As this decade comes to an end, I decided to look back and pick out the best players from the past decade and make an All Buckeye Team. And what a decade to be a Buckeye fan as year in and year out the Buckeyes beat Michigan and competed for a National Championship. Here are my selections:
QB - Troy Smith (02-06) - 3 wins over Michigan and the 2006 Heisman trophy still overshadow the devastating loss to Florida in the Championship game.
RB - Maurice Clarett (02) - The 2002 Championship doesnt happen without him.
RB - Beanie Wells (06-08) - Very punishing runner had a knack for getting injured, but he carried the 07 team to the championship game.
WR - Santiono Holmes (02-05) - Krenzel to the Criminal was my personal favorite touchdown combination of the decade. Very explosive player with the ball in his hands
WR - Michael Jenkins (00 - 03) - Jenkins made huge plays in the 02 season and was a 3 year starter.
WR - Anthony Gonzalez (03-06) - Gonzo seemed to always hook up with Smith in the Michigan game.
For the offensive line, I have chosen to take the 2002 unit as a whole. With no real standouts at any position I feel like the team that got it done should be honored.
LT - Ivan Douglas
LG - Adrian Clarke
C - Alex Stepanovich
RG - Bryce Bishop
RT - Shane Olivea.
(Rob Sims and Nick Mangold were key contributors to this team as reserves)
DE - Will Smith - Dominant. Still embarrassing offensive lineman in the NFL.
DE - Vernon Gholston - He had to take some steroid/HGH combo pack to get those Biceps. But he ate offensive lineman for dinner.
DT - Kenny Peterson - Huge Part of the 02 team
DT - Tim Anderson - The lumberjack was another reason the 02 team was successful
LB - AJ Hawk - Best Buckeye I have seen.
LB - Matt Willhelm - The captain of the 02 defense was a hard nosed player and I personally believe his play was undervalued.
LB - James Laurenitis - Hard to not but a Butkus award winner, but I thought he was overrated.
CB - Malcolm Jenkins - Most physical defensive back I have seen in the college game. Started as a true freshman, at corner. I dont think he had a pass thrown his way his entire senior season.
CB - Chris Gamble - As instrumental as Clarett was, the Bucks dont win in 02 without Gamble. I dont think the guy came off the field. His shutdown of Andre Johnson in the Fiesta Bowl is even more remarkable now.
S - Michael Doss - The 02 Defense seemed to be filled with leaders, but Doss was the best.
S - Donny Nickey - Im not leaving my personal favorite off this list.
K - Mike Nugent
P - Pick one besides the 09 kid.
Kick Return man - You didnt think I was going to leave Ted Ginn Sr's son off the list did you?
Honorable Mention:
QB - Craig Krenzel
RB - Antonio Pittman
WR - Brian Hartline
WR - Brian Robiske
C - LeCharles Bently
DL - Ryan Pickett
DL - Darion Scott
DL - Cameron Heyward
LB - Cie Grant - I wanted to put him in over Laurenitis
LB - Bobby Carpenter
CB - Dustin Fox
S - Donte Witner
Your honorable mentions filled up most of the holes. Somewhat understandably, I think you put too much emphasis on the 02 team. I think to a certain extent you have to look at the body of work...
ReplyDelete1) Antonio Pittman makes it over Clarret hands down. Clarret played 8 games as a Buckeye. He revived the great running backs and won a championship, but Pittman did it for 3 years.
2) I would have had Mangold on that line, but the default 02 line was okay.
3) LB's Ci Grant, Robert Reynolds, Marcus Freeman all worth considering....
4) CB Gamble was a playmaker, but Dustin Fox may have been more consisent
5) S - I take Whitner in a heartbeat over Nickey. Sorry buddy.
as for my emphasis on the 02 team, yeah its there but there are 2 teams that really stood out - 02 and 06. 06 was more talented but also look at the body of work that the players are still doing. gamble, will smith, kenny peterson, and michael jenkins are still dominating on sundays.
ReplyDeleteas for fox over gamble, no way. fox was a tough kid but he couldnt make the plays gamble made.
but i will give u nicky. the only person on this team that i believed i would get push back from was donny nickey. nothing against whitner, he was great but Donny Nickey was a tough player and a favorite of mine - so for my team hes on here.
Absolutely couldnt disagree with you more on Clarett. he was a man child, i wish he would have stayed. he would have won a heisman.
I also feel i should clarify the offensive line. I did select the 02 line as a unit, but thats because (in my humble opinion) i believe that the offensive line play has been unspectacular for most of the decade. we produced very few NFL offensive lineman. Alex Boone was a 4 year starter, and there is no way i can put him on the team. just because mangold was a 1st round selection doesnt automatically mean he was consistent. I hated mangold until his senior year. LeCharles Bently was the best offensive lineman (only Rimington award winner and multiple pro bowler) of this decade if u want to get technical and he wasnt on my team.
If you don't want to include Mangold because of inconsistency, then how can you include Gholston. I understand he was a man among boys but he would disappear for entire games. He only ate offensive lineman for dinner about every other game.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I can't see including what the players have done in the NFL as part of your ranking. But it is your list and you can do whatever the hell you want. Thats the beauty of your own blog.
Also, if Donny Nickey is your version of my Bruce Gradkowski, then I can't hate on you for that.
Finally, Clarett???? Sure he was really good while he played but like Jon said, he only played 8 games. I would give him an honorable mention. Also, if we are including NFL careers in the discussion, need I say more than, "Goosing it up before practice"?
Also Joe, I apologize if it looks like I stole your idea for a "best of the decade list". I had been wanting to do one for the Indians.
ReplyDelete