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OHIO STATE FOOTBALL: Help wanted at fullback

It's a dirty job for Buckeyes
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By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

COLUMBUS — Help wanted: the ultimate lunch bucket warrior. Toiling in obscurity must be one of your favorite things to do. The work is physical and dirty, with precious few accolades. You will play football, but likely never touch one.

This job vacancy posting could have gone up on the bulletin board in the Ohio State locker room in early January, when the Buckeyes turned the page on the 2007 season and said good-bye to three senior fullbacks — Dionte Johnson, Tyler Whaley and Trever Robinson.

For a team that would come into 2008 loaded with veteran depth and returning starters at nearly every position, fullback was the thinnest spot on the roster. You would not think that there would be much consternation and hand-wringing over this, since in the 13 games that made up the 2007 season, in the 883 plays the
Buckeyes ran, Ohio State fullbacks received one carry for minus-one yard.

SCHEDULE
• Aug. 30 - YOUNGSTOWN ST., noon, BTN
• Sept. 6 - OHIO, noon, ESPN or ESPN2
• Sept. 13 - at USC, 8 p.m., ABC
• Sept. 20 - TROY, noon, BTN
• Sept. 27 - MINNESOTA, TBA, BTN
• Oct. 4 - at Wisconsin, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN or ESPN2
• Oct. 11 - PURDUE, TBA
• Oct. 18 - at Michigan St., TBA
• Oct. 25 - PENN ST., 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN or ESPN2
• Nov. 8 - at Northwestern, TBA
• Nov. 15 - at Illinois, TBA
• Nov. 22 - MICHIGAN, TBA

HOME GAMES IN CAPS



But, factor in the fullback's role in pass protection, or his primary function as the last body between Heisman Trophy candidate tailback Chris 'Beanie' Wells and any marauding defender, and the Buckeye fullback is suddenly as vital as the Secret Service, or the Swiss Guard.

Although in this era of spread offenses and three, four, or five-receiver formations Ohio State will likely use a fullback less than half of the time. Coach Jim Tressel said finding 'the right guy' has been a priority as the team worked through its preseason training camp.

'We expect our fullbacks to be able to do a number of things for us, so finding the best player or players to put on the field is critically important — like it is with every position, on offense, defense, and special teams,' Tressel said.

To address such an obvious void on the depth chart, Tressel and his staff plucked a couple of linebackers from the extensive talent pool at that position, moved a tight end into the backfield for auditions, and brought in a couple of freshmen recruited with fullback in mind.

After that group went through the paces for the last three weeks, tight end Brandon Smith, a fifth-year senior from Euclid, appears to have the inside track on starting at fullback in the Buckeyes' season opener against Youngstown State on Saturday.

Smith (6-2, 251) came to Ohio State as a linebacker, but moved to tight end when injuries thinned the ranks there. After red-shirting in 2004, Smith transitioned to the offensive side and played in 11 games, mostly as a blocker. He has been used primarily on special teams since then, but Tressel said Smith is a good choice wherever the Buckeyes need him to play.

'Brandon is an excellent leader, and willing to do anything, any way a guy can help his teammates, and that's good to see,' Tressel said.

Smith, who has been a part of Ohio State's three straight Big Ten championships and the unsuccessful trips to the last two national title games, said this year has a different feel to it.

'We're experienced and very hungry,' Smith said about the 2008 Buckeyes. 'We've committed ourselves to a greater degree than the past two years, because they obviously weren't good enough.'

Smith has a grasp of the Ohio State offense that apparently moved him ahead of linebackers Curtis Terry and Ryan Lukens in the fullback sweepstakes. As recently as a week ago, Terry looked like the leading candidate, but he has been back working with the defense the last few days.

Any change would not have been too foreign for Terry, who likely leads the Buckeyes in resume diversity. At Ohio State, besides linebacker he has played special teams with the punt coverage, punt return, kickoff and kick return units. As a high school player at Cleveland Glenville, Terry played quarterback, running back, defensive end, safety and linebacker. And basketball. And track.

Lukens, a fifth-year senior who has graduated and is enrolled in Ohio State's veterinary school this fall, is a walk-on from Ohio high school power Cincinnati Moeller. Lukens is a former state champ in wrestling who has been primarily a special teams player for Ohio State.

Freshman fullback Jermil Martin, another Glenville product, was a defensive demon in high school, earning all-Ohio honors at end where he recorded 27 career sacks.

Another freshman in the picture is Spencer Smith from Cincinnati Colerain.

Following last week's open scrimmage in Ohio Stadium, Tressel cautioned against 'drawing any conclusions' about how the depth chart would be arranged, and basing them on which players took the most reps at any position.

'We all know that without every guy, and guys that maybe don't have the star-power of a Chris Wells or a James Laurinaitis, we all know that to have a comprehensive program, it's critical to have those unselfish people like Curtis and Brandon, and those kinds of guys,' Tressel said. 'They're unselfish and they just want to help the Buckeyes.'

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Originally posted by fortmilldawg:
You have NOTHING to worry about with the OSU running game this year. With, or without a fullback, Wells is going to have a HUGE season behind our offensive line !!