The cornerstone of a championship program is defined by its leadership.

The success of the 2002 National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes was rooted in this very concept, but questions linger as to whether the 2003 version of the scarlet and gray will possess the same direction on its road to repeat.

OSU returns a promising 51 lettermen and 18 starters back to camp from a year ago. All 11 starters are returning on offense, as well as All-American place-kicker Mike Nugent.

The defensive side of the ball welcomes back six members from one of the nation’s most smothering defenses, but it will have to manage without a number of players. Captain and three-time All-American safety Mike Doss, as well as counterpart Donnie Nickey, have made their exits. Matt Wilhelm, who earned All-American honors after leading the Buckeye’s with 121 tackles last season, leaves his spot at middle linebacker vacant. OSU may be without the core of its defensive forefront, but it plans to usher in new blood to lead Jim Tressel’s troops.

“The pressure’s on to forget what happened last year so we can begin to build on it. We lost some very good players from a year ago,” said defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio. “Six of the guys that allowed us to have so much success are gone. It’s time for some young players to step up. They definitely have some big shoes to fill.”

The Buckeye defense will be forced to fill two safety spots, two openings at linebacker and one position on the defensive line. At a school with rich tradition, Dantonio said he feels the pressure to replace the absence of leadership.

“We’re losing a number of players that provided tremendous leadership and game experience,” he said. “That’s the great tradition we have here, and you have to expect it. Just like everywhere else in America it’s time for some new people to establish leadership, and that’s what this spring is about.”

On the bright side, the silver bullets remain in contact on the defensive line. Returning starters Will Smith and Darrion Scott are both preseason Lombardi Award candidates, while defensive tackle Tim Anderson anchors the front in his third year as a starter. OSU may need to ride the backs of these seniors to establish the team chemistry it enjoyed in 2002.

“We have a lot of guys out there who are doing their jobs and are trying to lead,” Anderson said. “The seniors as well as the underclassmen are doing their part. The majority of us have a great deal of game experience and we know the expectations around here are high.”

The Buckeyes thrived on the guidance from their upperclassman a year ago and embodied a never-say-die attitude. OSU’s chemistry propelled them past teams with arguably better talent on its way to a national championship.

Dantonio talked about the importance of finding leaders both on the field and in the locker room.

“Every year we look for new people to become impact players who make those around them better,” he said. “You need to have leadership to win a championship but it’s a natural process. “I’m not going to push leadership on somebody – the players know who leads and it evolves from there.

Dantonio also spoke about the types of leaders he expects to find on this year’s team.

“Some lead by example and some lead by talking, so anyone can step up to the front in that respect. There is a tremendous amount of good people in our program and we certainly have some guys with experience and maturity,” Dantonio said.

Bigger questions remain in the OSU secondary. Cornerback Dustin Fox and two-way star Chris Gamble are both back, but a hole at the safety position leaves the defensive backfield considerably inexperienced. Free safety Will Allen – whose game-saving interception clinched a victory in the waning seconds of the Michigan game – is expected to secure one of the two safety spots. The other safety spot will be filled by someone with less experience.

Fox said it his responsibility to lead the more inexperienced players the same way he took direction from last season’s captains.

“Personally, I think I have to establish myself as a leader this spring,” Fox said. “I looked up to guys like Mike (Doss) and Donnie (Nickey) last year so now I guess it’s my turn. Will (Allen), Chris (Gamble), and myself have tried to get our secondary together. I think our defense will be where we were last year.”

On the offensive side of the ball the Buckeyes return with full force and will be guided by their field general, senior quarterback Craig Krenzel. Krenzel’s unit is poised to better the minimal productivity it experience near the end of last season. The quarterback said it is the offense’s responsibility to put more points on the board and equal the defense’s effort this time around.

“We know as an offense we’re going to have to help our defense by, most importantly, putting points on the board,” he said.

Tight end Ben Hartsock agreed with Krenzel and said he looked for the offense to dominate games in the fall.

“We definitely want to take it upon ourselves to be the anchors of the team,” Hartsock said. “We need to take the pressure off of the defense much like they did last year. We need to establish our role as the leaders of this team and get to the point where we can go out and put so many points on the board that it doesn’t matter what the other team does.”

Regardless, the procession of players leaving OSU for the NFL has been an unending script in Columbus. The Buckeyes maintain they are prepared to rise to the challenge and once again replace experience with a fresh wave of talent.

“It is simply the way things work around here. We lose people, only to find new people to replace them,” Dantonio said. “The following year after next we will lose a bunch of players and the juniors now will be the seniors. I think history is the best indicator as to who will get the job done.”