DeVoe Torrence probably envisioned himself breaking tackles and scoring touchdowns against Wisconsin this upcoming season. Although he will be able to do that, it just won’t be on a primetime night game in Madison on October 4, when Ohio State faces the Badgers. Instead, Torrence will be suiting up for the Akron Zips on August 30 against the Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium.

The former Buckeye commit, Torrence has been put on scholarship by Akron, after recently being found not guilty on charges of having sex with underage girls, along with a bunch of his fellow students at Massillon Washington High School. Jim Tressel’s staff took his scholarship off the table when charges were brought against Torrence earlier in the year.

DeVoe, the younger brother of OSU receiver/defensive back Devon Torrence, was a 4-star recruit, and may be the most talented recruit to ever play for the Zips. Of course Jason Taylor is the most successful NFL player from the school, and DeVoe is hoping he can follow in a similar path. Torrence joined the team on August 3, when camp opened and should compete for immediate playing time.

While many people love to talk about 2002 being the most successful recruiting year under Jim Tressel, the 2005 class can put up an argument that it should be #1 in the Tressel Era. Despite that 2002 class having players such as Troy Smith, AJ Hawk, Nick Mangold, Santonio Holmes, Bobby Carpenter, and other greats, 2005 brought in some pretty exceptional talent as well, but were just a little bit more under-the-radar, when entering Columbus. Today, we will take a look at the 2005 class, top to bottom, and show you just how good this sleeping giant has been, as they go into their fourth year at Ohio State.

Alex Boone- Rated as the best player in this class and the #2 offensive tackle overall, Boone has not disappointed in his three seasons in Columbus. He enters his senior year as a projected first round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and is a top candidate to be an All-American and All-Big Ten selection at left tackle.

Doug Worthington- Worthington was a 5-star defensive end coming out of high school in the Buffalo area, but was moved to defensive tackle after he red-shirted his freshman year in Columbus. He had a solid, not great, season last year and looked to be on the verge of a breakout year in 2008, but a recent OVI charge could stand in the way of him gaining a starting role once again this year.

Jamario O’Neal- O’Neal was rated as a top 5 corner back in the nation coming out of Glenville High School, but has not lived up to his billing in Columbus. He did a solid plug-in job two seasons ago, filling in for Anderson Russell (torn ACL), but has seen limited action in the secondary upon Russell’s return. O’Neal’s lack of hard work and motivation has shown, as his raw talent is certainly NFL-caliber, but he cannot seem to grab a piece of consistent playing time.

Todd Denlinger- A 4-star defensive tackle from Troy, Ohio, Denlinger has made a name for himself at defensive tackle and finds himself likely to start again at DT in 2008. The coaching staff would have loved more sacks out of Todd last year, but an injury slowed him down. Expect big things from Denlinger in 2008, as his final two years of eligibility should give opposing quarter backs nightmares.

Rob Schoenhoft- A four-star QB out of prestigious St. Xavier in Cincinnati, Schoenoft had a strong arm and high football IQ coming out of high school. Unfortunately for Rob, he got caught playing behind a Heisman Trophy winning quarter back in Troy Smith, Justin Zwick, and Todd Boeckman upon arriving in Columbus. After Smith and Zwick graduated, Schoenhoft was given the back-up job to Boeckman last year, but inconsistent play lead to Antonio Henton passing him on the depth chart. With Boeckman, Henton, and Joe Bauserman still on the roster, and Terrelle Pryor coming in, Schoenhoft decided to bolt to the University of Delaware, where first round pick, Joe Flacco, played after transferring from Pittsburgh. Schoenhoft is trying to emulate Flacco’s career and we wish Robbie the best on his season.

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The Big Ten Network had a plethora of Ohio State coverage last night as they kicked off the first stop in their pre-season camp tour. BTN was in Columbus on Tuesday with exclusive access to Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes during practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. A large portion of Ohio still doesn’t get the Network and most weren’t able to see the 90 minute special. For those that are lucky enough to have BTN but didn’t catch it, I’m sure it will be aired numerous times over the next few days because BTN has a very limited selection of programming still as it approaches its’ one year anniversary of existence. The hour and a half program was then cut up into three vids summarizing the day and DTI has provided them below for your viewing pleasure.

