FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Michigan is considered the team to beat in the Big Ten, but nationally, there's only one team widely expected to run the table and bring the championship trophy back home to their student body (which, incidentally, already has the advantage of going to school next to the beach).

At Ohio State, critics charge that the highly regarded defense may not be enough to carry the Buckeye offense. The quarterback is so quiet that some wonder whether he can be an adequate leader. However, the real leader of the offense is expected to be a talented young running back from northern Ohio. He's been battling some shoulder stingers, but he's also being mentored by Jim Brown.

The tight end is a smart player (and a good sound bite). The team's top receiver may not be a deep threat, but he's a good route runner. And there's some question as to how you replace the outgoing center, because he was something special.

You'd be excused for thinking that I was talking about this season and Buckeye players Todd Boeckman, Chris Wells, Rory Nicol, Brian Robiskie, and Jimmy Cordle.

Actually, what I wrote was a description of the 2002 team.

It would be foolish to make a prediction based on the comparison, but when you think about it, some of the similarities are uncanny. They give rise to a series of questions that could go a long way toward determining how the Scarlet and Gray will perform in 2007.

• Is Todd Boeckman the next Craig Krenzel? Craig was an older player when he took the reigns of the reigns of the team, but had very little playing time. Todd fits that mold. (One reporter joked last week that Boeckman played his high school ball, "in the eighties.") However, can Boeckman be the kind of decision-maker Krenzel was? Craig never put the team in trouble and it remains to be seen if Todd has that ability.
• Can RB Chris Wells live up to the hype? Kind of like Voldemort, we won't name the last tailback to come in with such buzz. Wells has lofty expectations and he needs to work on ball security. He says he's not changing anything technique-wise, but did tell reporters he's focused more on holding on to the rock. Only if he does that will the Buckeyes succeed.
• Will Jim Cordle be the next in a long line of solid OSU centers? Cordle is taking over for Doug Datish. Back in the day, it was Alex Stepanovich stepping in for LeCharles Bentley. OSU has to hope that the tradition of quality centers continues.
• How special is the OSU defense? The 11 starters from the 2002 defense all made their way to the NFL. This year's D isn't quite as experienced as that lineup was. There are question marks regarding the interior of the D-line. And the Buckeye coaches are high on the defensive backfield, but it's only once in a lifetime that a pair of safties like Mike Doss and Donnie Nickey comes along. Because we are hearkening back to 2002, though, it should be noted that Dexter Larimore is a defensive lineman and one-time wrestler, who coaches have compared to Tim Anderson.

A lot of fans said that the 2002 National Championship was a once in a lifetime experience. The 2007 Buckeyes are hoping that they can prove those fans wrong.