Ohio State Football Senior Class Salute

Three things usually consume Buckeye football fans at this time of the year: The upcoming bowl game, forecasting next year's team and recruiting. 

But before we move too far ahead, let's take a moment to look back on the class of 2011, who played their last game at Ohio Stadium this past Saturday. As a group, they have notched 43 wins and should they be victorious in the bowl game, which would tie last year's seniors as the most successful class (in terms of wins) in the history of this storied program. 

Each year, I like to mention each of the seniors individually and share my thoughts on them. It is a huge commitment to play football at a major university and these young men sacrifice a great deal along the way.

Of course, it is an honor to wear the scarlet and gray, but each of these players has put in long hours in the classroom, the weight room and on the field. 

So, here is my tribute to the class of 2011.

Devin Barclay, K

The old man of the group, Devin played pro soccer before enrolling at OSU. He got his chance to play as a junior after an injury to Aaron Pettrey and hit the game-winner against Iowa. 

Quietly, Barclay had a very productive senior year and was usually automatic from 40 and in.  

Justin Boren, OL

The big guy made headlines when he transferred from TSUN to Ohio State and immediately became a force. 

Boren was the most dependable offensive lineman the past two years and often overpowered opponents.  

In my book, he will go down as a Buckeye through and through, and I love that his name provokes Wolverine fans to this day!

Bryant Browning, OL

An intelligent young man, Bryant struggled when forced to play tackle as a sophomore, but was rock solid the last two years at guard. 

Along with Boren, he will be greatly missed next season.  

Chimdi Chekwa, DB

Lockdown corners are hard to find, but Chekwa fit that description and had an excellent career. 

Although not that highly recruited out of high school, he will go down as another in a long line of tremendous Buckeye cornerbacks.  

In truth, I think most OSU fans kind of took him for granted, but he'll be sorely missed in 2011.  

Ricky Crawford, TE

A walk-on wide receiver, Crawford was moved to tight end as a senior and was awarded a scholarship by Coach Tressel. 

He did get to play in eight games this year and caught one pass.

Aaron Gant, DB

After playing quite a bit as a true freshman in '06, Gant kind of disappeared in 2007 and 2008, but was injured a great deal of the time. 

He redshirted last year so he could come back healthy as a senior and it paid off. 

Due to injuries to other players, Gant wound up starting a number of games down the stretch and registered 21 tackles.  

Cameron Heyward, DE

Cam was a huge get late in the recruiting process back in 2007, and he lived up to all the hype. Heyward vaulted into the starting lineup as a true freshman and enjoyed an excellent career, highlighted by his versatility, which allowed him to play tackle and end. 

His big junior year caused all of us to have huge expectations for 2010, and though he didn't quite deliver, Cam did enjoy another fine season. 

I'll always remember the long 80-yard interception return against Miami, when the 290-pound lineman kept lumbering down the field but ran out of steam a little before reaching the end zone.

Jermale Hines, DB

He arrived at OSU late due to Clearinghouse issues, but immediately made his presence known and grew into a stud, both at the safety and star position. 

A hard hitter, Hines possessed a lethal combination of size and speed, and kept improving right up until his last game in Ohio Stadium. 

I look for him to have a fine NFL career.

Ross Homan, LB

When Ross verbaled to Ohio State he had the look of a prototypical Buckeye linebacker, and you had the feeling he would be special. 

Injuries held him down early in his career, but the past couple of seasons Homan was one of the best in the Big Ten. 

What stands out is that when he had a chance to get his hands on a pass, he caught it. A lot of defenders drop easy interceptions, but Homan seemed to have glue on his fingers. 

Garrett Hummel, WR

A walk-on wide receiver, Garrett saw limited action in his career, and battled injuries both at the high school and college level.

Josh Kerr, OL

After originally verbally committing to Miami (FL), Kerr wound up following his brother to OSU and did get the chance to play a few games at offensive tackle off the bench the past couple of seasons. 