Some real quick notes before the vids though:

-Beanie Wells will be appearing on ESPN’s College Football Live tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 so be sure to check out the Heisman hopeful representing the Buckeyes.

-Tomorrow is Media/Photo Day at Ohio State so be sure to check in with DTI tomorrow for coverage of the event.

Once again, Ohio State will adorn the cover of Sports Illustrated’s College Football Preview on stands later this week. Ohio State will be one of five schools (Georgia, USC, Missouri, and Florida are the others) to be on the cover and it will distributed regionally.

SI’s Preseason Rankings:
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. USC
4. Missouri
5. Florida
6. Oklahoma
7. Auburn
8. Texas Tech
9. LSU
10. Wisconsin

It’s kind of a different look as James, Beanie, and Todd are sporting Ohio State’s visiting white instead of the home Scarlets. I would have gone with another pose too as Todd looks awkward and uncomfortable sitting on that helmet. They at least could have had them stand up like Georgia, USC, Missouri, and Florida did in the fold out.

While everyone in the Buckeye State is concentrating on OSU football camp, here are some notes from camps around the conference:

Illinois- The Illini camp did not open pleasantly as 4 players, including Ohio native Brian Gamble (WR), were missing from camp….on a brighter note for Ron Zook, other freshman looked very good, including Cordale Scott, AJ Jenkins, and Jack Ramsey…Of course Arrelious Benn and Juice Williams stole the show in 7 on 7 showdowns…it looks like Daniel Dufrene (I know, it was a fumble) has a lockdown on the starting RB job, for now at least.

Indiana- Bill Lynch certainly has to be pleased that QB Kellen Lewis (left, number 15) is back with the team after a suspension that kept him out of spring practice….The QB job is not neccessarily Lewis’s though, as Ben Chappell, who ran the new “no-huddle” offense in the Spring will battle Kellen for the #1 job….The search for James Hardy’s replacement took a nice bounce for IU as WR Andrew Means decided to spurn the Cincinnati Reds (drafted by Cincinnati in June) to come back to Bloomington, only because Lewis was reinstated though.

Iowa- Nothing much coming from the Hawkeye front except for the fact that everyone wants to know what has happened to Kirk Ferentz (left), going from the coach who could have had any job in the country, to the coach who is struggling to reach a .500 record…..Ferentz had to answer a lot of questions from the media on day one and we found out Iowa has had their own freshman with academic problems in David Blackwell……There are certainly a lot of holes at running back and losing Albert Young is going to make this team a lot softer at the position…At least Kirk Ferentz has All-Big Ten DL Mitch King back for another year, otherwise this team would really be in shambles.

Michigan- Everyone in Ann Arbor has been seemingly optimistic about the upcoming season, despite doubts from around Big Ten country……the offensive line is taking shape and it’s looking like the first unit will consist of (from right to left) Schilling, Zirbel, Moosman, McAvoy, and Ortman….Kevin Grady will likely be suspended so look for Brandon Minor, Carlos Brown, and freshmen, Sam McGuffie and Mike Shaw to battle it out….Brown took a bunch of snaps at QB, so look for RR to utilize the speedster in his spread attack when first unit QB Steven Threet (left) is just a tad too slow.

Michigan State- Coach Mark Dantonio is trying to replace the production of WR Devin Thomas and RB Jehuu Caulcrick, and more importantly the loss of 4 starting offensive linemen….QB Brian Hoyer and RB Javon Ringer (left) are back and should cause enough trouble for Sparty to be a dark horse for the Big Ten title…..Freshman wide out Fred Smith should see plenty of time and at just under 6′3″ and around 220 lbs., the Detroit native could slip right into Thomas’s slot….as always expect plenty of blitzing from Dantonio’s defense this season .

