Freshmen Provide OSU All-Around Package

Brian Hartline summed it up, "this is a really good group of freshman".

While most recruiting sites rated the class between 3rd and 6th in the country, you would be hard pressed to find a group that is more intelligent, more athletic, and more ready to contribute.

Normally, a team with 19 returning starters, a team that contended for the National Championship only nine months ago, would not be the platform to showcase the talents of an incomming freshman class; that does not mean the Buckeyes didn't need some fine tuning.

Last season the offense(outside of Beanie Wells)lacked explosiveness, the return game was less than spectacular, and in 2006 the offensive line was exposed against Florida.

When ex-Buckeye assistant Bill Conley was asked what needed to be improved he said "a lack of experienced depth on the offensive line".

What seperates this superb class of Freshman from some of the other top five classes in the country is their intelligence. This is an extremely smart group. For those who've missed it—Tressel has transformed the Ohio State program in terms of academic success coupled with a noticable lack of off-the-field issues.

These freshman picked up the system in just over a month and are now able to translate their God given talents onto the football field. The talent comes at the right time, and more importantly, in the right places.

Sixth year Senior Todd Boeckman led the conference in pass efficiency last season. Todd did well in his first season as a starter, but we all know that you need more than one capable quarterback. Todd isn't the most elusive QB in College Football.

Coming into fall camp, the Buckeye Nation was anxious to see these newcomers, but remained skeptical when they talked about how the freshman class would contribute. Many outsiders predicted a Tebow-like use of Terrelle Pryor.

Die-hard Buckeye fans figured it might be a year before Pryor made a significant contribution to the offense. While some programs get immediate help at WR, QB, or on the Offensive Line, OSU usually has the depth and experience to bring them along slowly.

After two years of dissapointment on the big stage it appears as if Jim Tressel has learned his lesson. Talent is talent, and no matter the situation, you have to get the most talented players on the football field.

If you ask this Buckeye fan what the single most important factor is when it comes to why the Buckeyes have not been able to get over that big-game hump...that's it! Coaching, gameplans, and mistakes all contributed, but OSU has left too many fast, explosive players on the sidelines in those two National Championships.

Two years ago Terrelle Pryor would have sat the bench as a freshman. I believe the same goes for 2007. Now, Tressel cannot afford to substitute experience for talent. He can no longer play it safe—get to the big-game with a conservative, experience oriented, three-yards and a cloud of dust approach. He has to get better, faster, and less predictable.

Saturday, in the second quarter, Jim Tressel brought in an entirely new offensive unit. It featured underclassmen; Terrelle Pryor at quarterback, Brandon Saine at RB, Lamaar Thomas and Devier Posey at WR, and two freshman offensive tackles. It was without question the fastest offensive unit that Ohio State has fielded in my 25 years as a fan.

Devier Posey has posted a 10.51 100m and was the state champion in the 400.  Saine had a 10.38 100m-that time is the all-time fastest 100m EVER recorded in OHSAA history. That same year Saine won the National Championship in the 60m. Thomas has posted a 10.46 100m and won the Maryland State Championship in the event. Pryor is a legitimate 4.4 guy. His HS coach claims a hand held time at 4.34. My insider concurs that Pryor is 4.4 or faster.

The group ran like a well oiled machine. Pryors speed was deceiving. It doesn't take him long to get going and he floats past defenders with his long, fluid strides. On Saturday it became evident that the Freshman class would make a major contribution in 2008.

During fall camp Alex Boone was asked which young offensive lineman looked good,"J.B." he said,"he's big and he moves really well". J.B. Shugarts, from Klein Texas, was originally regarded as the third man in a trio of highly rated incomming offensive lineman.

Mike Adams from nearby Dublin Coffman was ranked by most recruiting firms as the best offensive lineman in the country. His size(6'8" 315), and his performance in the USARMYgame, led many to believe that he would be the impact Freshman of that group.

Mike Brewster, rated by Scout.com as the #1 offensive lineman in the south, was also looked at as a possible impact freshman, but when Shugarts showed up for Fall camp it quickly became appearant that the player previously considered outside the top 10 in the country may actually be the strongest of the group.

Shugarts came in looking chisled and athletic. It was obvious he had spent extra time in the gym preparing himself for this opportunity. The former TE is a freakish athlete. At 6'7" 305, Shugarts easily runs the 40 in less than five seconds, and is threatening to take over the starting RT spot.

Mike Adam's, J.B., and Brewster have fixed the depth problem on the offensive line. Any one of those three guys could start for a number of elite BCS teams.

The first two cakewalks against Youngstown State and Ohio University provide the perfect opportunity to get these guys experience before the meat of the schedule arrives on Sept.13th against USC. Posey and Pryor scored touchdowns in game one. Both have the physical gifts to cause problems for more powerful opponents.

When OSU falters in the future(and they will) they won't have their hands tied behind their backs. They'll have options, they'll have speed, and they'll have the experienced young talent that they have lacked in the past.

You ask what makes this team better? You ask why you should believe they deserve another shot, why they can return to an unprecedented, 3rd straight National Championship...AND win it? I give you the 2008 recruiting class.