The future is bright. Hurts my eyes.

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In an offense predicated on the running game, a succession plan is almost always in place for a position whose production can essentially determine the outcome of a season. When Maurice Clarett's career at Ohio State ended with a whimper, the coaching staff thought they had a good plan in place. Maurice Hall and Lydell Ross seemed to be capable back-ups, but as 2003 and 2004 showed, neither could provide what was needed for a consistent running game. The great defense of 2003 and a few key cogs on the offense left for the NFL - to the tune of 14 draft picks in the 2004 NFL draft. In 2004, the running game struggled. I coined the term "Lydell Ross disease" to describe an affliction that affects talented running backs, one where even a stiff gust of wind can send them tumbling to the turf for a three-yard loss. It was not pretty. After Hall and Ross left, a talented young sophomore named Antonio Pittman took over and didn't look back, rushing for over 1000 yards in both of his seasons as a starter before leaving for the NFL. Then, Beanie Wells happened. With his eventual departure to the NFL, the coaching staff now looks to Boom Herron and his talented back-ups to fill the void. There is a succession plan in place, and unlike in 2004, there are more than two viable options. More after the break.

Daniel "Boom" Herron - The Known Quantity

With Beanie Wells' recurrent injury problems last year, Daniel Herron became the go-to guy in the Ohio State offense, and filled in admirably. Daniel "Boom" Herron was the most consistent back Ohio State fielded last fall in Beanie's absence, toting the rock 89 times for 439 yards and six touchdowns, showing some of the toughness of Wells and the vision every Ohio State back since the days of Woody has needed. Now he will have the full weight of the starting job on his shoulders. He took part in one of the most memorable images of the USC game, in which, while fighting for extra yardage, his helmet came flying off. In most post-game coverage, the helmet flying away from the pile was used to signify a beheading of the Buckeyes; but the press had clearly taken the image of out of context. That context? He's what Tressel calls a "warrior", and he's going to fight for every yard he gets. He may not be big; he weighed in at 195 pounds when the Bucks lined up against Texas, but he is strong, physically and mentally, and he's smart. That's all an Ohio State running back needs. The proverbial rock will be in good hands this fall.

Herron is very good at picking and choosing his battles; he can run people over, but he knows when to shy away from a lunging 300-pound defensive tackle. He won't be a rolling ball of destruction like Wells was in the open field. He will be more of a deft and fluid runner who will make a move and leave an opposing defender in the dust rather than taking him head on. But again, he will get physical with you if he must, because after all, he's not a scatback who'll dance around in the backfield before being dragged down for a five yard loss. Another thing Ohio State fans will have to get used to: he won't have the stiff-arm Beanie Wells had, which I lovingly named Mjöllnir after Thor's hammer. Unlike Beanie, who tossed hapless opposing defensive backs into the second row at least twice in his career, Herron will lower the shoulder and drive a defender backwards, but he won't flat-out embarrass him the way Beanie did.

Brandon "Zoom" Saine - The Troubled Veteran

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As mentioned before, Saine was a heralded running back recruit in Ohio State's 2007 recruiting class who has had a history of injury and otherwise disappointing play in his time at Ohio State. He has had an impressive spring and has reportedly dropped from 220 to 215 pounds in the offseason. This fall, his first order of business is to just stay healthy. If he can do that, his talent is undeniable and a two-back system will be almost unavoidable for an Ohio State offense lead by a quarterback who, while talented, is still only a sophomore. Saine is undoubtedly the quickest of the returning Ohio State backs, and may also be the strongest.

We saw nothing of the Wildcat in the spring game, but if it does lie somewhere deep in the recess of coach Bollman's 20-page playbook, Saine would make a dangerous weapon operating out of the package. Quicker and bigger than Herron, Saine is a match-up problem in the passing game for many teams. Against LSU his freshman year, Saine caught a 22-yard pass on a wheel route and looked like a natural doing it. Even if that's how he contributes to the Ohio State offense this fall, it'll be an improvement over his sophomore season, which saw him injured for most of the year.

Jaamal Berry - The Gamechanger

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In the past, I have poo-pooed the chances of Berry making an instant impact as a freshman. I'm coming around to the idea that the offensive line has regained its 2007 form in terms of run-blocking; they looked solid in the spring game against a defensive line I'm 90% sure will be one of the top-10 units in the country. Thus, I think Tressel will be more willing to take chances with the smaller, quicker Berry. Berry has been mentioned as being a playmaker in the vein of Reggie Bush and Percy Harvin. I hesitate to place his - or anyone else's - name on such a lofty perch when the kid hasn't even graduated high school yet, but a player like that could have a place in Ohio State's offense.

When the Todd Boeckman experiment collapses in on itself after the USC game last year, Terrelle Pryor was the focal point of a shotgun-based running attack. Yes, there was typical I-form, two tights power running in the Ohio State game plan and it was featured frequently, but Beanie Wells and Dan Herron had to learn to run out of the gun. As good as they are, that is not their game. Berry, like Saine, would flourish in such a system predicated on the read-option. If Ohio State uses a similar running philosophy this fall, and if the offensive line holds up reasonable well, I could see Berry making an impact his freshman year. That's a big if.

Carlos Hyde - Mr. Short Yardage

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Hyde is much more of a traditional Ohio State running back then fellow Florida product Jaamal Berry. Hyde had offers from Alabama, Auburn - even the mighty Gators themselves - and still picked the Buckeyes, presumably because he loved what he saw in Beanie Wells' production. Hyde is by no means fast - Scout has hem pegged at a 4.65 forty - but he does provide a vital weapon to an Ohio State running game that lacks the go-to guy every team needs for short yardage.

Hyde is a downfield runner, so I expect him to make an early impact if Ohio State does not get consistent short yardage production out of either Herron or Saine. If the coaching staff feels comfortable with what they bring to the table in that area, then there's an outside chance Hyde will redshirt, clearing up the crowded running back position just a bit.

Honorable mentions

Jordan Hall - Terrelle Pryor's teammate and nearly a surefire redshirt, Hall is more in the Pittman mold - he is neither overwhelmingly large or a ridiculous speedster - but he offers a balanced running style that could provide consistency for Ohio State further down the road.

Marcus Williams - A walk on, Williams had an impressive 94-yard run in the spring game (man, those linebackers sure can be gullible at times) and has showcased the talent at least on occasion to be a part-time, mop-up duty contributor for Ohio State. While he's just a walk-on, he's a very good walk-on to have.