BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel talked about wide receiver Drew Carter in the past tense after Saturday's 35-6 rout of Indiana. That can't be good news as the Buckeyes await a diagnosis of Carter's second-quarter knee injury.

Carter's right knee bent awkwardly underneath him as he got tackled on a 17-yard catch with 7:19 left in the first half. He had already made two other catches, including a 49-yarder to the IU 2 that set up one of tailback Lydell Ross' three touchdowns.

In his last two-and-a-half games, the fifth-year senior from Solon had become the best playmaker for the Buckeyes, finally living up to his potential by catching 12 passes for 260 yards.

"Drew was a warrior," Tressel said. "I think he had been in on more total plays than Michael (Jenkins). Replacing him will be a major challenge."

It wasn't, fortunately, against Indiana. Redshirt freshman Santonio Holmes stepped up by making six catches for 153 yards and two TDs. Bam Childress added four catches for 41 yards in Carter's absence.

Although Holmes and Childress have been fumble-prone, they'll have to continue to pick up the slack for the Buckeyes to have any realistic shot at repeating as Big Ten champions.

"I knew I had to get stronger and bounce back (from early-season fumble-itis)," Holmes said. "If that happened, coach Tressel said opportunities would come."

Carter waited four years for his opportunity. Now it appears to have come and gone.

"It breaks your heart to see something like this happen to someone who has worked so hard, waited so long and fought through injuries like Drew Carter," Tressel said. "He was having his career-best year like we like all of our seniors to have. My heart just aches for him."

Originally published Sunday, October 26, 2003