Clarett and Ohio State are taking the nation by surprise

Sporting News, The, Sept 30, 2002 by Tom Dienhart

None of this surprises Ohio State's Maurice Clarett. Not the 471 rushing yards, six touchdowns or trail of would-be tacklers he has left in his wake after three games.

Clarett, a freshman running back, has been plotting his transformation into college football star for some time now. And he's right on course, which is why Ohio State is on course to contend for its first national title--yes, national title--since 1970.

Clarett entered the college football world kicking, screaming and dragging Ohio State's hefty expectations with him. He lowered his shoulders and delivered his and the Buckeyes' message in a season-opening romp against Texas Tech, rumbling for 175 yards and three touchdowns, then reinforced it with 230 yards and two scores against Washington State three weeks later. He didn't play last Saturday at Cincinnati after undergoing minor knee surgery, but he'll soon be up and punishing defenders again. That's a good thing because the Buckeyes struggled to beat the Bearcats without him.

Ohio State should cruise against its next three opponents--Indiana, Northwestern and San Jose State--Clarett or no Clarett, but it better hope he's back to his bruising ways in time for an October 19 game at Wisconsin and still running hard for home games against Penn State on October 26 and Michigan on November 23.

An Ohio State team minus Clarett is an Alamo Bowl team. But with him, a trip to the Fiesta Bowl is possible, making Ohio State the official party crasher among the nation's elite schools in 2002: Miami, Oklahoma, Texas and Florida State.

Clarett is wearing the biggest party hat of all the Buckeyes, and he deserves it. His single-minded purpose makes him the game's most impressive true freshman running back since Wisconsin's Ron Dayne ran for an NCAA freshman-record 1,863 yards in 1996. If Clarett, who is averaging 157 yards per game, misses significant time, he won't hit Dayne's record. But if Clarett misses only the Cincinnati game, he'll need to average 155 yards over Ohio State's last nine games to break the record. Factor in Clarett's totals from a bowl game--starting this season, the NCAA will count those statistics--and that number drops to 140. From what we've seen so far, there's no reason to doubt Clarett's ability to become the greatest freshman running back in college football history. Just try denying him.

You want dedication? Clarett ditched his first high school in Youngstown, Ohio, to play at a more prestigious and challenging program at Harding High in Warren, Ohio, some 20 minutes from his home.

You want determination? Clarett graduated from Harding a semester early so he could enroll at Ohio State last winter and take part in spring drills--all the better to prep for the season in hopes of winning a starting job.

You want work ethic? Clarett would trek back to his hometown on days he didn't work out with his teammates in Columbus last summer so he could train with boxers to improve his footwork.

You want focus? Clarett is known to summon the Ohio State conditioning staff to open the weight room as early as 4:30 a.m. so he can work out.

You want leadership? Clarett called out some teammates the week before the Texas Tech game because he didn't think they were working hard. Needless to say, that rankled some older players.

You want toughness? Clarett hurt his knee in the first quarter against Washington State. But he carried the Buckeyes to victory by rushing for both scores and 190 yards in the second half, when Ohio State had to rally for victory.

You want graciousness? I'll let Clarett handle this one.

"You have people who wait all week to come to see the Buckeyes play," Clarett told reporters after the Wazzu game. "You have over 100,000 people counting on you. Some guy might be sitting in row ZZ, seat 99, but you try to work hard for everybody in the stands."

Ohio State isn't without questions. Junior quarterback Craig Krenzel makes few mistakes but is an average passer. And the defense is vulnerable at the corner spot manned by Richard McNutt, who has been hampered by a bad ankle that limits his snaps and makes him a liability in coverage.

The good news is the Buckeyes can answer each of those questions. Krenzel may not have the best arm, but Ohio State has one of the best receiving corps in the nation. If the Buckeyes call more quick-hitting passes, Krenzel can deliver the ball in a flash and let wide receivers Michael Jenkins, Chris Vance and Chris Gamble convert short catches into long gains.

At McNutt's spot, the coaches have been working in true freshman E.J. Underwood, who is bigger and more physical than McNutt. Underwood may even nab McNutt's starting spot before the season is over. Also compensating for any shortcomings in pass defense has been coordinator Mark Dantonio's decision to use more zone blitzes, which have been effective because of end Will Smith's ability to drop into coverage and linebacker Cie Grant's ability to blitz. The result? Confused offenses.

But there's no confusion about who is driving the Buckeyes' title chase. And nothing Clarett or Ohio State does the rest of the season will be a surprise.