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Click picture above for photo album

Buckeye fans rejoice, camp has opened on Ohio State’s 2008 football campaign! With less than one month until the scarlet and gray tangle with in-state foe Youngstown State to open the season (Aug. 30th), OSU still has plenty of questions in need of answering. Here is a quick slant route summary of day one’s going-ons and top stories. Be sure to check back later on DTI as we break these issues down and shed light on all the who, what, when, where and whys!

**DTI’s Short Yardage Coverage**

*Freshman ruled ineligible

-Freshman defensive lineman Shawntel Rowell, a Cleveland Glenville product, has been ruled ineligible for the 2008 season due to academic reasons as stated by head coach, Jim Tressel, earlier today. “Shawntell is not with us right now and will not be until December or early January,” Tressel said. Rowell (6-4, 304lbs), was highly regarded as one of the top defensive line prospects in the state of Ohio and was expected to contend for a backup position on the squad this season. However, his career at OSU is not over before it has begun. It is reported he will enroll in winter classes and work towards becoming eligible next season.

*Terry to fullback, Homan to strongside LB

-In what could prove to be a highly effective maneuver for Ohio State, senior Curtis Terry has moved almost exclusively to the fullback position, allowing sophomore Ross Homan to slide into the top spot at strong side linebacker heading into camp. Both Terry (out all season) and Homan (missed 9 games) were plagued by injuries last season and provided little help to the Buckeyes during their run to New Orleans. However in 2008, with open spots at these respective positions, OSU can kill two birds with one pigskin, no offense meant to the animal lovers out there. With Dionte Johnson, Tyler Whaley and Trevor Robinson all lost to graduation, OSU was in need of a power blocker with good size and strength; enter Curtis Terry. A coaches favorite with the “Do anything to help the team win” attitude, his athleticism could make him as effective as the trio he must replace. Larry Grant’s departure on the other hand, opened up a whole new debate concerning the vacated spot between the end and cornerback. Deserving of the title: “Linebacker U. of the 21st century,” as much as any other school including Penn State, OSU has the rare problem of having too many good middle men. However, Columbus has been clamoring for a chance to see what Homan can do in extended time and DTI is confident, if he stays healthy, number 51 will be a fixture at the position for the next three seasons. The Coldwater, Ohio prospect drew comparisons of the OSU great, AJ Hawk, coming out of high school but has yet to live up to the billing.“Curtis is a solid fit at fullback. Ross right now is our starter and it should be a solid line with James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman, and Homan,” Tressel said. The opportunity will limit the lock jam headache and could prove advantageous in more ways than stated. A great first day switch for a team looking for their third title run in three years.

*Terrelle Pryor throws in front of JT

- If seeing is believing, Jim Tressel has finally gotten a visual of what high school analysts love about the nation’s number one rated recruit. After a month of updates and hear-say, freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor (6-6, 235) took snaps in front of the very coach who has led Buckeye greats such as Craig Krenzel and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith to huge success. However, the Buckeye coach has yet to recruit a signal caller with as much promise as TP coming out of high school and yes this including former QB Justin Zwick. It will be interesting to see how this relationship develops as OSU gets closer to starting game play and the questions begin to pick up.  After speaking to the media, Tressel was very pleased with his first viewing of the Jeannette, PA native but pointed out a fact few fans think about- his age. “He was as nervous as any other freshman out there,” Tressel said. Remember folks, Rome aka Columbus in this sense, has never built up quarterbacks in a day…

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On Sunday, the season unofficially kicked off as OSU’s players reported to preseason camp by checking in and some interesting bits of information came out. Mass linkage below:

Alex Boone hates America.

OSU players love Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. Evidence here.

Beanie Wells is 100% healthy and says the offense won’t be much different from last year.

Terrelle Pryor drives a Hyundai Sonata. Not a Corvette.

Shawntell Rowell didn’t report to camp. Nathan Williams did.

