Posted: Tuesday April 29, 2003 11:40 AM
Updated: Tuesday April 29, 2003 11:40 AM
SI.com's Luke Winn breaks down the Top 10.
1
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Maurice Clarett AP
State of the Team: When a conservative coach -- in a sweater vest, no less -- waltzes into spring ball touting Big Plans to introduce Big Plays into his run-happy offense, one is bound to be skeptical. But Jim Tressel, he deserves some leeway. Until he loses a game -- which hasn't happened since Jan. 1, 2002 -- Tressel has earned the right to make such aggressive proclamations. Besides, his April idea isn't without merit: Every last offensive starter is back; Senior QB Craig Krenzel, as the nation found out in the Fiesta Bowl, is rock-steady; wide receivers Michael Jenkins and Chris Gamble are athletic deep threats; Heisman-caliber running back Maurice Clarett ensures opposing defenses won't be keying on the pass. How much Buckeye fans want to read into spring chatter and the spring game -- in which 88 passing plays were called, compared to just 36 runs -- is their businesss. But remember, Tressel has a whole summer get his mind back on the running game. Sophomores A.J. Hawk and Mike D'Andrea, both highly touted recruits, look like the top candidates to replace Matt Wilhelm and Cie Grant at linebacker, but Tressel isn't set on Mike Doss' fill-in at safety. Will Allen is making the move there from corner, while Tyler Everett and Nate Salley are the other candidates.
Up-and-Comer:
If Tressel truly has a passing fancy, Santonio Holmes, a speedy redshirt freshman wide receiver from the Buckeyes' highly touted 2002 recruiting class, may see action alongside Jenkins and Gamble. Holmes put up a jaw-dropping stat line in OSU's first spring scrimmage, catching five passes for 213 yards -- including 98- and 62-yard TDs. In the spring game, he returned a punt 79 yards for a TD but worried coaches later by fumbling on two straight possessions.
Lingering Questions:
57,200 fans showed up for the spring game. Will OSU be able to meet their expectations come fall? ... It'll be tough -- OK, downright impossible -– for the Buckeyes' defense to equal its 2002 dominance. ... Big plays or not, the offense needs to be able to muster more than the 16-or-so points they regularly put up in 2002. ... And on the mental level, after a 14-0 campaign, can Ohio State stay hungry enough to run the table again?
Maurice Clarett
