By Kevin Kelly
Enquirer staff writer

Under Mark Dantonio, OSU ranked 10th in total defense last season. (Enquirer file photo)

COLUMBUS—The respect was genuine, heartfelt even, and it echoed throughout the Scarlet Ballroom.

Dustin Fox and Simon Fraser were stationed at opposite ends of this teeming room Tuesday.

As seniors, and defensive captains, they represented a fraction of an Ohio State defense Mark Dantonio sculpted into one of the nation's best.

"On the field, he's a tough competitor and he gets after his players," said Fox, who has started 28 consecutive games at cornerback for the Buckeyes. "But he cares a lot about his players, too, and it's important to know."

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF

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Dantonio left a lasting impression on the young men with whom he spent the most time during three seasons as Ohio State's defensive coordinator.

Saturday, however, will be more of a business affair than friendly reunion.

Hired as Cincinnati's head football coach in December, Dantonio returns to the familiarity of Ohio Stadium with his new team for a 12:10 p.m. kickoff against the ninth-ranked Buckeyes.

"I'm not really sure what he's going to come out with game plan-wise," said Fraser, who started 12 of 13 games at defensive end last season. "But I know that he's going to have his kids ready to go. They're going to be tough and physical.

"I'm sure they'll show the same character that we showed the past three years with him."

The Buckeyes return five starters to a defense that ranked second nationally in rushing defense (62.3 yards per game), and 10th in total defense (296.9 yards per game) under Dantonio's guidance last season.

During the 2002-03 season, when Ohio State won the national championship, the Buckeyes held opponents to an average of 13.1 points and 77.7 rushing yards per game.

"We don't know exactly what they're going to do, but I know what Coach Dantonio and the guys on his coaching staff believe in," Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said.

"We know that they've been working hard on toughness, knowing what to do, on being very detailed at handling whatever comes their way and doing a great job adjusting - all those things you saw from Mark and his defensive staff (at Ohio State)."

The relationship between Tressel and Dantonio extends more than two decades. Dantonio was a first-year graduate assistant at Ohio State and Tressel was its new quarterbacks and receivers coach during the 1983 season.

"You could tell by the way Mark worked that he cared about people," Tressel said. "He was a very compassionate person and very bright."

When Tressel was hired as Youngstown State's coach in 1986 and Ohio State's in 2001, Dantonio was one of the first hires he made.

"None of us would have (2002) national championship rings if it weren't for Mark Dantonio," Tressel said.

Players grew to respect Dantonio's desire and intensity. But they also appreciated those moments when a playful side emerged.

"He seems like one of those tough, hard-nosed guys, but when you get one-on-one with him, he's a goofball just like the rest of us," Fraser said. "We had a lot of fun with him in the meeting rooms. But when it's game time, or practice time, he's serious."

Fraser was among the players Dantonio called upon while deciding to leave Ohio State for Cincinnati.

"He told me that he was going to take that job, and I was really happy for him," Fraser said. "That's a huge career move for him and his family. I know he was real excited about it.

"We teased him a little bit ... but we wish him the best down there."

E-mail kkelly@enquirer.com