‘The Brians’ are Bucks’ bookends

Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline give OSU a potent 1-2 punch at wide receiver.

COLUMBUS (AP) — Around the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, they’re simply called “the Brians.”

A year ago Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie accounted for 97 catches, more than 1,600 yards on receptions and 18 touchdowns as Ohio State’s top two passing targets. Now they’re back and preparing for another year of making big plays as the Buckeyes’ bookend ends.

Both are All-Big Ten in academics, have good hands, are fast and are about the same height and weight. Other than that, however, they really don’t have that much in common.

“They’re completely different players,” assistant head coach and receivers coach Darrell Hazell said after Friday’s practice. “Brian Robiskie is probably a little bit stronger up the field where Brian Hartline is probably a little stronger underneath, working off the defenders inside.”

They look nothing alike. Yet their numbers are almost identical.

Robiskie, son of the veteran NFL player and assistant coach Terry Robiskie, led the Buckeyes in catches a year ago with 55 — just three more than the other Brian. Robiskie, a senior-to-be, piled up 935 yards and 11 touchdowns on receptions and was the No. 1 deep target for quarterback Todd Boeckman.

Almost insulted when a reporter says the two Brians are similar in size, Robiskie hastens to point out that at 6-foot-3 and 199 pounds he’s an inch taller and 13 pounds heavier than Hartline.

“And that’s not a little bit in football,” he said defensively.

Hartline, who will be a junior this fall, totaled 694 yards and six touchdowns on his 52 receptions. His 90-yard return down the Northwestern sideline in a 58-7 win at Ohio Stadium broke by three yards the 57-year-old school record set by Robert Demmel against Iowa. Hartline and Robiskie return punts, although Hartline led the Buckeyes in return yardage (229) and return average (11.4 yards).

The Brians were second and third behind Chris Wells in all-purpose yardage on the team, with Robiskie good for 76.5 and Hartline right behind him with 74.5 yards per game.

Hartline acknowledges the differences between them but says they also share some things.

“We’re both really driven. We both have the same kind of goals,” he said. “Overall, we jell together pretty well. And we’re pretty good friends.”

Robiskie said there’s no problem with a coach calling “Brian” and having both of them turn around.

“I’ve kind of been established as Robo and he’s dubbed Brian,” he said. “So I just look when I hear ’Robo.’ ”

They couldn’t be much further apart in terms of personality.

“Oh my gosh, they’re total opposites,” Hazell said. “Brian Hartline will speak his mind about anything at anytime, where Robo is very pensive and cerebral, and he’s going to see every side of the story. It’s great to have [a contrast like that] in the room.”

Robiskie isn’t practicing this spring while he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery. Hartline said he’s making the most of workouts to get as much action as he can, particularly since Robiskie’s not around to grab his share of passes.

No one appreciates them any more than Boeckman, who knows he can throw the ball a few feet too high or too low and the odds are they’ll still come up with a first down.

“As receivers, they’re fun to watch because once they get in the open field it’s nice to let them go up and get it,” Boeckman said.