By: Mike Castiglione (SeattlePI.com) — Ohio State continued its dominance of the Big Ten in 2008, capturing a fourth straight league title and solidifying its stance as one of the elite football programs in the nation.

All things considered, it was quite an accomplishment when you consider the Buckeyes’ embarrassing 35-3 loss to USC in the third week of the season. While many pundits wrote OSU off following that showing, the Buckeyes knew they were a better football team and were determined to prove it. They rebounded with five straight wins, including an impressive 45-7 victory at Michigan State in mid-October. However, the following week they succumbed to a tough Penn State defense, losing by a 13-6 margin to squash their national title hopes. Once again however, OSU responded triumphantly by winning three straight outings, including a thorough 42-7 pasting of arch-rival Michigan to secure another league crown.

The team was rewarded with its fourth straight BCS Bowl bid, but fell to Texas in the final seconds of the Fiesta Bowl.

2009 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: At times last season, quarterback Terrelle Pryor had trouble sustaining drives, which was to be expected when you’re talking about the first true freshman in 30 years to start at quarterback at Ohio State. Pryor only threw four interceptions, and he added 631 yards and six TDs on the ground, but he must further polish his passing game in order to reach his potential.

This year, at least early on, defenses will surely bring an extra defender into the box and make Pryor beat them downfield. Coach Jim Tressel believes his quarterback is up to the challenge.

“(Pryor) is a guy that’s passionate about being good,” Tressel said at the Big Ten Media Day. “He’s very serious about the game, studies the game extremely hard, loves to study film, loves to just be on his own with his DVDs and grow as a quarterback.”

On paper, OSU is thin at wideout with the departure of both standouts Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. Dane Sanzenbacher (21 rec, 272 yds, TD) is the leading returning receiver. and that has to be a concern for Tressel.

The offensive line should once again be a force, even with the left tackle position not yet nailed down. Running backs Beanie Wells and Maurice Wells are gone, but the coaching staff is expecting a breakout year by talented sophomore tailback Daniel Herron, who averaged nearly five yards per carry and scored six TDs in limited action in 2008.

Tressel knows what he had in Beanie Wells, but doesn’t concede anything when talking about how good the ground game can be in 2009.

“It’s difficult to replace a Beanie Wells. Beanie was an outstanding player, and he was the kind of guy that as the season went on or as the game went on, he got stronger and stronger. We used to talk about there was a cumulative effect when he carried the ball through the course of a game or through a season. So you can’t replace exactly what he does or what he did. We feel real good about Boom Herron. Danny Herron is a tough kid, a good ball carrier, excellent pass protector, is solid in the passing game.”

DEFENSE: Opposing offenses will be glad to no longer see three-time All- American linebacker James Laurinitis or Thorpe Award-winning cornerback Malcolm Jenkins in the Buckeye defense. Still, four straight top-10 finishes certainly helps with recruiting, and OSU’s defense is still heavy on talent.

Defensive end Thaddeus Gibson (five sacks) is a handful for any offensive tackle. Fellow junior Cameron Heyward (three sacks) is the returning starter at the other bookend.

The coaches have been grooming middle linebacker Austin Spitler for three years, and now he’ll be stepping into some pretty big shoes left by Laurinitis. Depth at the linebacker position took another hit recently, as it was recently learned that junior Tyler Moeller would miss the entire 2009 season after suffering a serious head in an off-campus incident.

The secondary seems a bit more stable despite the absence of Jenkins. The rest of the starting defensive backfield remains intact, led by Second-Team All-Big Ten safety Kurt Coleman (78 tackles, four interceptions in 2008).

SPECIAL TEAMS: Aaron Pettrey is a big-leg kicker who is ready to reclaim his job now that Ryan Pretorius has graduated. Senior Jon Majalap Thoma has the punting job locked up, although freshman Ben Buchanan is one of the nation’s top incoming freshman at his position. Ray Small showed his big-play ability as a punt returner last season, a role he will continue to hold down in 2009.

OUTLOOK: In his career, coach Tressel is 7-1 against rival Michigan, including five straight wins. However, given where the two programs are currently at, that’s not such a big deal anymore, considering that OSU is expected to contend for a national title every season.

The Buckeyes will miss their stars on defense, but the offense should be a little more consistent in Pryor’s second season. Despite the loss of Beanie Wells, there is a growing buzz surrounding Herron. Early-season matchups against USC and Illinois will play into the Buckeyes’ BCS hopes. They play at Penn State in November, a matchup that could potentially decide the Big Ten, and perhaps, much more.

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