Football
Boone and Rehring Present Big Problems for Opposing Defenses
By John Porentas

Football players are, generally speaking, exceptionally large persons, particularly those who play along the line of scrimmage, such as offensive and defensive linemen.

Offensive linemen at Ohio State are large as you might expect, with the possible exception of the two that started at left tackle and left guard for the Buckeyes against Iowa, because "large" really does not adequately describe that tandem.

OSU starting left tackle Alex Boone is listed at 6-8, 325 pounds on the official OSU roster. Steve Rehring, who started at left guard next to Boone against Iowa, is listed at 6-8, 329. Both are pups, albeit large ones. Boone is a true sophomore while Rehring is a redshirt sophomore, and as a pair they are physically imposing, even to other football players who have seen plenty of big people in their playing days.Take for example the reaction of OSU wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez the first time he met Rehring.

"When I first met him I thought he was the biggest person alive," said Gonzalez.

Alex Boone

Boone, who is no dwarf, has much the same reaction to Rehring, saying he has never met anyone bigger.

"Not in my life," said Boone. "I don't know anybody bigger than me, and he's nice to me too," said Boone with a laugh.

Rehring is rounding back into form after a bout with a serious lung condition last year that put him the hospital and ended his season. He wound up getting a medical redshirt in 2005 after seeing significant playing time in 2004 at left tackle including several starts. The only true freshmen to log more playing time than Rehring that season were Antonio Pittman and Ted Ginn.

This season Rehring has found himself in competition with senior Tim Schafer for the left guard spot, a spot that Schafer won originally, but one that Rehring appears to have claimed after strong outings against Cincinnati and Penn State in a reserve role. Boone, for one, is happy to see a little more of Rehring on the field.

"That's a lot of meat. It's great for us. I love him. I think he's by far the best left guard," said Boone.

Steve Rehring

Rehring played the entire game next to Boone against Iowa, and the two played extremely effectively. An unofficial review of the game tape showed that the Buckeye rushing game was particularly effective to the left side of the formation. The Buckeyes attempted 24 rushes for 138 yards (5.75 yards per attempt) on the left side, six rushes for 28 yards (4.66 yards per attempt) in the middle of the line, and 16 rushes for 49 yards (3.25 yards per attempt) on the right side. The results left Boone smiling after the game.

"We always tell each other before the game that we're the best left side out there and we're going to do what we've got to do to get things done," said Boone.

"Today it showed because we kept running to the left.

"It was way more left. Everything was going to the left. They kept calling it and I was 'Wow, this is outrageous,'" Boone said.

"It felt great. They kept calling our side and me and Steve were just laughing. We were just ready to go. We felt in synch, it was just great."

The duo was at minimum effective, and at times just plain dominating.

"I saw Steve Rehring flat out demolish somebody this past week, which was pretty impressive," said OSU tight end Rory Nicol.

"I personally wouldn't want to line up across from them. I mean, they're huge! Steve Rehring has got to be 330 pounds, and he's an athlete, that's the sickest part about it."

"I feel bad for the defensive tackles they're going against," said OSU senior right guard T. J. Downing.

"When you're 6-8, 330 pounds and you put two of those together on one body, there's going to be some movement and something's got to give eventually," Downing said.

Last Saturday it was the right side of the Hawkeye defense that gave when Boone and Rehring caved it in consistently to spring running backs Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells to the outside. They also did an outstanding job of protecting OSU quarterback Troy Smith.

"It feels great when we're doing that, when you're able to run the ball and able to pass the ball and able to protect. You can always get better but it's always fun when you see those guys make plays," said Rehring.

The OSU game plan this season has been to rotate the offensive linemen , but you get the feeling that Boone likes having Rehring out there next to him.

"It's amazing . I love the way he plays, he's a tough kid, he'll play when he's hurt," said Boone.

"Sometimes its weird when we switch guys around like that.It takes the momentum out of the game sometimes. Today they kind of left Steve in there for the game and it felt great, because once you start rolling you just keep going with the same person, but once you change a guy in there it just feels different, but they're both (Rehring and Schafer) good players and they both deserve to play," Boone said.

Boone himself has a few fans, like Nicol, who sees Boone and Rehring as very similar players at about the same stage of development.

"Alex is a guy who has potential just like Steve," said Nicol.

"Those are guys who have a lot to learn and a ways to go, but they get better every week.

"That's like 650 pounds of force so they're two guys who can be unbelievable football players if they keep their heads screwed on. If they keep working the way they're working right now God only knows how good they're going to be when we're all seniors," said Nicol.

"I mean, they're big. I think we run the ball downhill really well to the left side," Nicol added.

OSU senior defensive lineman Joel Penton who lines up across from the two from time to time at OSU practices is definitely impressed.

"Those are big guys," said Penton. "When they bring a double team you feel it."

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