Standout Ohio State defensive end and highly touted NFL draft prospect Cameron Heyward spent time earlier this week working with scientists from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) at a sports science lab constructed in the Super Bowl XLV Media Center in Dallas. Gatorade is kicking off an offseason program to help elevate the performance of top incoming NFL rookies like Heyward through sports nutrition science.

The Scores Report was fortunate enough to catch up with Heyward to discuss a variety of topics, including what he learned from Gatorade about his nutritional needs at GSSI and whether or not he’ll perform at this year’s scouting combine after having recent shoulder surgery. We also asked him about his thoughts on the Ohio State players that were suspended five games next season, what pro athlete he models his game after and his thoughts about playing in either a 3-4 or 4-3 at the next level. Of course, we couldn’t let him go without getting his prediction on this year’s Super Bowl.

Cameron Heyward: Hello?

The Scores Report: Hey Cam, how are you?

CH: Pretty good – you?

TSR: Good, good! You enjoying yourself down in Dallas?

CH: Oh yeah, definitely.

TSR: Give me the scoop on what you’re doing with Gatorade and how things are going at the GSSI.

CH: Gatorade has a great program going right now. I’m in the GSSI lab and they put me through a series of tests. I went through an injury recently and while I’m still working through it, this is definitely helping me through it, too. We’re working on things that measure my speed with power, as well as my reaction time to see how I deal with power over a long period of time. They measured my body fat too – all these different things to help you find another edge to help prepare your body, as well as to educate yourself on what you need to do to be in tiptop shape.

TSR: What’s one thing that you’ve learned about yourself that you didn’t know before you took part in the program?

CH: Coming in off a week of working out before my surgery, one thing I learned is that I have a long way to go. Another thing is you’re trying to improve so many different things so that your brain is more empowered in that it runs the program. When you have the brain working, I think the body just follows. I’m learning so much more about that, as well as just being more educated on my nutrition as well.

TSR: Speaking of nutrition, what’s the one thing you’ve learned about your eating habits? You’re a young guy so you can probably get away with eating foods that aren’t exactly healthy for you – not that you do anyway – but when you get older it won’t be that way. Have you learned better eating habits while you’ve been there?

CH: Well, my mentor is DeMarcus Ware and one thing I’ve already learned is that you don’t want to wait until the end of your career to learn about nutrition. He said, you know, back in his day that he would always put off the nutrition stuff like supplements and would never take that stuff. But now he’s taking them and he told me to take advantage of my nutrition now so that you can have a long career and be healthy. What I’m learning more about is all the different types of Gatorade that can help you. Many athletes get into Gatorade because they see everyone else drinking it but it helps you grow, and fuel and allow your body to perform at its highest peak.

TSR: Are you doing anything else with Gatorade at the Super Bowl?

CH: I’m just at the lab and I’m meeting so many different people, learning so much more about myself and hopefully all of this will benefit me in the future.

TSR: You mentioned your surgery earlier. How has the recovery been and are you going to be able to participate in the scouting combine in a couple of weeks?

CH: I’m going to do as much as I can. I’m actually ahead of where I’m supposed to be because I’m getting motion in my arm. In fact, the doctors are telling me to slow down because I don’t want to blow out my arm right away. But I’m itching to get back into it and I’ll be ready as much as I can. If I’m not ready by the combine, there’s always the [Ohio State] Pro Day. I’m not going to worry and I’m not going to stress about it. I’m just going to keep working, keep chugging along and when I’m completely healthy, I can’t wait to get right back to it.

TSR: Every athlete wants to be there own man, but is there a NFL player that you model your game after? What pro athlete, from the defensive end position do you aspire to be?

CH: I think a lot of people compare me to Richard Seymour. I may not be the exact Richard Seymour-type, but I think my game resembles his a little bit. I think my versatility between both end and tackle, or being able to play in both a 3-4 or 4-3 at either end or tackle benefits me as well.

TSR: Do you have a scheme that you prefer? I know some guys don’t want to play in a 3-4 but would you play the end spot in that alignment?

