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Biggest Impact Freshman? Clarett or Ginn

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No contest. Clarett. Had he handled his personal life the way he ran a football when healthy, he would have gone down as perhaps the best running back ever. His running over Washington State changed the way the Buckeyes thought about themselves in early 2002. When he wasn't on the field, that team was much less than it was with him.

However, one thing to remember. Clarett entered a team not unlike the one that takes the field this year. They were ready to make things happen. Ginn entered a team with problems on both lines and a massive sense of a train about to derail. Let's rather compare Ginn this year to Clarett in 2002. It's not freshman to freshman but it may be a lot better comparison.
 
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I will always remember MoC for his on-the-field attitude, which I think had a lot to do with the team's success. I do this by choice, as I'd like to forget all about what happened from the Fiesta Bowl on in regards to him... hopefully he'll get paid so we never have to hear about him again.
 
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jlb1705 said:
Just always remember... It's an OHIO STATE jersey, not a Clarett jersey. He just happened to have the great honor of wearing it for one year.
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I agree. I have a #13 jersey. I bought it when MoC was #13. But there'll be another #13 someday (maybe there already is?). I also have a #9 (David Boston) that I can wear for Whitner, a #16 (CK) and a #7 (Gamble). These numbers will have other players belonging to them this year or next year or the next year.

I also have a #47. There won't be another #47 after this year. That makes me sad. :(
But not too sad.:p
 
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I remember when I got the #13 as soon as it came out.

They rushed them out so fast that they didn't make them right, and mine (along with many others I was told) wore off easily.

So, I returned it for the money, and never went back to buy the jersey again (this was before all the stuff happened).


Edit: To answer the original question... MoC, for all the aforementioned reasons :biggrin:
 
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MililaniBuckeye said:
Uh, how so?
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Well, part of it was me getting caught up in the spirit of my post - which was MoC was essential in more wins than Teddy. However, even after thinking about it a little more, I'm not so sure how it would turn out. I have to go watch the game again, but my initial thought are:

1. Punt return = 7 points (most likely - sure, OSU could have driven for a score, but...)
2. Third down catch before half = 3 points (again, Nuge could have made a long one. I don't remember the yard line, but Ginn's catch made it a chip shot)
3. I think he had a third down catch on the 99 yard drive. Troy Smith jumped up and threw one over a linebacker that Teddy caught for a first down. If I'm right, this obviously was key to another 7 points.
4. Didn't he also have a key 3rd down catch on the first field goal drive? He caught a tough ball in front of the bench, made a few DB's miss, and was taken down as he reversed back across the field. Again, if I'm right about the timing of this play, it was key to another 3 points.

All of that added up, and you get 20 points. Granted, someone else (Holmes, Gonzo, Hall) could have stepped up to make a play in all of those situations. Still, I seriously doubt it would have been close to a 16 point whooping without Ginn, and I still question if the Bucks would have won.

Now, all of that being said, Troy Smith was still the most valuable player of the game.
 
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Ginn was a big part of the Michigan game, but, like you said, someone else could have stepped up and made the play if Ginn wasn't there. (It's not like the Bucks would have played with only 10 players, and Smith would have thrown to empty field in Ginn's absense.) I think Ginn is the only one who returns the punt for a touchdown. Without Ginn, it is definitely a closer game.

But the way I figure it, even if we count Michigan as a game that Ginn turned into a victory, it's still only 2 games for Ginn, and 3 for Clarett. It may be interesting to wonder how those first three losses might have been different had Ginn had more playing time in each.. maybe a win over Northwestern? Other than that, I don't see much change.
 
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