By: Matt Hinton (Yahoo.com) -- One of the themes of the last couple weeks is contenders, and what makes (or breaks) a team's shot at No. 1, and as I indicated in premature assessment of Ohio State, OSU -- a ubiquitous contender the last four years -- looks like a definite "break." This has much less to do with the Buckeyes' recent failures in their biggest games (though they've become too obvious for even an OSU defender to overlook) than with the much ... Read More

By: STEVE HEMMELGARN (NewsAndSentinel.com) -- There may be more Ohio State football players in the NFL as rookies this season than just the seven who were drafted. Three have already signed as free agents: punter A.J. Trapasso with the Titans, offensive lineman Alex Boone with the 49ers and defensive lineman Nader Abdallah with the Jaguars. There are others getting free-agent shots at the pros: tight end Rory Nicol (Redskins), fullback Brandon Smith (Bears) and offensive linemen Ben Person (Lions) and Steve Rehring (Bengals) But of all ... Read More

By: Chick Ludwig (DaytonDailyNews.com) -- All quarterback Todd Boeckman wants is a chance to prove he’s worthy of the NFL. He’ll get that opportunity with the Cincinnati Bengals. The former Ohio State quarterback from St. Henry High School, along with OSU offensive tackle Steve Rehring, has accepted the club’s tryout offer at its rookie minicamp Friday through Sunday, May 1-3. They report to Paul Brown Stadium on Thursday. “Anytime you get an opportunity to fulfill your dream, it means a lot,” Boeckman said Monday night. ... Read More

By: MIKE PERRY (MorningJournal.com) -- COLUMBUS ­— Ohio State coach Jim Tressel saw a ton of offensive talent either leave via graduation or through early entry for the 2009 NFL Draft. He has holes to fill, but thinks he has the talent to piece together a solid offensive unit. At the receiver position, however, the experience is thin. The “two Brians,” Robiskie and Hartline, have moved on, leaving the Buckeyes without significant experience at receiver. Roy Hall and Dane Sanzenbacher saw time last ... Read More

By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) -- Columbus- Running back Chris "Beanie" Wells returned from the NFL Combine three weeks ago with a plan, one that centered on getting a kick start from Ohio State strength coach Eric Lichter and working on 40 times until 10 p.m. some nights. A 4.59 40-yard dash in Indianapolis turned into something between a 4.34 and 4.40 at Ohio State's Pro Day on Friday. "If you were worried about his speed," said one NFL scout, "he ran ... Read More

By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) -- * Beanie Wells knew he needed to better his 40 time after his performance at the NFL Combine, when he ran a 4.59. Wells said he came back to Columbus and got to work with OSU strength and conditioning coach Eric Lichter on exploding more effectively out of his starts. He said he was working until 10 p.m. some nights. And it worked. Wells unofficially ran somewhere between a 4.34 and 4.46 on the fast track at ... Read More

By: Mark Stetson (TheLantern.com) -- There is something a little different about Reid Fragel. It isn't his 6-foot-8 frame, which is relatively standard for a tight end recruit coming to Ohio State. It's the fact that he is from that state up north, and will be crossing enemy lines to play for the Buckeyes next fall. "Initially I got some flak for choosing Ohio State, but after a while it was just accepted," Fragel said. Fragel and wide receiver James Jackson will be the only ... Read More

By: Andy Zoric (Examiner.com) -- Beanie is going. buy phentermine without prescription Hartline is going. Colman is staying. Keeping track of the forthcoming Ohio State Buckeye’s roster changes can seem like some kind of elaborate game of bingo. With the January, 15 deadline for declaring for the draft now past the lists are in and there’s going to be no shortage of speculation for the next four months when the Detroit Lions go on the clock. The biggest name ... Read More

By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland.com) -- Columbus- Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells leaves Ohio State as the Buckeyes' fourth-leading rusher, with two of the 10 greatest single-game rushing efforts in OSU history. He's a player, like receiver Ted Ginn Jr., who should be appreciated even more when he's gone, when "the next Wells" doesn't perform quite the way Beanie did. But his announcement issued through Ohio State on Thursday that he's giving up his final year of eligibility to declare for ... Read More

From: MSNBC (MSN.com) -- COLUMBUS, Ohio—It was still a loss. Yet for some reason this one seemed easier to swallow for Ohio State’s players and fans. The Buckeyes walked glumly off the field, surrounded by Texas players dancing and laughing while celebrating a dramatic Fiesta Bowl victory on Monday night. But for Ohio State the feeling was different this time - even though the result was not - as the Buckeyes closed their season with a bowl loss for the third consecutive year. “We ... Read More