By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COLUMBUS - It took six weeks for Ohio State to decide Maurice Clarett's transgressions had, at least temporarily, cost him his eligibility. It has far less time to decide on his replacement.

So juniors Lydell Ross and Maurice Hall are listed as either/or at the starting tailback spot on the depth chart distributed in advance of the Buckeyes' opener Saturday against Washington.

Remember these two? They were to battle for the starting spot last year, until Clarett burst onto the scene and set an OSU freshman rushing record of 1,237 yards.

Now, in a season Ross and Hall weren't expected to compete for the tailback job, they're about to.

"All along, one of the reasons they came here was they thought they had the opportunity to be the guy at Ohio State," running backs coach Tim Spencer said. "This is their opportunity to show 'I am prepared. I can get the job done.' I have confidence in those guys."

OSU coach Jim Tressel indicated he wouldn't name a starter perhaps until game time.

"I would say both Lydell and Mo Hall would see significant playing time, fairly equal," he said.

No matter who starts, Ross and Hall each will have a chance to win the job - at least until Clarett is eligible.

Each insists he is ready.

"You have to focus on this (opportunity)," Hall said. "I've always practiced like I wanted to be the starter, whether (Clarett) was here or not."

Said Ross: "This is a chance for me to showcase what I'm good at. ... I want to show Washington that every running back here can contribute."

Ross ran for 619 yards and six touchdowns on 166 carries last season, averaging 3.7 yards per carry. Hall was used slightly less often, rushing for 370 yards and four TDs on 78 carries, but had a more impressive 4.7 per-carry average.

Ross was frustrated most of last season because he saw diminished playing time when Clarett was healthy. Ross started three games and Hall one last year.

Ross also got more playing time in 2001. He rushed for 419 yards and six TDs on 120 carries that season; Hall totaled 72 yards on nine carries.

Hall, at 5 feet 10, 200 pounds, is a more compact, speed-based runner. Ross, at 6 feet, 225 pounds, has more of a power element.

"They're different type players," Spencer said. "Lydell is bigger in stature, but he's also an elusive runner. He's hard to hit. He's improved in terms of his strength and his ability to learn the offense.

"Hall, on the other hand, has got a lot of deceptive speed that people don't know about. He's not as shifty as Lydell; he goes more north and south."

Hall scored the winning touchdowns runs against Illinois and Michigan, the back-to-back nail-biters that wrapped up the 2002 regular season. Ross' shining moment was his career-high 130 yards in OSU's victory over Cincinnati.

"They're two outstanding tailbacks that people may have forgotten about because of everything that Clarett did for us last year," quarterback Craig Krenzel said. "I know I'm confident - our coaching staff and the rest of my teammates are confident - in their abilities."

Both players were nagged by injuries in the preseason - Hall with a slight knee sprain, Ross with an upper-leg muscle strain - but both say they are now 100 percent.

The reliance on OSU's running game last season might be adjusted this fall in favor of more passing. Unless Ross and Hall come through.

"We're always going to run the ball," Hall said. "It's a matter of us two stepping up and doing our jobs."

E-mail nschmidt@enquirer.com