A respectably strong schedule and some serious talent on both sides of the ball should have resulted in a dream season for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2006. Unfortunately, that dream erupted in a nightmare in the BCS Championship game at the hands of an inspired Florida squad, who demolished the pride of Columbus 41-14. After losing Troy Smith to the NFL, the Buckeyes are looking to rebuild their leadership, with junior Todd Boeckman taking the reins at quarterback. Save for the November 3 contest against Wisconsin, the home schedule looks to be an easy one for Ohio State, which means the toughest contests--Michigan, Penn State, Washington, and Purdue--are all away games. After replacing all three 2005 starting linebackers last season, standout middle linebacker (and Nagurski Award-winner) James Laurinaitis looks to take control of a defensive team that will surely have big hits and turnovers on the collective brain.