COMMENTARY
Wrist injury jeopardizes Ohio State’s shot at title
Thursday, July 13, 2006
ROB OLLER
</IMG>
Ohio State’s national title hopes hinge on the right wrist of the program’s most publicized player, who hurt it playing basketball.
Don’t faint. Don’t panic. Don’t blame Clarett.
Troy Smith is OK.
As for Greg Oden ... he’s feeling fine, too, despite his winter wrist injury that required surgery June 16.
Many eyes are on the OSU football program — the No. 1 question in Columbus this summer is not "How was vacation?" but "Can the Buckeyes beat Texas?" — but even more eyes were on Oden yesterday as he showed up in Hollywood to receive the Gatorade High School Male Athlete of the Year award and walk the red carpet during the ESPY Awards.
Whether the 7-footer from Indianapolis can bring the Buckeyes a national award of their own — an NCAA championship — depends on whether the wrist is ready to go by January.
Forget the Nov. 10 season opener. Oden probably won’t be ready by then.
The latest reports have him working out with his left hand as the Buckeyes practice behind closed doors in the Schottenstein Center.
Oden has not been permitted to scrimmage with teammates while his reattached wrist ligament heals. It has been speculated that he would be ready for full action in December. That’s really no big deal because the Buckeyes won’t need him until the Big Ten season begins after Christmas.
For the first two months, OSU likely will get by with 6-foot-8 Matt Terwilliger. It would seem to be a steep drop-off from Oden, projected to be an NBA lottery pick whenever he opts to turn pro, to Terwilliger, who averaged 2.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 10 minutes last year.
But national championships aren’t won in November and December.
Terwilliger is more than serviceable to help OSU remain afloat until Oden can play. Plus, coach Thad Matta will have four of his "Thad Five" recruiting class available to take up the slack.
Not having Oden on the floor may actually help the newcomers — freshmen Mike Conley, Daequan Cook, David Lighty and junior-college transfer Othello Hunter — become less reliant on a big man saving their bacon; especially Conley, who was Oden’s high-school teammate.
Ohio State lost six players, including four seniors off last season’s team, which won an outright Big Ten championship. But the return of Jamar Butler and Ron Lewis, combined with the newcomers, should be enough to keep the Buckeyes from tanking.
Then it would be up to Oden.
Make no mistake, Ohio State will not win a national championship without Oden, who more than likely will remain in school for one year. The other pieces are valuable, and in some cases — Cook in particular —exceptional.
But Oden gives the Buckeyes an instant, legitimate shot at winning it all.
Which brings us back to his injury. It’s doubtful Oden can just show up March 1 and lead OSU to the promised land. As talented as he is, he has yet to face college competition. He will need a month or two of seasoning to gear up for the NCAA Tournament run. If he gets it, there’s no reason to think the Buckeyes can’t win the national ... er, wait a minute.
It’s July 13. Isn’t it a little early to be speculating on the 2007 Final Four? And after all, this is OSU football country.
Ah, but that is the powerful potential of Oden. He gives Ohio State fans, who a day after the bowl game think nothing of looking ahead to the upcoming football season, another chance to look six months down the road and dream of a title that might come.
[email protected]
Rob Oller is a sports reporter for The Dispatch
</IMG>
