I can't remember looking forward to a season as much as I do the 2009 season, unless you include 2008, 2007 etc.
While I looked forward to all the returning starters this year, 2009 brings lots of potential and many potential surprises.
TP will have an off season of strength and conditioning and Spring ball and Summer practice as the no 1 guy who will get most of the reps and an offense designed around his talents and abilities. On a side note, I wonder if JT and staff will visit any other programs practices that use a system that TP can excel in.
While the Brians were very solid, the loss of one or possibly both (plus potentially Small) opens up a spot for a hungry youngster (or two or three or four
) who may bring slightly different skill sets. There is size and speed galore from the WR group so it will be very interesting to watch develop. If both Brians leave, will Dane start or remain in the slot, will Posey become the number one guy? Will L Thomas take the next step towards stardom? Will TWash reach some of his immense potential, or Small or Hartline, if they return, and can the Frosh contribute? Duron looks polished enough to help, and if they can bring in M Brown, he may have too much potential to keep of the field. Will the TE's be used more in the passing game, will Stoney find a home here as that pass catching middle of the field stretching hybrid ala Dallas Clark. Will Ballard or Fragel get more opportunities to show off their pass catching abilities?
If Beanie returns, wow, if not, Boom looks ready to carry his share of the load. Can Zoom return to the form with the speed we expected to be such a huge mismatch. How will Berry and Hyde be used, and how much. Will Martin get some carries as a TB or just as the bruising LB busting FB the Bucks have missed the last couple of years or will A Homan or Z Boren bust some chops as blocking backs?
Will the rest of the Brew crew stay healthy and start to put their mark on the O-line like the crews namesake has? Will Boren be as good as we hope after a year off? Will Miller become the next former TE to excel at OT? Will Browning make a standout OG? Will the other returnees be good enough to make this a cohesive talented group that lets JT and the Offensive staff open up the playbook? How many of the Frosh will bring depth next year, or maybe even be good enough to see substantial playing time?
The Bucks lose a lot on D, but man some of those young pups have been trying to knock down the door for a while now.
On the D-line, who is a DT and who is a DE? Where will Cam and Rose find themselves playing, inside or out? The DE's look good, Thad, and Nate plus Solomon, and Keith bring loads of speed off the edge and Dex is a load in the middle, how does the Gladiator contribute next year? Can Wilson return from another injury? Are any of the Frosh good enough to not be redshirted? As Coop used to say, if a dog will bite, he'll bite as a pup
While the loss of JL and Marcus leave a huge void at LB, man the potential of some of the youngsters is so intriguing. Homan has some good experience and brings a stable hand to the group. Will Rolle be the explosive player we see on special teams, will Sabino man the middle or can Spitler hold him off, will Sweat be able to see significant time? Are Bell, Whiting or Klein too good to keep off the field? Where do Hines and Moeller fit in as LB's or nickel/safety hybrids still?
Jenkins will be missed and if Russell or Washington decide to try for the NFL, there will be a lot of slots to fill in the defensive backfield next year. Can Chekwa be the shutdown corner? Can Coleman take his game to the All B10, or even All-American level? Who mans the other CB spot if Washington leaves? If Russell leaves, who fills in at the Safety spot, Hines, Moeller, or one of the other talented youngsters who have waited patiently for their chance. Which of the Frosh end up on this side of the ball? Wood, Clarke and Barnett seemed destined to play D, are any of them good enough to see the field next year? Does the staff decide to try Green, or Brown or even Hall at CB or Safety to get their prodigious skills on the field?
What happens on special teams, who punts the ball, who is next years Layne, or human missile ala Sabino or Rolle. Who returns punts next year, one of the frosh speedsters or one of the returning speedsters. What does the kick return group look like, one back like we saw some with Ginn?
What kind of changes do we see with the staff, even if there are no personnel changes, you have to expect some tweaking like they did this year by going a little smaller and quicker on the D-line. Do they continue using the I formation as their main package or do they use more spread like when Troy was here?
While there may be some growing pains next year with so many new starters and contributors, it will be fun to watch a new bunch of Buckeyes leaving it all on the field in the hope of being the next Buckeye to win the Heisman or Thorpe, Butkus, Outland, Lott or any of the other prestigious trophies represented in the cases at the WHAC, none more valuable than the NC trophies that reside there, next season, we'll see a whole new bunch of Bucks aspiring to add to the trophy case and I can't wait.