Dexter Larimore, DL

Big Dex brought the toughness of a championship wrestler to the middle of the defensive line and was a good run stuffer, who started as a junior and this season. 

He rarely made headlines, but did his job game in and game out, and had his best season as a senior (34 tackles, 5.5 for loss). 

Chris Malone, OL

Another walk-on awarded a scholarship in 2010, Malone was an offensive lineman who was known as a great scout team player who gave his all in practice. 

Don Matheney, DL

A big defensive tackle from nearby Lancaster, Matheney transferred in for his senior season from Holy Cross and did get to play in a couple games, registering two tackles. 

Jake McQuaide, LS

The most under-appreciated position on the team may well by the long snapper. 

McQuaide was so good, his name was never mentioned, which is the goal for guys who man this position. 

Actually, Jake was so good, he was awarded a scholarship during his sophomore season, earning it with stellar play. 

Andrew Miller, OL

Recruited as a tight end, Miller was quickly moved to offensive tackle and wound up starting some games as a junior. 

This season he came off the bench, but it was a luxury to know that he was an experienced reserve, ready to play if needed. 

Brian Rolle, LB

One of my class favorites, Rolle made a name for himself his first two years on campus as a special teams demon. 

When I heard he would start at middle linebacker as a junior, I thought he was too small, but he made up for his lack of size with speed and tenacity.

I think he saved his best for last, leading the team with 70 tackles (10 for a loss) with two interceptions, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble and a blocked kick. 

He will go down as the smallest middle linebacker in my years as a Buckeye fan, but I'll remember Brian as a heat-seeking missile. 

Brandon Saine, RB

Arriving in Columbus as the reigning Mr. Football in Ohio, amid huge expectations, Saine immediately flashed his amazing speed. 

Injuries took their toll on him, however, and it wasn't until his junior year that Brandon truly surfaced. 

He was a second-team Big Ten performer in '09, and I had high hopes for him this season.  For whatever reason, he seemed to regress and after a big night against Marshall, made most of his headlines as a senior catching the ball out of the backfield. 

He did a solid job backing up Herron down the stretch, however, and always seemed to display a great attitude as a team player. 

Dane Sanzenbacher, WR

The biggest surprise of the 2006 recruiting class, most fans thought Dane was too small to be a Big Ten receiver. 

He proved everybody wrong, making solid contributions right off the bat as a true freshman. Unafraid to go across the middle and take a hit, Sanzenbacher was good as a junior but great as a senior, leading the team with 52 catches, 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. 

Fearless and dependable are my two words for number twelve. 

Grant Schwartz, WR

A high school quarterback, he started out at Ohio State as a defensive back and later moved to wide receiver, though most of his playing time came on special teams. 

Grant did make some contributions this year at receiver, and hauled in five passes. 

Scott Sika, OL

Another walk-on offensive lineman, Sika bided his time and was rewarded with the opportunity to play in a number of games, as both a junior and senior, mostly at guard. 

Connor Smith, OL

One of the prizes of the '06 recruiting class, Smith never lived up to the expectations, struggling in pass protection. 

He was in the two-deep all four years he played, however, and provided quality depth at guard. 

Devon Torrence, DB

One of the interesting stories of the '10 class, Torrence came to Columbus as a wide receiver prospect, but was moved to corner as a sophomore. 

Devon played three seasons of pro baseball, but gave it up to become a starter on the football team and enjoyed two solid years in that role. 

His career was highlighted by a game-changing interception returned for touchdown against Penn State. 

Taurian Washington, WR

A spring game phenom, Washington never achieved the same results in the fall, and was haunted by drops. 

However, he hung in there, played a lot in the Rose Bowl victory against Oregon and then finished his career with a big catch that kept an important drive alive in "The Game." 

That's what I will remember Taurian for, because it was a nice catch at a vital moment.

Well, that's the class of 2011. There were surpises and disappointments, but each of these guys helped bring success to the Buckeyes, and I salute them for their hard work and perseverence.