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College football preview: Always great at Ohio State
The Buckeyes saw their defense decimated by departures to the NFL. Yet with offensive threats galore and a new crop of talent ready to play, they return this year as preseason No. 1.
Chip Scoggins, Star TribuneLast update: August 29, 2006 – 5:25 AM
CHICAGO -- They have heard the same old thing for months now.
How can you really expect to win a national championship after losing so much talent? The question follows Ohio State players everywhere. It's a big, bold asterisk attached to their season outlook. Yeah they're talented, but ... Wait. The Buckeyes have a message for the doubters. "Once guys are gone," senior quarterback Troy Smith said, "Ohio State lives on." Which is perhaps why the Buckeyes, despite losing a star-studded collection of talent, are ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason polland a fashionable choice to win the national championship.
It seems an embarrassment of riches of offensive talent has helped cloak the fact that Ohio State lost nine starters on defense and had nine players selected in the NFL draft, including five first-rounders.
No sweat, huh?
"We don't ever expect to take a step back, even if we lost 28 guys," center Doug Datish said. "At Ohio State we're fortunate enough to be able to reload."
It's not that easy, of course. The Buckeyes lost the linebacker trio of A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel -- a group many considered to be the best in school history -- and their entire secondary (which included three NFL draft picks).
That collection of talent helped Ohio State finish No. 1 nationally against the run and No. 5 in total defense.
Reload? The question is, how do they replace?
"I wouldn't overlook our defense," Datish said. "I think our defense is going to surprise some people who count them out. They're always going to be good."
That's probably true. The Buckeyes have a stout defensive line, anchored by tackles Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson. Their linebackers lack the star power of Hawk and Co., but they have talent and depth at all three spots. The development of their secondary is the biggest question. The secondary might have more speed this season, but it will take time for four new starters to gel.
The defense seems to relish that whole lack-of-respect angle, though.
"It's motivating for a lot of guys," Pitcock said. "It's in the back of everybody's minds."
Said coach Jim Tressel: "I think those guys have to be sitting there saying, 'I want to prove that I'm like those guys.' If they're the competitive guys I think they are, of course [it's motivating]."
Offense starts with Smith
It's also comforting to know they have an offense certain to give defensive coordinators cold sweats at night. Led by Smith's creativity and playmaking, the offense will score points in bunches, allowing the defense to get its sea legs.
Smith is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate who can expose defenses with his arm or legs. He led the Big Ten in passing efficiency, completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,282 yards and accounted for 27 touchdowns (16 passing and 11 rushing) last season.
He became the first Ohio State quarterback to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 500 in the same season. Smith's versatility makes many wonder whether he will be the Vince Young of 2006.
"I think it's cool from the fact that he won it all," Smith's said of Young's championship season at Texas last year. "But I'm my own person, my own player. I'm my own quarterback, and I'm in a totally different situation. I don't think he lost nine starters [on defense] coming into his breakout season."
Smith has some pretty good talent around him, too. Tailback Antonio Pittman rushed for 1,331 yards last season, receiver Ted Ginn Jr. might be the fastest player in college football (just ask the Gophers) and the offensive line features three fifth-year seniors and averages 305 pounds.
The Buckeyes averaged 32.7 points and 422.3 yards per game last season and shredded Notre Dame for 617 yards in the Fiesta Bowl. That might have been just the appetizer.
"Our offense is going to be as explosive as we let it," Smith said. "The weakness will be if we decide as a team that we don't want to come out and play that day. There's not one thing that anybody can pinpoint and say that's a problem."