Provitt finally getting chance to start after four years

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- It's taken Vanness Provitt his entire college career to get a chance to prove himself for Ohio State.

Provitt's last game with the Buckeyes will be Monday at the Outback Bowl against South Carolina. He will be starting at receiver for the second straight game -- and the second time in his career.

"It's kind of a weird situation because I'm sort of at the end of it -- it's my senior year, there's no more college," Provitt said. "But on the other hand, it's like, 'OK, you started the Michigan game. You've got one more chance to go out there.'

"So I'm going to go out there, have fun, lay it on the line and hopefully have a real big game."

Much of his good fortune has come at the expense of Reggie Germany, who couldn't play because of injury in the regular season finale against Michigan and was declared academically ineligible for the bowl game.

"It's sad that it had to come this way, as far as Reggie being ineligible, for me to step up, but I don't look at it like that," Provitt said. "I look at it as an opportunity for me to go out and do what I'm capable of doing, to show people I can play receiver as a starter."

The two starts make up for some of the literal bad breaks he's suffered in the past three seasons. He dislocated a hip during practice in the 1998 preseason camp and came back in time for spring practice the next year, only to break an ankle.

Now Provitt is the Buckeyes' only healthy veteran receiver.