CH: Oh, I would love to. I’ll go to any position that helps the team and I’m the type of player that just wants to help the team. If you want or need me to play a position, I’ll play it. Any way I can help.

TSR: I know you didn’t play in the Senior Bowl but were you there?

CH: Yeah, I went for one day to do some interviews.

TSR: I imagine a variety of NFL teams spoke with you when you were down there. Can you share some insight on the interview process?

CH: Yeah, I talked to teams that play the 3-4 as well as the 4-3. Of the 4-3 teams, I spoke with Tampa Bay and the Redskins were one of the 3-4 teams I talked to, as well as the Cowboys. But just talking to everybody it’s an eye-opener and it makes you want to work even harder.

TSR: Hey congratulations on the bowl win against Arkansas. That was one wild game.

CH: Thank you. I think our team played extremely well and I also think Arkansas played extremely well, but we were able to get the job done at the end.

TSR: What was your take on some of your Ohio State players being suspended? I know that OSU always has a ton of depth but when you lose players like Terrelle Pryor, Boom Herron and DeVier Posey for five games it hurts. Can the Buckeyes manage in those first five games next year and get back to a bowl if not a championship?

CH: Definitely. The thing about Ohio State is that we’re not just built around one player. A lot of people get caught up in just one player, but that’s why you have 11 guys on the field at one time and there’s a lot of good players on that team that are going to be great next year. I’m looking for them to do some big things and I think our defensive line next year could be even more relentless. I think they could totally disrupt games more and compete at a high level.

TSR: Were you surprised that some of those players decided to go back to Ohio State for their senior years instead of declaring for the draft?

CH: No, I think it’s their own decision. I went through a situation where I stayed another year and I feel like I made the right decision. You can’t be surprised by it or think different of it. You know, if they leave they leave and best of luck to them. They’re great people and even though they got caught in some trouble, I still respect them as teammates and they’re my friends. They did the right thing and they’re going to pay their dues, but when they get back on that field they’re going to make some things happen.

TSR: Hey Cam, you’ve been a pleasure to talk with and I want to wish you nothing but the best. Enjoy your time down there and everything you’re doing with Gatorade. Before you go, you know I’ve got to ask you on question: Who’s your pick for the Super Bowl?

CH: You know, I have a lot of family in Pittsburgh right now so if I didn’t choose the Steelers I’d probably get shot.

TSR: (Laughs)

CH: (Laughs)

TSR: That’s not good.

CH: Plus, you know Dick LeBeau is a O-State grad, even though A.J. Hawk is on the other side. But I’ve gotta go with my Steelers.

TSR: Maybe next year at this time you will be a Steeler.

CH: Hey, you never know. I’m just going to keep working hard and see what happens.

TSR: Anything else you’d like to say about Gatorade or your Super Bowl experience so far?

CH: I’d just like to say that Gatorade has provided so much and I’ve learned so much from them. It’s an unbelievable process that I’m going through and I feel so humble – I’m truly grateful to be a part of it.

TSR: Have a lot of fun this weekend and again, I wish you nothing but the best, Cam.

CH: Thank you – take care.

TSR: You, too.

Here are five quick-hit observations on Ohio State’s wild 31-26 win over Arkansas in the 2011 Sugar Bowl.

1. From the opening play of the game, Arkansas blew its opportunities.
Little did Arkansas know that the first play from scrimmage would be an omen for the rest of the game. Ryan Mallett threw a perfectly timed spiral to streaking receiver Joe Adams, who beat the coverage and would have had a touchdown had he hung onto the ball. It was the first of six dropped passes for the Hogs on the night, most of which came in crucial situations. And the drops weren’t the only opportunities Arkansas missed on the night. From Dane Sanzenbacher’s fluke fumble-recovery-turned-touchdown in the first quarter to the missed scoring opportunity after Boom Herron’s fumble late in the fourth quarter to Colton Miles-Nash’s inability to pick the ball up cleanly on teammate Ben Buchanan’s blocked punt to Solomon Thomas’ interception of Mallett in the final minute, the Razorbacks blew it time and time again. Wisconsin was heavily criticized for missing opportunities to beat TCU in the Rose Bowl last Saturday, but that was nothing compared to what Arkansas did Tuesday night. Their fans will need a lobotomy after watching that game.

