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OSU to be hit hard by graduation. Fans await Wells' decision on whether to leave for NFL
By Rusty Miller
Associated Press
Published on Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009
COLUMBUS: It was still a loss. Yet for some reason this one seemed easier to swallow for Ohio State's players and fans.
The Buckeyes walked glumly off the field, surrounded by Texas players dancing and laughing while celebrating a dramatic Fiesta Bowl victory on Monday night. But for Ohio State, the feeling was different this time — even though the result was not — as the Buckeyes closed their season with a bowl loss for the third consecutive year.
''We didn't achieve kind of what we had set out to but, looking back, we did some good things,'' wide receiver Brian Robiskie said.
Ohio State started the season with a stadium full of optimism. It had nine starters back on each side of the ball from a team that went 11-2 and began the season ranked No. 2 in the polls.
The Buckeyes, who have won at least a share of the past four Big Ten titles, face plenty of questions heading into next season.
Not only will Ohio State be hit hard by graduation, but fans also will be waiting to hear whether standout tailback Chris ''Beanie'' Wells gives up his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. Wells said he will announce his decision later this week.
Wells fought nagging injuries much of his career at Ohio State. After missing three full games, he returned to rush for 1,197 yards.
But he missed much of the second half of the Fiesta Bowl (finishing with 106 yards on 16 carries) due to symptoms of a concussion.
The ever-present specter of injury, and the fact that Wells has 10 siblings, lead most insiders to believe that he will jump to the pros. If so, backup Dan ''Boom'' Herron will likely take his place.
Robiskie, Laurinaitis, offensive linemen Alex Boone and Steve Rehring, tight end Rory Nicol, fullback Brandon Smith, backup quarterback Todd Boeckman, defensive lineman Nader Abdallah, linebacker Marcus Freeman and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins all have exhausted their eligibility.
On offense, the Buckeyes will build around quarterback Terrelle Pryor.
Pryor, the nation's top-rated quarterback recruit last spring, learned on the job while starting the Buckeyes' last 10 games. The offense often sputtered with Pryor, a smooth runner but erratic passer, under center.
Yet Pryor also showed how dangerous he can be, especially on designed runs or when breaking containment. He gained 631 yards and scored six touchdowns, and even caught a touchdown pass from Boeckman in the fourth quarter of the Fiesta Bowl.
Elsewhere on offense, the Buckeyes will look for replacements to step in. Michigan transfer Justin Boren and redshirt freshman J.B. Shugarts should help on the offensive line. Dane Sanzenbacher and Devier Posey figure to get more time at receiver.
Cameron Heyward, Doug Worthington and Thaddeus Gibson return up front on defense, with Rob Rose stepping in to replace Abdallah.
With two of the three starting linebackers graduating (Ross Homan is the only holdover), the line will have to carry the load while the newcomers develop.
Most of the secondary returns except for Jenkins, the top cover corner. There are also holes at punter and kicker.
The Buckeyes host USC in the second week of the 2009 season, hoping for a better showing than the 35-3 pasting they suffered in Los Angeles early this season.
They also play a game at Cleveland Browns Stadium against Toledo, and hit the road to face Big Ten foes Penn State, Indiana, Purdue and Rich Rodriguez's second edition of a Michigan team that finished 3-9.
COLUMBUS: It was still a loss. Yet for some reason this one seemed easier to swallow for Ohio State's players and fans.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Tallmadge, OH
Posted 07:06 AM, 01/07/2009
Go Buckeyes !!! We'll get a championship next year.
Posted 08:22 AM, 01/07/2009
Its now all on Pryor. He needs to spend the entire summer throwing the football and devloping some touch. I like the looks of Posey, but Tressel needs to get him some speedy receivers. He also needs to learn to throw it out of bounds instead of taking losses. Don't expect much this year, but the two following should look like those of Troy Smith.
