Captain Predictions

The captains for the 2010 Ohio State Buckeyes will be announced this week (at least that is what I am hearing), so I figured I would give my two cents on who I think should be the four team captains.

Also, here is a link to my latest article for PhilSteele.com....

http://www.philsteele.com/Blogs/Individual_Team_blogs/Ohio_St_Blog.html

2010 Team Captain Candidates

1. Cameron Heyward/Sr./DE- This shouldn't even be debatable. This is a guy who is about to put his fourth and final year into a career that has seen him contribute each and every year, and each season has seen him grow and mature into a great football player. He passed up the NFL for a chance to win a national championship in his final season, and has become more of a vocal leader in the offseason. He is a shoe-in in my opinion.

2. Ross Homan/Sr./LB- Much like Heyward, I consider this to be a virtual lock. 2010 will be Homan's fifth and last season in Columbus, so the guy has been around for quite some time. He was highly underrated in 2008 playing next to James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman, but shined last season in a star role. Both him and Heyward will be easy picks to lead the team, and both are legitimate All-American candidates.

3. Bryant Browning/Sr./OG- Talk about a consistent player... Browning has done everything that has been asked of him throughout his steady career without a single complaint, even when he was clearly out of position in 2008 at right tackle. He was arguably the most consistent offensive lineman last season, and has been through enough to garner high respect across the board from the coaching staff down to the players. He would be a great fit to lead the team despite not being a vocal type of guy. His quiet leadership and experience should be good enough.

4. Terrelle Pryor/Jr./QB- Not much needs to be said here. He would be an excellent choice to lead this team. He has gone from lacking complete respect from his teammates as a freshman to having absolute control of the offense and the locker room to complement his budding skills and development. The only thing that could hinder him is the fact that he is not a senior, and there are plenty of seniors to chose from on this team.

OR

4. Dane Sanzenbacher/Sr./WR- A steady, hard-nosed presence at receiver for the past three years, Dane is entering his senior year as a proven vet that isn't afraid to take big hits in the middle of the field if it means moving the chains and keeping drives alive. With his shorter stature people dismiss him immediately (I was guilty of that when he came in as a true freshman in 2007) but are quick to swallow their words once they see the guy play.

If I had to pick between Dane and Pryor, it would make more sense to go with Pryor... but there would be something special about having Dane representing the offense along with a guy like Browning. I'll go with Sanzenbacher for now, giving Pryor a year to wait for what will be a shoe-in season to be a team captain.