The Buckeye Battle Cry will be counting down the Top 25 players of the past decade all spring/summer. Every Monday through May and June, Jim will be announcing a new player. Starting in July, we will be announcing new additions on Monday and Thursday. Our #1 player will be presented on Monday, August 30th. Three days later, the 2010 season officially begins. For a look at the rest of the Top 25, click here.
Maurice Clarett (2002)
What can you say about Maurice Clarett? Few players have had such an impact on Ohio State football after spending so short an amount of time with the program. And no player can induce such a mixed range of emotional responses from Ohio State fans. Joy, anger, frustration, pity… Clarett has brought a lot of things to the table.
On one hand, you have his freshman season and Clarett’s work on the field, which was a thing of beauty and was an incalculable factor in Ohio State’s first National Championship since 1968.
On the other hand, you have the off field… issues, that not only destroyed Clarett’s personal life, but created a media firestorm that damaged Ohio State’s reputation and negatively impacted recruiting (go back and look at the 2003 recruiting class, it was bad… really bad) and the national perception of the program for years.
In fact, I would argue that there is a lot of lingering resentment in the media and from fan bases around the country that stem directly from the Clarett saga.
Based on talent alone, Clarett could rightfully be placed in the top three on this list easily, and based on everything else, he could just as easily be left off the list entirely.
I personally voted him at #13, which I think fits him for many different reasons, but ultimately he ended up at #18 after all of the votes were tabulated.
So, think fondly of the 2002 season and the National Championship that Mr. Clarett helped bring to Ohio State, marvel at what could have been, and shake your head at what actually happened.
The saga of Maurice Clarett is certainly one of the most drama filled chapters in Ohio State’s history, for both good and bad reasons, and one that will certainly not be forgotten anytime soon, once again, for both good and bad reasons.
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