2. Cameron Heyward will make one NFL team very happy some day.
Heyward is an absolute monster and he and the rest of his defensive linemates deserve major praise for harassing Mallett all night. He manhandled Arkansas offensive tackle DeMarcus Love and he didn’t allow Mallett to set his feet for many of his throws. When Mallett had to step up in the pocket to pass, he was widely inaccurate, often throwing the ball at his receivers’ feet. His wideouts didn’t do him many favors, but the Buckeyes’ defense really brought the heat on third down and made life uncomfortable for the Razorback signal caller. If it weren’t for Heyward and crew, Arkansas may have scored 40 points.

3. The SEC curse is over for Ohio State.
Try as they did to lose the game, the Buckeyes finally got the SEC monkey off their backs. The win snapped a nine-game bowl losing streak against SEC teams. OSU also saved some face for the Big Ten, which went 0-4 on New Year’s Day. Terrelle Pryor threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, while also rushing for 115 yards on 15 carries. On a night when Herron only gained 3.6 yards per carry and couldn’t get anything going on the early downs, Pryor stepped up several times when the Buckeyes’ offense faced third-and-long. He also picked up a huge first down on a quarterback sneak late in the game to shed time off the clock and keep the ball in OSU’s possession while they tried to preserve the lead. For the second year in a row, Pryor was special in a BCS bowl.

4. The BCS needed a finish like this.
If the BCS wasn’t on its knees at halftime praying for an Arkansas’ second half comeback, it certainly should have been. After two consecutive blowouts in the Fiesta and Orange bowls, it looked like the BCS was going to deliver its third-straight dud when Ohio State took a 28-10 lead into halftime. But fortunately for the BullCrapSystem, Arkansas’ defense came out of the locker room on a mission and Mallett got the Hogs back into the game. The blocked punt/game-sealing interception also made for the best finish in a BCS bowl game in quite sometime.

5. Hopefully NFL scouts were watching Dylan Breeding.
I’m not going to wax poetically about a punter so I’ll keep this short and sweet: Breeding was one of the stars for Arkansas. He had four punts downed inside the Ohio State 20, including three inside the five. Give credit to the Razorbacks’ punt coverage unit as well, but Breeding made it look easy. In a game where Arkansas trailed by 18 midway through the third quarter and needed to win the field position battle in the second half, Breeding delivered. You had to have seen the game to understand how crucial most of his kicks were.

On a side note, Paul Costanzo and I are now 4-0 in our BCS predictions this year. Granted, we got a free win with Oklahoma, but hey, I think we deserve a chance to gloat a little. Click here to see if we took Auburn or Oregon in the title game. (And then fade the pick because there’s no way he and I finish perfect.)

Here’s a quick and dirty look at how I see things playing out in the Big Eleven this season:

#1 Ohio State
Some believe the Buckeyes’ offense might be close to catching up to their defense in terms of dominance, which is saying something with the way OSU’s D played a year ago. The Buckeyes return all three leading rushers from 2009 in Brandon Saine, Dan Herron and quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who some believe has become a more committed teammate over the offseason. The key to OSU becoming a national title threat is Pryor, or more specifically, whether or not he’ll make opponents respect his passing game. The good thing for him and the Buckeyes on a whole is that they return four starters to a veteran offensive line that will open up plenty of holes for a deep and talented group of running backs. Defensively, OSU was a top five unit last season and could be once again this year assuming they can generate a pass-rush and the safeties can hold up in coverage. Cameron Heyward is one of the nation’s best defensive ends and Ross Homan is a playmaker at the outside linebacker spot. The secondary isn’t flashy, but cornerbacks Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence are solid. From a schedule standpoint, if they can beat Miami in Columbus in the second week of the season, they should be 6-0 heading into Madison on October 16. From there, they’ll be tested by Wisconsin, Penn State and Iowa, but this is your clear favorite to win the Big Ten.

