Published September 4, 2007
Ohio State Buckeyes
(12-0, Big Ten Champs)
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Key returnees: LB James Laurinaitis, CB Malcolm Jenkins, RB Chris Wells, T Kirk Barton, T Alex Boone.
Player to watch: QB Todd Boeckman. The redshirt junior has Heisman Trophy shoes to fill, and as he goes, so do the Buckeyes.
Reason for optimism: Many worried that the defense wouldn't be able to reload after losing nine starters following the previous year, but it ended the year with the second best scoring defense in the nation (10.4 points per game) and returns Nagurski Award-winning linebacker Laurinaitis.
Reason for pessimism: Troy Smith now only exists in bad dreams. Horrible, horrible recurring nightmares.
Bottom line: Boeckman might not even last the season, and as good a coach as Jim Tressel is, he can't cover for this big a down year in terms of talent. 9-3.
