No. 12: Ohio State

With only 10 starters returning, five each on offense and defense, they are reloading in Columbus. From the quarterback position, a Heisman Trophy winner (Troy Smith) who set a school single-season record of 30 touchdown passes last season departs, and a grand total of 11 career pass attempts, 10 by Todd Boeckman and one by Robbie Schoenhoft, return. Redshirt freshman Antonio Henton, the 2005 High School Offensive Player of the Year in the state of Georgia, joined the quarterback derby this spring. Boeckman enters fall practice atop the depth chart based on experience and his three years in the system.

Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez are off to the NFL after compiling 1,515 receiving yards between them last season, but the cupboard is far from bare. Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline bring excellent speed to the position and scored seven times on a combined 46 catches in 2006.

Antonio Pittman is gone after turning in back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. The good news is that Pittman’s departure opens the door for Chris Wells, a 230-pound between-the-tackles runner with breakaway speed. The top-rated running back nationally among 2006 recruits, Wells ran for 576 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 5.5 per carry, backing up Pittman last year.

All-Big Ten tackle Kirk Barton leads three returning starters on the offensive line, but only one starter — end Vernon Gholston — is back on the defensive line. Gholston posted team highs last fall with 15 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks among his 49 total stops, and there are veteran performers available at each of the three vacancies.

Linebacker James Laurinaitis and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins are All-Americans in the back seven. Laurinaitis led the 2006 Buckeyes with 115 tackles and five interceptions. Jenkins added four picks and ran one back 61 yards for a touchdown against Penn State.

The 2007 slate opens with a I-AA opponent, then a MAC team, then at Washington, then home to Northwestern. The new quarterback will get lots of practice against people in other-than-scarlet and gray unis before the schedule draws to a close at Penn State, home to Wisconsin and at Michigan in three of the last four matchups.

Notes:
» The Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 for 12 weeks last season, during which time they defeated two teams ranked No. 2 — Texas and Michigan.

» In his six years since taking the Ohio State job, Jim Tressel has coached the Buckeyes to six bowl games, four BCS bids and two 19-game winning streaks.

» Tressel is 5–1 against Michigan.

2007 Schedule
S.       1    Youngstown State
S.       8    Akron
S.     15    at Washington
S.     22    Northwestern
S.     29    at Minnesota
O.       6    at Purdue
O.     13    Kent State
O.     20    Michigan State
O.     27    at Penn State
N.       3    Wisconsin
N.     10    Illinois
N.     17    at Michigan

Read the entire Ohio State preview by ordering your Athlon Sports 2007 College Football Regional and National magazines today!

Also coming to AthlonSports.com this summer:
– Top 25 Heisman Hopefuls
– Live chats with Athlon editors
– Conference-preview videocasts.

Follow the entire 2007 football season on AthlonSports.com where we preview every game from every conference in Division I-A and recap the weekend’s BCS action in conference notebooks.