Could the Buckeyes Take the Big Ten Without the Fab 5?

By: Jon Gilbert (BleacherReport.com) -

Fresh off a Sugar Bowl victory over Arkansas, Ohio State begins looking to next season. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, they could be without five key parts of that Sugar Bowl win: the Fab 5.

Four offensive starters—quarterback Terrelle Pryor, running back Dan Herron, wide receiver DeVier Posey and offensive tackle Mike Adams—and defensive end Solomon Thomas were suspended for the first five games of the 2011 regular season for selling personal items and receiving extra benefits.

Although coach Jim Tressel garnered a commitment from each player for 2011 as a prerequisite to playing in the Sugar Bowl, it is still possible that each player declares for the 2011 NFL Draft and avoids suffering through the suspension.

The question now is, if Ohio State is without the quintet of rule breakers, can it still win the Big Ten in 2011?

Yes, it can. Here’s why and how.

Pryor was named the MVP of the Sugar Bowl as well as the 2010 Rose Bowl. He’s supremely athletic and would likely be drafted in the first three rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft if he chose to leave school.

Still, even with an impressive run of nearly three full seasons as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, he’s not irreplaceable.

Just as Vince Young was replaced by Colt McCoy at Texas and Carson Palmer was replaced by Matt Leinart at Southern Cal, Ohio State will replace Pryor. Ohio State has a couple of talented players—including Joe Bauserman and Kenny Guiton—already on the roster capable of leading the offense.

Although Ohio State already has talented players ready to replace Terrelle Pryor, they may have an incoming freshman that can do the job best.

That player is Braxton Miller, who is much in the same mold as Pryor. He’s big, fast and athletic while needing tutelage for his actual passing.

Miller has committed to OSU and would be the favorite to take over the starting job with Pryor gone and could overcome inexperience with supreme athleticism.

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