Power of Caring
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11. Ohio State

A group of Buckeyes linemen were hanging out before practice this summer when the conversation turned to visors. Sophomore guard Rob Murphy and senior center Eric Gohlstin already had dark visors on their face masks, and Murphy was trying to persuade the rest of the bunch to follow suit. Murphy's mates acquiesced, and within half an hour every offensive lineman was wearing one, giving the unit a foreboding, Darth Vader appearance. "We look pretty good," says freshman tackle Tyson Walter. "Or at least as good as 300-pound guys can look."

The shields may obscure some faces, but it seems that no matter who is wearing those scarlet-and-gray helmets these days, the results never change. No school has supplied the NFL with more first-round draft picks (12) in the 1990s than Ohio State, yet even with all that talent departing, the Buckeyes have been 22-3 the last two seasons and finished in the Top 10 of at least one poll the past four years. Despite having to replace Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Eddie George, among others, last fall, Ohio State marched to an 11-1 record, shared the Big Ten title with Northwestern, beat Arizona State 20-17 in the Rose Bowl and ended the season ranked second in the nation.

This year the Great Irreplaceable is left tackle Orlando Pace, who didn't allow a sack during his last two years as a Buckeye and was the No. 1 selection in the NFL draft in April. Ohio State also waved goodbye to cornerback Shawn Springs, the third selection in the draft; defensive end Mike Vrabel, a two-time All-America; and four other players who were chosen in the draft's first six rounds. In all the Buckeyes lost 14 starters from last year's team, including eight on defense. Oh, and more bad news: They have to play Michigan again.

ALSO

Ohio State team page 1997 schedule

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Few of the replacements face as daunting a task as Walter, the redshirt freshman who will succeed Pace. But the 6'5", 305-pound Walter, one of three new starters along the offensive line, hardly seems daunted. "This is why I came to Ohio State, to get a chance to play early on," he says.

Walter joins an offensive unit that is loaded at the skill positions with players such as quarterbacks Stanley Jackson and Joe Germaine, tailback Pepe Pearson and wideouts David Boston and highly touted freshman Ken-Yon Rambo. (He's comin' to get you.) The larger questions concern the defense, which, without Springs and the departed Ty Howard manning the corners, will not be able to unleash its front seven with the same aggression it did a year ago.

That's where middle linebacker Andy Katzenmoyer will step in. After boldly requesting number 45, which was last worn by Archie Griffin, Katzenmoyer last fall became the first true freshman in school history to start every game at linebacker. He was the consensus Big Ten freshman of the year and was voted first-team all-conference and second team All-America. He enters this season as arguably the premier linebacker in college football. "He's got as much physical ability to play linebacker as anybody I've ever seen in my life," says Buckeyes coach John Cooper. "He's strong, he's fast, and he goes bear hunting with a switch."

In fact, Cooper is so smitten with Katzenmoyer's abilities that he plans to try him at fullback in short-yardage situations. With such a bevy of options at his disposal, it's little wonder that the coach is so optimistic. "We probably lost more quality players than any other team in the country," he says. "But the cupboard isn't bare, I can tell you that. It's going to be a good race in our league, and until somebody knocks us off, we're still the champion."
—Seth Davis

TELLING STAT
5,261 Yards of total offense produced by players returning from last year's team, which gained a Big Ten-best 5,285 yards.
TWO GAMES TO WATCH
OCT. 11 AT PENN STATE The Buckeyes have won the last two meetings and need this one, their first key Big Ten game in '97. NOV. 22 AT MICHIGAN Ohio State has won just one of the past nine meetings. Last year's 13-9 loss cost the Buckeyes the national championship.
RETURNING LEADERS
Passing	Stanley Jackson, Sr.	87 comp., 165 att., 1,298 yds., 12 TDs
	Joe Germaine, Jr.	80 comp., 147 att., 1,193 yds., 15 TDs
Rushing	Pepe Pearson, Sr.	1,484 yds., 17 TDs
Receiving	David Boston, Soph.	33 catches, 450 yds., 7 TDs
Tackles	FS Damon Moore, Jr.	89
Interceptions	Moore	5