At Ohio St., Hype Left With Stars Of 2006

Buckeyes Not Entirely Devoid of New Talent

The highly touted Chris Wells, who played significantly last season, is expected to take over at running back for the departed Antonio Pittman. (Terry Gilliam - AP)

A year ago, Ohio State reigned as college football's most glamorous team, opening the season ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls. And until they fell hard to Florida in the BCS championship game, the Buckeyes gave no reason for voters to take them off their pedestal.

Until the loss to the Gators, the Buckeyes had lived up to the immense hype behind a star-studded lineup that featured running back Antonio Pittman and explosive wide receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez. At the center of it all was Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, who dazzled with his dual-threat skills as the Buckeyes racked up an undefeated record heading into the title game.

But this season, that group is gone, along with much of the hype, leaving the Buckeyes having to mold themselves a new identity.

"There's a lot of holes to fill and opportunities for young guys to see if they can step up and emerge and take the place of some very, very good players," Coach Jim Tressel told reporters at Big Ten media day.

Of course, the tradition-laden Buckeyes are far from a total rebuilding job.

Linebacker James Laurinaitis, the team's top tackler, returns to anchor the defense. He's joined by Vernon Gholston, a hybrid linebacker-defensive end, who has the potential to flourish in that role in the same way that Shawne Merriman did at Maryland. The highly touted Chris Wells, who played significantly last season, is expected to take over at running back for Pittman.

"He's big, he's fast, and you know he's coming downhill at you now, and there's not much you can really do," Laurinaitis said of Wells. "You have to be ready to bring it. He ain't going to outshake you. He's mobile, he's agile, but he's big, and you know he's going to try to come right at you. He's a big, fast back and the toughest I've faced."

But even with all the talent, the Buckeyes will need a roster of relative unknowns to excel to have a chance at approaching last year's success.

Perhaps nobody personifies the period of transition better than Todd Boeckman, one of four quarterbacks vying to succeed Smith. Boeckman grew up in tiny St. Henry, Ohio, dreaming of the day that he would jog onto the field at massive Ohio Stadium as the Buckeyes' starting quarterback. He didn't have to look far for inspiration.

Boeckman, the son of a high school football coach, idolized one of his father's players, Bobby Hoying, who would set several Ohio State passing records. Years later, Boeckman started down the same path Hoying had taken.

In 2002, Boeckman arrived in Columbus with a scholarship in hand, even though the Buckeyes were already set at quarterback. Justin Zwick and Smith had arrived a year earlier, and Boeckman knew playing time could be scarce. So, at the urging of coaches and friends, Boeckman delayed his enrollment until the following spring. Then he took a redshirt season, which would preserve another season of eligibility.

"I knew my situation going in. I knew the players I had in front of me," said Boeckman, a 23-year-old junior. "But this school is the school I always wanted to come to ever since I was a kid. Now, since I have this opportunity to actually have a chance to play here, I'm going to try to make the most of it."

Four years later, with Smith and Zwick gone, Boeckman hopes he can continue down the road he had always envisioned, a path that leads to the front of the Buckeyes' huddle.

"It's going to take time for our team to come together," Boeckman said. "We've got a lot of young guys stepping up, a lot of new names, a lot of new faces. But I think we've got the talent here."