be a nice option for whoever is throwing the ball.
OL: Alex Boone didn't look great against Florida, but I think that him and Kirk Barton should be solid and help keep the QB off the ground. Steve Rehring has some experience as well. The pressure is on Jim Cordle to replace Doug Datish and on Ben Person to step in as a starter. There are a few question marks on the line, but given the schedule, I'm hopeful the line play will be well.
LB: Look out! Laurinaitis is a stud. The Florida game was a hiccup. He's going to be a 1st rounder. Remember the Texas game last year. Marcus Freeman has a another year under his belt, and Larry Grant has adjusted to the big-time, let's hope. Add Curtis Terry, Ross Homan and Austin Spitler, and this is probably the biggest position of strength on this team.
DL: Vernon Gholston, another stud. He's a 1st rounder as well. Opposite him is Lawrence Wilson, a very talented player who has shown he is capable of putting pressure on the QB. Look for Glenville's Robert Rose to really shine. Todd Denlinger and Doug Worthington will both be good in the middle. Worthington is 6'7" and should swat down some passes. Dexter Larimore, (PICTURED ABOVE) remember the name. Great wrestler in high school and I think he will be playing on Sundays in a few years.
DB: Malcolm Jenkins, stud and 1st rounder to boot. He's got size, speed and tons of experience. Anderson Russell should be healthy for the start of the season and Donald Washington has impressed coaches this spring with his speed. The corners will be covered well. The safeties have something to prove. Jamario O'Neal came in as a highly-touted recruit and has not, as of yet, lived up to those expectations. Nick Patterson and Aaron Gant will have a chance to prove themselves as well. Kurt Coleman could emerge as a big asset in the defensive backfield.
Special Teams: Aaron Pettrey and Ryan Pretorious should continue the legacy of great kickers in Columbus.
The defense will be very good in 2007 and I see Beanie Wells and Brian Robiskie emerging as stars on offense. I see Ohio State going 11-1 (best case)or 9-3 (worst case). My prediction is in the middle, 10-2. I think Michigan will be a little too much this season with Manningham, Henne and Hart, and there could be one surprise loss because of the Buckeyes youth and inexperience at QB.
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