Article published March 27, 2008
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
OSU has chance for Big Ten first
Bucks seek third outright title in row
COLUMBUS - While other college football coaches will use this spring to familiarize themselves with their personnel, patch a bunch of holes, and hope the puzzle pieces all fit together, Ohio State's Jim Tressel has an atypical task ahead of him.
Tressel comes to today's first workout with the Buckeyes minus just four starters from the team that played for the national championship less than three months ago. And he has considerable momentum surging behind the program - Ohio State has lost only three of its last 33 games. He is aware of the other edge this mighty sword wields.
"You're going into 2008 with everyone returning, and the expectations are extremely high," Tressel said yesterday. "It's hard to get them any higher than they usually are at Ohio State, but I think they are a little higher. It's going to be fun to watch the maturity level of this team, and see if they understand this is going to be a heck of a challenge."
The Buckeyes, who will be seeking a fourth straight Big Ten Conference championship this fall and an unprecedented third straight outright title, could lose some people and still be loaded. They have the majority of the players back from the nation's top defense of 2007, and most of the offense back that led the Big Ten in passing efficiency, and was near the top of the conference in scoring and rushing.
"The Big Ten has been in play in 112 years, and no team in the history of the Big Ten has ever won the outright championship three straight years," Tressel said. "That tells you it is pretty difficult, because it has happened zero times. We hope our young people and our coaches understand that's a challenge that nobody has ever been able to accomplish."
The Buckeyes lost offensive tackle Kirk Barton, fullback Dionte Johnson and linebacker Larry Grant as they completed their eligibility with the national championship game in January. Defensive end Vernon Gholston, whose pass rushing ability had the pro scouts gasping, then left Ohio State with a year of eligibility remaining.Outside of backups and a couple of special teams players, that's it. Everyone else from the 2007 team that spent a good portion of the season at No. 1 will be listening to Tressel's instructions when the Buckeyes take the field today.
"We have 47 guys on the roster who are entering either their fourth or fifth year," Tressel said,
"so we don't want spring practice to seem like the same old, same old. We want to focus a little bit differently in how we present the material we need to improve."
It is a veteran-rich group that will allow Tressel to spend the spring less on fundamental teaching and more on enhancing the options at his disposal.
"We will focus on mentally challenging our group in terms of their football knowledge and thinking," Tressel said.
"We need to continue evolving in terms of who we are offensively and who we are defensively, and how far we can go. We're also asking them to train through spring practice with a harder regimen in the weight room. We're asking more from our guys mentally and physically, because they want us to test them on how good they can be."
Tressel will look at no fewer than half a dozen players to fill the fullback role, including backup linebackers Austin Spitler and Ryan Lukens.
"We will have a battle at fullback," Tressel said. "It will be interesting."
In the right tackle spot Barton has occupied for most of the past four seasons, incoming freshmen J. B. Shugarts and Mike Adams will be taking part in spring ball, and therefore in the mix. At defensive end, Lawrence Wilson returns after missing most of 2007 with an injury, and he has started at the position before. At linebacker, Ross Homan and Spitler are in a large group battling to replace Grant.
"We return a bunch of guys who got to play," Tressel said about filling the few vacancies in the starting lineup. "I think we've got a lot of good talent. The key to us being able to do anything extraordinary is going to be how are we mentally. It's all about your attitude. It's all about your togetherness. It's all about how hard you want to work. We have a special bunch of guys."
Ohio State's spring practice will conclude with the annual spring game in Ohio Stadium on April 19.
- Matt Markey
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