I’m looking up and down the Ohio State roster looking for potential captains for 2009, but no one is jumping off the paper at me.
No matter how small a senior class may be, there are usually one or two guys at least who you can count on being a captain. But it seems to me that the most likely candidates out of next year’s seniors are in consideration out of default.
Before going any further, let me clearly state that I only see these guys in action on Saturdays and in limited, well-orchestrated interviews throughout the season. I’m not in the weight room, the locker room, the film room or at practice where chemistry is built and relationships are forged. All of the current underclassmen and the coaching staff may have very clear ideas on who the leaders are, and that’s great. I guess it’s just that there are no blatantly obvious choices on the surface.
If I had to take a shot now, I’d say Jake Ballard and Kurt Coleman would be in the mix. Lord knows if there’s any position at Ohio State that has to “take one for the team” while not seeing all of your abilities used, it’s tight end, so Jake would merit selection. Coleman’s about the closest thing to a slamdunk on the defensive side, although as I’ve loathed from time-to-time in game write-ups I get tired of Kurt’s obvious yapping. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I expect a captain to be the guy who’s grabbing a teammate with diarrhea-of-the-mouth by the mask and yanking him back to the huddle. It wasn’t a big secret among the team that Malcolm Jenkins could talk trash with the best of them, but he had a subtle way of doing it that wasn’t so apparent on TV or from the stands. If Kurt can grow out of that habit, he’d be an ideal selection based on his playmaking and experience.
Would the Fiesta Bowl ending and stigma of dropped picks taint the selection of Anderson Russell? Good kid with good instincts, but are you getting into a “Do as I say, not as I do” scenario? How about Austin Spitler? Here’s a young man who’s toiled on special teams waiting for a linebacking slot to open up and doesn’t have a lot of minutes. With the exception of a few kickers (Nuge, Tupa, Skladany) and a pair of QB’s who gave way to youngsters (Hare, Boeckman), every Buckeye captain in recent memory was an every-down type of guy.
There are plenty of candidates along the D-line, but injuries (Denlinger, Rose, Wilson) have limited playing time and exposure for some while off-the-field issues (Worthington) have hampered others, although in fairness many previous captains have overcome legal and disciplinary roadblocks to become excellent leaders.
The only viable name on the offensive line would be Jim Cordle, but with the O-line firmly entrenched at the moment as this team’s weak link, do you risk the lack of “leadership by example” hoping that Cordle can be the elder statesman for a young group with promise but with a big spotlight on them?
Besides Ballard, the only senior residing within the skill positions is Ray Small, and even though Ray stuck around and appears willing to end his career on a positive note, the circus involving him and his father last season probably ended any chance he had of being a captain.
So if we’re narrowing things down to a senior class made up of 19 guys (based on the Michigan game program), of which eight are starters or heavy contributors within the D-line and wideout rotations, it seems Kurt Coleman, Jake Ballard and Jim Cordle stand to be the best candidates, although a case could be made for Lawrence Wilson. I haven’t taken a highly scientific survey, but everyone who I’ve posed the question to has had to really think about it. There’s a lack of “no-brainers” among potential captains.
Does this mean the team lacks leadership? I’m not going to go that far right now. Every season’s chemistry is different. With all the experience on last year’s team, the leadership was top-heavy on the defensive side once Todd Boeckman was relegated to the sideline. I suppose only Todd really knows how he felt inside from the USC aftermath onward, but he outwardly displayed the true meaning of a captain in dealing with his benching. There will undoubtedly be other Buckeyes over the next few years in the same position as Todd, albeit not as high profile, and perhaps Boeckman’s approach and attitude will serve as a benefit to the team over the next several seasons.
And while we’re perusing the captain question for 2009, how about a couple of wildcard names, starting with Justin Boren? I’ve read in more than one publication/website where those “in the know” said Justin was the best lineman on the team last year. Would the players and/or coaches assign the mantel to a relatively unknown commodity to Buckeye Nation? I know it’s a case of out-of-sight, out-of-mind with the transfer year, but when I’ve read about, or heard fans discussing the makeup of next year’s O-line, they all seem to forget about Justin. Frankly, I’ll be more than surprised if he’s not lined up next to Michael Brewster when Navy rolls in here September 5th.
And yes, what about Terrelle Pryor? No sophomore in Ohio State history has been named a captain. There will be lingering hostility from the pro-Boeckman crowd and a leftover sense of frustration over his bowl game performance. But is there any question who the offense is going to revolve around? Antonio Henton saw the writing on the wall, and while I wish nothing but the best for Kenny Guiton, he had to feel that Christmas came early when he got a last-minute offer with the Buckeyes running out of time and options. This is going to be Terrelle’s team for the next two years, and although he has miles to go as a passer, I still remember what Jim Tressel and the staff did for Troy Smith so get back to me in January 2011 if you want a definitive final analysis on Terrelle. He will be the unquestioned leader of the offense. Is that worthy of captainship?
We’ll see come fall camp, but the captain selections will be just one of several aspects of the 2009 team that will have a somewhat mysterious quality about it. And that’s not necessarily being negative. As I’ve pointed out before, it’s usually the under-the-radar Scarlet and Gray team (click for editorial) that make special things happen.
Joe-S-U
Editorial: Marvel, Crunch or Kangaroo
By Joe-S-U
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February 16th, 2009
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