Devon Torrence plays for the Astros but wears Red Sox gear.

We know Curtis Terry is defiantly not getting any hundred dollar handshakes especially because we know he drives this.

Mike Adams is still snappin’ necks.

Eric Lichter did his best to one-up the Barwis School of Pukitude.

If you want to look through hundreds of pictures of college kids walking into a hotel, Bucknuts, Scout, The O-zone, Plain Dealer, and John Winslow have more than enough.

We’ll have more soon as “The Vest” talks later today and hopefully we can get some insight to the status of Doug Worthington.

Widely considered to be the ultimate team sport, football requires the constant dedication and effort of not simply the star players but the role ones as well. While few remember the fullback who casts key blocks all season long for the conference’s leading rusher or the relatively unknown reserve linebacker who filled the gaps on any odd number of downs to keep the core unit fresh throughout the season. Though few publications or media outlets ever pay true homage to these selfless athletes, it is time someone took notice and brought their cause to the forefront. With this being said, DTI has decided to answer the call and brings you a list of the Buckeyes best players you probably have heard very little about.

Ohio State Buckeyes-

*Offense-

*Marcus Williams (So.), RB- His numbers aren’t gaudy and he doesn’t show many flashes of greatness on the field, but one thing is for certain; he can play. A key member of the scout team and special teams unit since he joined the Buckeyes as a walk-on three years ago. Williams spent time in 07′ as the Buckeyes fourth tailback and even played some mop up time late in games (14 carries/40 yards). The countless contributions to the team can not be measured with statistics or the lack of highlight type plays on ESPN. His work keeps defenses well prepared in practice and the top backs safe from late game injuries. With Wells, Saine and Herron, there will be few pigskin handoffs to go around to other backfield members, but if they go to anyone it will be this Ironton, OH native. With that said, in 2008 expect more of the same role only elevated in intensity as OSU tries to contend for their third straight BCS National Championship Game appearance.

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If you are one of those Buckeye fans that is getting antsy for the upcoming football season, there is at least one way of tickling your fancy, if you need to see the team play before August 30 vs. Youngstown State.

On August 18, there will be an evening practice in Ohio Stadium that is open to the public. This practice is open to anyone who would like to come and see the #3 Buckeyes go at it head to head in what should be an entertaining event. The practice is held just two days after the team had it’s closed inter-squad scrimmage, so the players should be well seasoned and looking to be in game form, as the YSU game will just be a week and a half away. Time for the practice has not been determined yet and we will get that out to you as soon as it is released.

***UPDATE: OPEN PRACTICE WILL BE HELD at 7:30 P.M.

In other news….

….The Uplifting Athletes Video Game Tournament for Charity at Eddie George’s grill was a success. More than 50 players and an additional 20-30 fans attended the event, in which Donald Washington defeated Kyle Mitchum in the championship match to win the tournament. The tournament raised money for the Kidney Cancer Association and was certainly a help to current OSU QB coach Joe Daniels, who is battling kidney cancer.

The Rich Rodriquez saga seems to finally be over but there is one interesting detail about this case.

OSU seemed to have a seat at the table in the lawsuit as Jaclyn A. Bryk, a 2004 graduate of the Michael E. Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University, was on the three-person team from the law firm that was hired to represent WVU in the case. It’s really not that significant at all but it’s nice to see former Buckeye alumni continuing their spite for the Wolverines.

Bryk was obviously professional in this released statement:

“The fact that I was an OSU alumni, a secondary matter to be sure, made this case even more appealing for me.”

Bryk specializes in insurance law and commercial/general litigation and helped WVU win the case against Rodriguez and on July 8th he agreed to pay WVU the entire $4 million in liquidated damages provision in his contract. He broke that clause when he resigned in December to coach at Michigan. Yesterday, Michigan wired $2.5 million of its $4 million settlement to WVU and will pay the rest at later dates.

Also on an interesting and ironic note, Michigan and Rich Rodriquez were represented by University of Toledo grads and not one single Michigan grad.