COLUMBUS, Ohio - It was an especially long, cold winter for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

A relatively stress-free season for the Buckeyes, top-ranked since August, came down to a stunning, humiliating conclusion Jan. 8 against Florida in the Bowl Championship Series national championship game.

It became an enduring black eye: Florida 41, Ohio State 14.

Now, while looking ahead to 2007, the Buckeyes still must shake the flashbacks from the final game.

"I don't think that there's any question in the back of everybody's mind - I mean, how does it not?" defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said when asked whether the Florida game affects this season's squad. "You'd be crazy to think that it doesn't. I don't know that there's many days that something doesn't come up that you think about it."

The loss of so many well-known standouts from last season's team - Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Troy Smith, receivers Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn Jr., tailback Antonio Pittman, three defensive linemen, two starters in the secondary - might make it easier to purge those memories.

At least that's the hope.

"I think they've probably been beat up enough. We're ready to move on," Heacock said of the returning players.

The Buckeyes last season returned only two starters on defense, but there were enough spare parts around to come up with a stellar unit. The replacements this season are needed on the other side of the ball.

"Considering that everyone thinks we are about to be the worst team in the Big Ten on offense, it seems, we'll be all right," offensive tackle Kirk Barton said.

TOLEDO MOVING ON: Toledo coach Tom Amstutz spoke to his team once about point-shaving allegations leveled against a former teammate.

"After that it was over," tight end Chris Hopkins said. "It was done."

The Rockets, from their coach down, insist they won't be distracted this season, even though it's not clear whether a federal investigation will yield more accusations against the team.

Charges against former Rockets running back Harvey "Scooter" McDougle Jr. were dropped in April. But the FBI says the case is still open and it still could refile the charges.

Investigators in March charged McDougle with recruiting Toledo players to take part in a point-shaving scheme orchestrated by a Detroit-area gambler. McDougle has denied doing anything wrong and no other players have been named.

Amstutz said he doesn't believe there is cloud hanging over the Rockets, a team that has been among the best in the Mid-American Conference during the past decade.

McDougle would have been a fifth-year senior, but he was suspended after his arrest. He since has been ruled academically ineligible.

According to an FBI affidavit, McDougle conspired to fix scores of Toledo games. He accepted cash, a car, a phone and other merchandise in return for recruiting players to help in the scheme, the court document said.

TEXAS' HARRIS AILING: Texas backup quarterback Sherrod Harris sprained a ligament in his left knee and will be held out of practice, the team said.

Harris, competing with true freshman John Chiles to back up Colt McCoy, hurt the knee Sunday. Tests showed he sprained the medial collateral ligament.

OKLAHOMA NEARS DECISION: Oklahoma could see some movement in the quarterback race by the end of the week, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said.

Quarterbacks Sam Bradford, Keith Nichol and Joey Halzle will continue getting close to an equal number of practice repetitions, but that could change later in the week, Wilson said.

ETC.: Connecticut freshman linebacker Jarrell Miller has been declared ineligible for the season by the NCAA, which ruled he must be treated as a transfer. Miller, a highly touted recruit from Highland Springs, Va., originally had committed to North Carolina after graduating from high school in 2006 and enrolled in a summer class there, but he withdrew before finishing. . . . Houston offensive lineman Jerrod Butler passed out while lifting weights but was recovering at a Houston hospital. Trainer Mike O'Shea told Houston television station KRIV a heart defibrillator was used to stabilize Butler in the weight room. . . . Arkansas receiver Marcus Monk will be out four to six weeks because of a knee injury suffered last week. Monk underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to repair a small tear.