Tressel, Buckeyes have lots of experience, depth

GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

COLUMBUS — Just as certain as the sun will rise over the muddy, but not mighty, Olentangy this morning, Ohio State will turn the page on a new season that surely will start with lofty goals. Their coach has one, too.

Don’t bore those 47 fourth and fifth-year players to sleep.

The Buckeyes are in the early stages of planning for the 2008 season and Jim Tressel finds himself with more experience and depth than maybe he’s ever had in Columbus. If there is any lingering disappointment from losing a second straight national title, it didn’t find its way to Tressel’s poker face.

“I think at every step there’s always different things that motivate you and inspire you,” Tressel said. “You have a whole 13 games worth of experiences, whether its the thrill of this win, or the disappointment of that loss, a championship loss, or whatever.

“2008 is gonna be a lot tougher than 2007. That’s just the way it is. But I think they like challenges.”

Few positions are open today. OSU needs to find a right tackle and a fullback. Bryant Browning will get the first crack at replacing Kirk Barton, but a couple of early enrolled true freshmen will be there as well. Tressel said those freshmen, many of whom enrolled this week, will be swimming in a sea of change. Michael Brewster, a prized lineman out of Florida, will miss much of spring contact because of offseason surgery.

Fullback is the most open position. Ohio State lost starting fullback Dionte Johnson to graduation as well as his backups. Linebacker Ryan Lukens has already moved there and incoming freshman Andrew Sweat might as well.

Tressel essentially said Todd Boeckman is entrenched as the starting quarterback. But backups Antonio Henton and Joe Bauserman, a former minor league pitcher, have an important battle before Terrelle Pryor arrives this summer.

“They [Henton and Bauserman] need to have a spirited battle because it’s such a crucial time,” Tressel said. “... April and August are crucial for those guys. What happens during the season is all of a sudden, now you’ve got game planning. Todd Boeckman is your quarterback, so you’re going to get 10 percent of the reps. How well do you learn when you’re standing?”

Tressel spoke highly of Bauserman and said he made great strides during bowl practice in December.

“Yeah, I think there will be a spirited battle,” Tressel said. “Those guys read the scout.com and the rivals-dot-whatever, and they know Terrelle is a good player. I think there’s a lot of reasons why it’ll be spirited.”

Mostly Tressel said the coaches will challenge the players mentally in the spring. With so many veterans returning, they’ve been through spring practice. They’ve heard the speeches and the lines.

“We don’t want guys coming to practice saying, ‘This is the same old, same old,’ ” Tressel said. “... Take Alex Boone. He’s played a lot in three years. If it’s same old, same old, he could just coast through.”

So Tressel said he anticipates veteran players grabbing the chalk and teaching the younger players in meeting rooms. He anticipates keeping spring practice as fresh as possible.

But there is a fine line. The Buckeyes have more true freshmen enrolled early than any other spring. There are guys in camp who’ve been there four or five years, and “ones who’ve been here four or five days.”

“I think you always have to wonder how good you are,” Tressel said. “... It was easy going into last spring wondering how good you were because I don’t think many of them played. There’s a fine line between that refinement and that difference and also that understanding that we have a long way to go.”