2009 Record – 11-2, 7-1 Big Ten
Bowl Game – Rose Bowl – Beat Oregon 26-17
Letterman Returning: 48
Stadium – Ohio Stadium (102,329)
College Location – Columbus, OH
Coach – Jim Tressel 94-21 (10th year)
OFFENSE: (9)
Key Returnees – QB Terrell Pryor (below), WR DeVier Posey, RB Brandon Saine, G Mike Boren, C Mike Brewster, RB Dan Herron
Key Losses – TE Jake Ballard, WR Ray Small, T Jim Cordle
- The Ohio State University is no stranger to winning as of late. High powered offenses and BCS bowls have been as regular occurrence around Columbus as buckeyes blossoming. The teams offensive depth chart reads like a high school All-American team, and speaking of blossoming, the Bucks heralded young quarterback, 
Terrelle Pryor, is certainty budding into a star. Pryor, once the nations No.1 ranked high school player, took over the full time quarterback duties last season, leading the team in passing and rushing, accounting for 2,094 passing yards and 779 rushing yards. Pryor’s 25 total touchdowns ranked him third in the conference. His most impressive performance came against Oregon in the Rose Bowl where he completed 62 percent of his passes for 266 yards and two scores, while also rushing for 72 yards. Pryor will look to take the next step this season in becoming a more polished passer for the Buckeyes. Inconsistent at times last season, the junior looked flustered while in the pocket. Something he will need to improve upon if OSU wants to take their game to the next step. In the backfield for the Buckeyes the team runs four players deep who should see consistent touches on Saturdays. The teams leading runner from the backfield last season returns in senior, Brandon Saine. Saine brought in 739 yards on a 5.1 average last season, earning second team All-Big Ten. Junior Dan Herron, sophomore Jordan Hall and redshirt freshman Jaamal Berry, will all be in the mix for carries as well. Berry, once a top rated running back recruit, is a game changer with speed in a backfield filled with powerful runners. The receiving core remains intact with the return of junior, DeVier Posey and senior, Dane Sanzenbacher. Posey became Pryor’s favorite target last fall, leading the team with 60 catches for 828 yards and eight scores. A player to keep an eye on will be that of sophomore Duron Carter. Carter, whose father Chris is a soon-to-be NFL Hall of Famer, is a polished receiver for his sophomore status. The offensive line returns four of five starters including Michigan guard transfer, Mike Boren, and center Mike Brewster. Junior offensive tackle, Mike Adams, will be counted upon to protect Pryor at left tackle for his first full season of starting.
DEFENSE: (6)
Key Returnees – DE Cameron Heyward, MLB Brian Rolle, OLB Ross Homan (below), S Jermale Hines, CB Chimdi Chekwa
Key Losses – OLB Thaddeus Gibson, S Kurt Coleman, DE Doug Worthington
- Although a boarding state team may claim Linebacker U for not only the Big Ten, but the country as well, it may not be long before the Buckeyes can make their own case for the title. The NFL talent produced at the position stacks up quite nicely over the last decade, including Matt Wilhelm, AJ Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and James Laurinaitis. Following this season, the Buckeyes will add two more players to that list in seniors Brian 
Rolle and Ross Homan. Rolle, the starter in the middle for the ‘Bucks, finished second on the team with 95 stops last season with seven tackles for a loss. The unsung star, however, was Homan, who led the team with 108 tackles. He also tied for the lead in interceptions for the ‘Buckeyes with five and led the team with 10 passes defended. Wherever the ball was last season, there was a pretty good chance Homan would be there as well. Junior, Etenne Sabino, another Florida talent like Rolle, will take over the vacated outside position. Although only one starter returns for the Buckeyes along the defensive line, perhaps not a better player in the country could remain, in senior defensive end, Cameron Heyward. Heyward earned All-American honors last season after bringing in six and a half sacks and 10 tackles for a loss, while disrupting a heap of other plays. Heyward will lead a group of players who totaled just five starts in 2009. At defensive tackle, senior, Dexter Larimore and sophomore, John Simon, are expected to start. At the other end position, junior, Nathan Williams will fill the spot vacated by Worthington. Williams had three and a half sacks and eight tackles for a loss in a backup role last season. The secondary for the Buckeyes held opponents to under 200 yards passing in eight games last season, while also holding Oregon to just 81 yards through the air. The backfield returns three starters in corners Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence and safety Jermale Hines. A lot more is expected of Hines, who may be the secondary’s most talented player, in the 2010 season.
SCHEDULE:
- A bright side to the 2011 Big Ten expansion is the shakeup of scheduling for Buckeyes opponents. It should give some teams a rest from the Buckeyes for a few seasons at least. The Big Ten best the four out of the last five seasons, OSU has lost just four conference games in a five year span. Two National Championship appearances and one win in those games have also come within the last five seasons. One area, however, the Buckeyes need to improve upon is their play in early season meetings against top teams such as Texas and USC of the past. The Buckeyes lost to Texas the second game of the season in 2005, before beating them a year later, and have lost to USC the past two seasons. This season, the ‘Bucks take on another tough week two opponent in Miami (Fla.), Sept. 11. Miami will head to Ohio Stadium looking for revenge of what could have been back-to-back National Championships for the Hurricanes. Two consecutive early season butter games against Ohio and Eastern Michigan, round out September football for the ‘Bucks. An Oct. 2 meeting at Illinois will begin Big Ten conference play. Indiana, Oct. 9, before an away trip to Wisconsin, rounds out the next two weeks. Wisconsin will be the first real conference test for the Buckeyes. Purdue, who beat OSU last season, travels to Ohio Stadium, Oct. 23. At Minnesota concludes October. After a bye week to start November, the ‘Bucks face their toughest part of their Big Ten Schedule in a home visit from Joe Pa’s Penn State team, Nov.13, followed by a trip to Iowa, Nov. 20. Iowa City will not be a welcoming place to play late in the season for the ‘Bucks. As usual, the season concludes with a meeting against the Michigan Wolverines, in perhaps the nation’s most intense rivalry.
Schedule rating: B
Red = Toughest Game. Blue = Pivotal to conference.
Top Incoming Freshman:
1.) Andrew Norwell, *#2 OT, 6-6 290, Cincinnati, OH
OSU got lucky signing Norwell, Ohio’s top offensive line recruit, a tremendous run blocking talent.
2.) Jamel Turner (left), #6 OLB, 6-3 215, Fork Union, VA
Turner was shot twice in a summer incident that left one girl dead. The heralded signee was hospitalized for three weeks and his football future remains in question.
3.) Roderick Smith, #8 RB, 6-3 220, Fort Wayne, IN
Smith is the prototypical ‘Bucks running back, following in the footsteps of power runner Beanie Wells.
4.) Scott McVey, #3 MLB, 6-0 220, Cleveland, OH
McVey was a feared and hard hitting Cleveland ‘backer the Buckeyes couldn’t do without signing.
5.) James Louis, #29 WR, 5-11 185, Delray Beach, FL
Louis will need to add size to a frail frame but his speed will undoubt help the offense.
*Rankings according to scout.com
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