COLUMBUS: Receiver Brian Robiskie arrived at Ohio State with experience on his side.

His first two years in Columbus, he had to wait behind stars Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez. Now with opportunity serving as a guide, the son of an NFL wide receivers coach has dashed to become one of the leading wideouts in college football.

Consider the numbers: 25 catches for 530 yards, an average of 21.2 yards per catch and six touchdowns.

Robiskie, a junior from Chagrin Falls High, leads the Big Ten in yards per catch and yards per game, and he has developed into a bona-fide deep threat for first-year starting quarterback Todd Boeckman, who now looks for Robiskie.

''I just have so much confidence in him that he's going to get open and make a play,'' Boeckman said.

Robiskie's quarterback isn't the only one who has come to rely on his skills. Just Tuesday, he was named the team's offensive player of the week for his performance against Minnesota in a 30-7 victory.

Robiskie ''is a kid who really studies the game,'' OSU coach Jim Tressel said. ''He's very disciplined in his route running. He's long. He goes out with those hands, and he can reach out and pluck the ball out of the air in a lot of different ways. Whether they're coming over top or they're going side to side or they're going down toward the ground, he just has got excellent hands, excellent eye-hand coordination.''

Robiskie proved to be Mr. Reliable last year as the Buckeyes marched toward what many thought would be a national championship. He caught 29 passes for 383 yards and five touchdowns, but he didn't flash the deep-threat skills he has shown this year.

''Me and (Brian Hartline) were probably the only receivers to go out and play a lot with those guys, being on that championship-caliber team,'' Robiskie said. ''And that's definitely helped me, because maybe I'm one of the guys looked upon to make those plays.''

In almost a season and a half, some of the plays have proved spectacular.

Think back to last year's game against Penn State, and the highlight is Troy Smith's scrambling touchdown pass to Robiskie in the end zone an eventual game winner. This season: his 68-yard game breaker against Washington and last week's acrobatic 52-yard catch against Minnesota just before halftime.

What's evolving into a memorable career at Ohio State almost didn't happen. Robiskie had scholarship offers from the University of Miami and Stanford, while the Buckeyes showed interest but already had two receivers who had signed letters of intent, said Mark Iammarino, Robiskie's coach at Chagrin Falls.

OSU defensive backs coach Mel Tucker kept in touch with Robiskie, and two weeks before signing day, the Buckeyes came with a scholarship offer.

For the record, Iammarino expected him to excel because among all his players, Robiskie is one who has stood out.

''He didn't approach it like a high school player. He studied film. He really prepared for it,'' Iammarino said. ''He saw how NFL guys worked, so he knew a level higher than most high school kids. After practice and after workouts, while other kids were in the shower, he was running stairs or staying after to catch extra balls.''

Ask the Buckeyes why Robiskie whom they call Robo is successful, and they will tell you it's his work ethic. He saw the likes of Tim Brown, Marcus Allen and others go through their grind to maintain their bodies and minds in his dad's 12 years as a coach with the Los Angeles Raiders, so at least some of his success can be attributed to his father, Terry.

Terry Robiskie, a former Browns coach, now works with the Miami Dolphins' receiving corps.

''My dad sat me down and told me what those guys did to make themselves successful,'' Brian said. ''And those are some of the things I try to apply to myself.''

It was the time spent with his father, however, that instilled in him what it would take for him to succeed. From the minute Brian told his father that he wanted to play receiver, Terry worked with him in their backyard. When they weren't practicing running routes, they were talking about football, Terry said in a phone call from his office.

Despite being many miles apart, father and son still talk football after Brian's games. ''The coach comes out in him when he's telling me what I need to do better and what I need to work on,'' Brian said. ''But you definitely see the dad when he's complimenting you on something you did (well).''

For Terry, being father and coach go hand in hand. He wouldn't know how to behave differently.

''I just know there are days and times for me to coach him and tell him things,'' Terry said. ''And other days and times for me to be his father, sit back and be quiet.''

With Brian's success, Terry could easily be talking to him about playing on Sundays next year, but he doesn't think his son is ready to enter the NFL yet.

That opinion could change, but it probably won't until the end of the year.

''All I tell him is: 'Your goal in life is to go win and go win a national championship with Ohio State. Go be a leader and go do what you're supposed to do. Do everything you can to enjoy your day and time in college, because you only get one day and one time to be in college.'''

Terry Robiskie also enjoys his son's time at Ohio State. He loved Brian's feat in Minnesota just before the first half ended Saturday.

''He made a hell of a catch. It was a hell of a play,'' the father said with a mixture of pride and excitement.