COLUMBUS - Todd Boeckman will get the first chance to replace Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith as Ohio State University's starting quarterback, coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday.

Tressel doubts that 15 spring practices, which begin Thursday and run through the April 21 spring game, will be enough time, though, for the 6-foot-5 junior from St. Henry to earn the job.

Boeckman, redshirt sophomore Rob Schoenhoft of Cincinnati St. Xavier and redshirt freshman Antonio Henton of Fort Valley, Ga., will compete to replace Troy Smith, who went 25-3 as the starter. Only Boeckman, who has 10 pass attempts and four rushes in the past two seasons, has taken a snap. So Tressel figures that he might need 29 preseason practices and perhaps the three nonconference games before the Sept. 22 Big Ten opener against Northwestern to sort out the situation.

``If there were a game today, Todd Boeckman would line up and start,'' Tressel said. ``But there's not a game today.''

Asked about Boeckman nailing down the job this spring, Tressel said, ``With only 15 practices and no games, it's hard to say someone has arrived. Even if you arrive and don't progress, you regress, things can change in the middle of the season. Fifteen practices are about enough to wet your whistle. With three scrimmage situations and eight in full pads, it would be hard to say it would be decided.''

Boeckman's college experience has been planned with this moment in mind. He enrolled part time at Ohio State as a ``grayshirt'' in the fall of 2003 and participated in drills until classes began. He also got some snaps in Arizona before the Fiesta Bowl before enrolling full time in winter 2004.

In 2004, Boeckman was redshirted, but that was nearly stopped when Troy Smith was suspended for the Alamo Bowl and Justin Zwick suffered a hamstring injury early in the game, forcing receiver Ted Ginn Jr. to play some at quarterback. The past two years, Boeckman has been No. 3 behind Troy Smith and Zwick, with his highlight a 42-yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn Jr. against Miami University in 2005.

``God gave him 6-foot-5 and (235) pounds. He's worked hard to develop the rest of the package,'' Tressel said of Boeckman. ``From a speed standpoint, last year he had the fastest time in the 40 (among quarterbacks). He's worked hard on his speed, agility, in the weight room. He's very meticulous and wants to become a good quarterback.

``But there comes a time you have to let loose and just play. You can't worry about who the quarterback's going to be. You've got to worry about becoming a good quarterback.''

Tressel said a former Buckeyes coach told him at a luncheon Monday, ``I really like that swagger that Todd Boeckman seems to be developing. I said, `That's interesting.' But how do you handle every day? There's going to be good days and days the wind blows it out of bounds. Todd has had the advantage of observing for a little longer. I think you can learn a lot by observing if you're really paying close attention. It's going to be fun to see the depth of his observation.''

Boeckman also might have an edge because he'll be 23 years old when the season opens Sept. 1 against Youngstown State. Schoenhoft will be 21; Henton, 20.

``Todd was a mature, even-keeled guy from the get-go,'' Tressel said. ``He handles things as they come.''

Buckeyes

Tressel will be in Atlanta on Saturday watching the Ohio State basketball team take on Georgetown in the Final Four, and plans to attend Monday if the Buckeyes advance to the championship.... Jeff Uhlenhake, who spent the past two years as assistant offensive line coach with the Browns, has rejoined the Buckeyes as strength coordinator.

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