Behind The Box Score

Despite losing top receivers Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline to the NFL Draft, the Ohio State offense comes back better than ever, stockpiled full of receivers with speed to make your jaw drop. Over three seasons, Robiskie and Hartline combined to catch 217 passes for 3,295 yards and 36 touchdowns. Losing two big targets, the fair-weathered fan would think Ohio State would be struggling to find another target, similar to the position of Penn State after losing Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood and Derrick Williams.

This is not the case for the Buckeyes, as they have been in this position before. In 2006, Ted Ginn Jr and Anthony Gonzalez led the passing assault, each going over 1,000 yards and being selected in the first round. The aforementioned Robiskie and Hartline stepped in just fine for Ohio State, and that led to a BCS National Championship berth.

This season, the receiving corps for the Buckeyes offense is more loaded than ever, with sopohomore receivers DeVier Posey and Lamaar Thomas along with freshmen James Jackson and Duron Carter impressing in camp. The story this season is Carter, the son of Ohio State great Chris Carter. Duron was a high school All-American out of St. Thomas-Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, and at 6’3″ 200 lbs should be a big target for the vastly improving Terrelle Pryor. Carter received much attention earlier this week in practice where #9 went high up into the air to snag a pass thrown high with one hand. Running great routes and showing speed to beat opposing cornerbacks, Carter should be a welcomed addition to a passing game that was down last season.

Ever since committing to Ohio State, Duron has been dedicated to improving and getting on the field this season. The determination showed when on the first day of camp, Duron’s Facebook status read, “Moving up the depth chart starting tomorrow.” An attitude like that is essential for a team with many unproven and inexperienced players. The starting receiver spot is up for grabs as Ray Small has been in trouble lately, so the number one spot is fair game. Leading the race so far has been sophomore DeVeir Posey, who caught 11 passes a season ago and has been cited for being one of the fastest players on the team. When Posey got on the field last season, he made an impact at least catching one pass in each game he played. Thomas is an electrifying return man who has speed compared to Ted Ginn and one of the biggest similarities is their number, 7. Thomas could be an impact player this year as he has the speed and athleticism to stretch the field, something the Buckeyes have missed since the days of Ginn. James Jackson is another athletic underclassmen, plucked from Michigan, Jackson will likely return kicks and punts this season as his 40 time has been in the 4.2 area. Only a freshman, the Buckeyes could feature a spread type offense with the receivers on the roster and should continue to do so for the next few seasons.

With the young receivers the Buckeyes have, I expect this group to trump the crew Ohio State featured in 2006. Possibly starting four freshmen and sophomores, look for the Buckeyes to make a serious run this year for a title, but 2010 looks to be Ohio State’s dream season as Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford will all be off to the NFL, leaving Terrelle Pryor a path to stardom and a college football legacy due in part to the spectacular receivers the Buckeyes possess.