#2 Iowa
The Hawkeyes lost a couple of studs from their offensive line in tackles Bryan Bulaga and Kyle Calloway, as well as guard Dace Richardson and center Rafael Eubanks. But with players like Riley Reiff ready to step in, Iowa should repopulate their O-line and not miss a beat this season. Quarterback Ricky Stanzi took plenty of heat last year for his spotty play, but the bottom line is the guy won. Assuming they don’t choke early in the season against an inferior opponent (which almost happened on multiple occasions last season), the Hawkeyes should challenge the Buckeyes for a conference title. It helps that they play Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin at home this year. That November 20th battle in Iowa City against the Buckeyes could determine the Big Ten champion.

#3 Wisconsin
John Clay, Montee Bell and Zach Brown – talk about an elite group of runners. That trio could potentially give the Badgers the best rushing game in the nation by season’s end and will only serve to help quarterback Scott Tolzien and the passing game. While the defensive tackle and secondary positions are question marks heading into the season, there’s no reason to think that Wisconsin couldn’t challenge Ohio State and Iowa for the conference title. They certainly have enough talent to do so, although they have a grueling two-game stretch at the end of October to worry about. The back-to-back games against Ohio State (home) and Iowa (away) will determine how good this Wisconsin team is and don’t discount the trip to West Lafayette either. If the Badgers were able to knock off the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes, the game against Purdue in early November has letdown written all over it.

#4 Penn State
I don’t blame you if you hate Penn State’s chances this year. After all, they have to replace their starting quarterback, plus all three linebackers and also have to play Alabama, Iowa and Ohio State on the road. But toss out the ‘Bama game for a second and realize that if they beat either Iowa or OSU, then the Nittany Lions could challenge for the Big Ten title. If they lose both, however, they’re likely done because two losses (especially against the top 2 teams in the conference) probably won’t cut it this year. Evan Royster is an absolute stud, but the fear is that PSU will become too one-dimensional unless quarterbacks Kevin Newsome or Matt McGloin step up. That’s not a good sign considering the front sevens that Ohio State and Iowa have, which is why I have the Lions ranked where I do. That said, this team can still contend with the teams listed above. I’m just not that crazy about them doing so.

#5 Michigan
It’s now or never for Rich Rodriguez. Another disastrous season could cost him his job and actually, another bowl-less season could just as easily lead to him getting the boot in Ann Arbor. He needs to decide between Tate Forcier or Denard Robinson and then the winner of said quarterback competition needs to be more consistent this season than they were in 2009. Even though the Wolverines lost both of their leading rushers from a season ago, the interior of the offensive line looks strong with guard Stephen Schilling and center David Molk returning. The defense has some talented playmakers and the 3-3-5 alignment plays well for the depth that UM has in its secondary. The key is how this team plays in the second half, with home meetings with Iowa and Wisconsin, as well as road tests against Penn State and Ohio State. A fast start and a bad finish will do nothing to help Rich Rod keep his job.

#6 Michigan State
The Spartans have a slew of playmakers and plenty of depth on both sides of the ball, but like most years, the concern is that they’ll drop a game or two that they shouldn’t have. They luck out by not having to face Ohio State this year, but losses against Wisconsin, Iowa or Penn State will push them out of contention and games against Michigan, Northwestern and Purdue are gimmies. Sparty has plenty of offensive firepower thanks to Larry Caper, Edwin Baker, Keith Nicol and Mark Dell, but the key is whether or not this team can replace three starters on an offensive line that allowed only 14 sacks last season. Defensively, linebacker Greg Jones might be the best defender in the nation, but the secondary remains the unit’s weak link.

