 |
| |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
It's not just the fans -- preseason pollsters (including SI.com's Spring Top 25) are putting their confidence in the Buckeyes, too. "It doesn't matter to us," quarterback Craig Krenzel said. "What were we last year? Thirteen? Preseason rankings don't matter. They base it on what you did last year and what you have coming back." Certainly the Buckeyes appear to have the personnel to make another run at the Big Ten title and a spot in a BCS bowl, with the entire starting offense and a few standouts on defense returning. Coach Jim Tressel also will be blessed with a poised group of 20 scholarship seniors. On paper, the losses look minimal, but when you include valuable fill-ins like David Thompson, Mike Stafford, Chris Vance and All-America punter Andy Groom, it's more significant. "In pure numbers, I think people are saying we don't lose that much. I think we lose some very productive guys," Tressel said. "But I think what no one really knows is what did we lose when we lost those men." OFFENSIVE KEYS: It's not often that a team can return all 11 starters on offense, especially when that team is coming off a national championship. Yet that's the situation for the Buckeyes, who would like to improve their offensive efficiency and put a few more points on the board.Tressel wants the offense to get to where it was in 1998, which is a pretty lofty goal. He said the aim is to put up 40 points, 250 yards passing and 200 rushing per game. The latter alone would be a good omen, considering the Buckeyes have won 96 percent of their games over the past 12 years when they rush for 200 yards. They have the horse in tailback Maurice Clarett, a leading Heisman Trophy candidate. He'll take a ton of handoffs from Krenzel and work behind a veteran, powerful offensive line. The passing game will feature receiver Michael Jenkins, who amassed a 1,000-yard season last year. Krenzel also can dial up Chris Gamble and emerging threats such as Drew Carter and Santonio Holmes. The Buckeyes also would be wise to make use of sure-handed tight end Ben Hartsock. DEFENSIVE KEYS: Coordinator Mark Dantonio will again employ zone blitzing and multiple looks out of his 4-3 alignment. He's got the ideal personnel up front, with strength, quickness and versatility on the outside in the names of Will Smith, Darrion Scott and Simon Fraser. Scott also will play inside quite a bit, where he'll line up next to All-Big Ten candidate Tim Anderson.Linebacker is a preseason concern, as Matt Wilhelm and Cie Grant will be hard to replace. However, sophomores Mike D'Andrea and A.J. Hawk could become stars in their own right if they continue to improve. The secondary will be tested early and often with safeties Mike Doss and Donnie Nickey no longer providing the last line of defense and pass-happy teams such as Washington and N.C. State making early-season visits. Still, corners Gamble and Dustin Fox are no pushovers. SPECIAL TEAMS: Mike Nugent is back after drilling 25-of-28 field goals and blasting several touchbacks on kickoffs. He could be ready for another All-America-type season, or he could regress if he misses Groom as his holder. B.J. Sander, a left-footed boomer, takes over Groom's very important dual role.FINAL ANALYSIS: The development of a more explosive offense is a must. Ohio State will have to take advantage of its wealth at receiver by evolving the passing game while still relying on its power-rushing game. Meanwhile, the defense will need to get a stellar effort up front, especially early on as new linebackers and defensive backs get used to their roles.Last year, the Buckeyes defeated Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan in the same season for the first time since the Big Ten expanded to 11 teams. Returning to the BCS title game very likely will require another sweep, and this time all three biggies are on the road. That will be a monumental challenge considering the Buckeyes are going to get everyone's best shot. "We've got to make sure that we understand that as well we played in 2002 and as well as things happened to go for us, we're going to need to be significantly better in 2003," Tressel said. "That's just reality." • Click here for complete index of 2003 team previews
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
