http://bleacherreport.com/articles/19416-2008-Buckeyes-Football-Third-Time-s-a-Charm-Right--230408
In the second installment, we'll take a closer look at the offensive and defensive lines.
While the Buckeyes will return 20 starters, the 2 departures came along both lines.
Kirk Barton and Vernon Gholston will certainly be missed, but with another young crop of talent coming up through the ranks, Ohio State shouldn't miss a beat.
Experience is key on the interior of both lines, while the talented young guys may be forced into action to replace those aforementioned departures.
Let's take a look at where the Buckeyes stand on the interior.
Offensive Line:
(LT) Alex Boone (Sr.) – Boone is a lock at left tackle. If he can continue his dominance from the previous season, he may be one of many Buckeyes to be taken in the first round in next year’s draft.
(LG) Steve Rehring (Sr.) - Rehring started the last 10 games at left guard, a year after he missed nine games in the ’05 season due to pneumonia. He’s big, strong, and fairly agile for a big guy.
(C) Jim Cordle(Jr.) – Cordle took over the job last year, in place of All-American Doug Datish, and played very well. Look for Cordle, along with Boone to be the leaders among the offensive line.
(RG) Ben Person (Sr.) – Coaches rave about his work ethic, and with his size, 6’4”, 321lbs, Person could be a surprise on an above average offensive line.
(RT) Connor Smith (So.) – This may come as a delight to many Ohio natives. Smith is currently listed as the backup to Cordle at center, but I think with his size, and the absence of Barton, he would be a solid fit at right tackle. At 6’5”, 315lbs, his size and athleticism allows him to move all around the offensive line.
Wild Card: Justin Boren– If for nothing more than to rub it in Michigan fans’ faces, Boren will be a Buckeye, but will not be under scholarship. NCAA and conference rules do not allow transfers in conference to remain under scholarship. Translation: Boren would rather pay to go to Ohio State than be at Michigan for free.
Defensive Line:
(DE) Lawrence Wilson (Jr.) – With the departure of Vernon Gholston to the NFL Draft, look for Wilson to step right in and not miss a beat. While not quite as big as Gholston was, he is faster and more athletic coming off the edge. He looks to stay healthy this year, after breaking his leg last year.
(DT) Doug Worthington (Jr.) – A former defensive end in high school, Worthington has slightly beefed up to around 270, and will slide inside to defensive tackle. While slightly undersized, he is very quick and athletic. He also averaged a double-double in basketball at St. Francis High School.
(DT) Todd Denlinger(Jr.) – Denlinger still looks to be ahead of Nader Abdallah on the depth chart, and has seemingly gotten better every year as a Buckeye. Definitely has the size and work ethic to become a star on a defensive line that is vastly underrated.
(DE) Cameron Heyward(So.) – Son of former NFL star, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward. Cameron possesses the size and speed, (6’6”, 280 / 4.9 40-yd dash) to be an elite pass rusher. He may struggle in the running game, as he has a tendency to get too high. Overall, Heyward will round out a very talented and athletic group on the defensive line.
Wild Card: Nader Abdallah (Sr.) – Abdallah will see more playing time than last year, getting into the rotation with Denlinger and Worthington. Another big, athletic guy on the defensive front for Ohio State, and played well at times last year. He will look to be more consistent in his final year as a Buckeye.
Stay tuned again as next time we'll take a look at the defensive backfield, along with the linebacking core.
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3 months ago
So with all of that talent coming back, there really are no excuses exist for Ohio State not to dominate the Big Ten, which again will be one of the nation's weakest conferences.
No more stupid losses to the teams like the Fighting Illini in the Horseshoe in front of a record home crowd and national TV audience while being the No. 1 ranked team in the land.
As far as the addition of Boren to the team, OC Bollman would be wise to seriously consider his weight and his work ethic.
Why did Boren leave the Michigan team? Too much swearing by the new coaches and too much running (UM will run a no huddle spread option run offense in 2008), and no automatic starting position. He'd have had to earn it by merit.
Maybe the Buckeye coaches don't swear anymore down in Columbus, but losing to your rival 5 out of the last 6 will sort of change your disposition with respect to players who think they're entitled to easy practices and entitled to their starting position. Boren could be more of an unwanted distraction to a Buckeye team set to win the Big Ten title for the 3rd straight year.
The real test for OSU will be in Los Angeles. If OSU beats USC on the road, I honestly can't think of a Big Ten team that will stop them, except maybe Michigan in a rivalry shocker.
3 months ago
I'm confused here, are you bashing the Buckeyes with sarcasm, or are you just another frustrated fan of a team that has had 3 disappointing losses in the past few years?
2 months ago
I'm also incredibly interested in seeing how the team handles USC in hostile territory on September 13. Granted some consider USC to be in a rebuilding year of sorts, but Carrol always brings in great talent. Lets see how the Bucks do then and I think we'll have a better idea how well equipped they are (or aren't) to make a third trip to the BCS game.
2 months ago
I just think that because they've lost the past two years in the title game, people are automatically going to assume they're a "bad" team, when in reality they are far from it. Last year they just flat out weren't as good as LSU, and was in the title game basically by default. The year before they had a great team, but just didn't play well in one game. Shitty, being it was the title game, but they'll have the best team they've had since '02 this upcoming year in my opinion, and I think the USC game isn't going to go the way people think it is.
2 months ago
Due to the severity of the 2 BCS losses the Buckeyes will get written off by a lot of the pundits. Unfortunately, the Big Ten looks to be even weaker this year with Michigan starting from scratch, Penn State and Wisconsin losing most of their starters and Illinois, Purdue, and Iowa failing to get over that hump to being relevant again. That combined with the schedule will cause tOSU to get overlooked.
If they can beat USC and run the table they do deserve consideration for another title shot but will they face any competition to get them ready for that game? Who knows? If they lose to USC or another team they can kiss any title hopes good bye. They will not be considered better than any other 1 loss teams out there. Unfortunately, they created that situation themselves by their performances the past 2 years.
But hope always spring eternal!!! Go Bucks!!!
2 months ago
osu wont lose to usc sanchez hasnt seen a d like ours and he will go down and go down hard
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