#7 Northwestern
It’s easy to get excited about the Wildcats this season. Quarterback Dan Persa is a dual threat from under center, the linebacker trio of Quentin Davie, Vince Browne and Nate Williams is solid and Kevin Watt is a talented pass-rusher. That said, this is a team that struggled to run the football last year and if the offensive line can’t open up holes for the slew of running backs that are expected to get carries this season, then Persa could get eaten alive. Also, the defense gave up too many big plays last season and that’s a concern considering they have to replace three of the four starters in the secondary. The Wildcats should be fun to watch again this year, but it’s hard envisioning them knocking off one of the top teams in the conference like they did last year in Iowa City.

#8 Purdue
The Boilermakers will rest their hopes on former Miami Hurricane quarterback Robert Marve, who has impressed the coaching staff this year with the way he can both pass and run. That said, Caleb TerBush could see snaps if Marve struggles early, so Purdue has options. Whoever is under center this year will benefit from the ultra-productive Keith Smith, who finished with 1,100 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season. Running back Al-Terek McBurse is also very talented, although the offensive line returns just two starters and will be inexperienced as a whole. The defense has a solid front seven, but the secondary is highly inexperienced and the run defense wasn’t very good last season. This team won’t have to play Iowa or Penn State this year, so they could wind up making some noise. But I can’t see them beating either Wisconsin or Ohio State in order to emerge as a true sleeper.

#9 Illinois
The Illini lost their top two playmakers from a season ago in receiver Arrelious Benn and quarterback Juice Williams, but they should be able to run the ball effectively with Mike LeShore, Jason Ford and dual-threat quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase. The defense will likely be more aggressive than it was a year ago, but if the unit can’t force more turnovers then it’ll likely struggle again. This is an intriguing team to keep an eye on, but there’s just too much unproven talent at key positions to think U of I will make any noise this year.

#10 Indiana
Thanks to quarterback Ben Chappell, running back Darius Willis, and receivers Tandon Doss, Damarlo Belcher and Terrance Turner, the Hoosiers will score plenty of points in 2010. It’s just a matter of if they’ll stop anybody. The defense only returns four starters from last year and there are plenty of question marks surrounding the seven new replacements. That said, with Towson, Western Kentucky, Akron and Arkansas State on their non-conference schedule this year, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Indiana will snag two conference wins and head to a bowl game this year, which would be a nice accomplishment.

#11 Minnesota
Too many questions surround the Gophers this year to ignore. They have potential issues at every level of their defense and if they can’t run the ball more effectively than they did in 2009, then talented quarterback Adam Weber and the rest of the passing game will suffer. Considering they have a solid group of freshman coming in this year, there’s reason for hope in Minnesota but chances are this team will sink to the bottom of the conference.

Check out other 2010 College Football Conference Previews: SEC | Big Ten | Big 12

As spring practices wrap up across the country, Andy Staples of SI.com ranked the top 25 college football teams entering the 2009 season. You can see Staples’ rankings by clicking the link above.

I’m intrigued by a couple of teams on his top 25, most notably Ole’ Miss (No. 7), Ohio State (No. 9) and TCU (No. 11).

Ole’ Miss is going to give a lot of SEC teams trouble this year with 16 total starters (8 on offense, 8 on defense) returning from last year, including quarterback Jevan Snead, who enters his second full season as a starter after throwing 26 touchdowns last season. They lost key components in offensive tackle Michael Oher and defensive tackle Peria Jerry, but they essentially return the same team that beat Florida, LSU and stomped Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl last year. (Not to mention also gave Alabama a game in Tuscaloosa.)

Out of the teams Staples ranks in his top 10, Ohio State has the fewest returning starters at nine. But quarterback Terrelle Pryor will only continue to improve with more playing time and running back Dan “Boom” Herron will ease the loss of Beanie Wells to the NFL. The Buckeyes should also have one of the best defensive fronts in the Big Ten, with end Lawrence Wilson and tackle Cameron Heyward set to return.

TCU turned a lot of heads last year after compiling an 11-2 record, including impressive wins over BYU and Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl. They had one of the fastest defenses in the nation last year and they held opponents to a staggering 11.3 points per game. But they lost seven starters on the defensive side of the ball, which was obviously their strength, so it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll stack up with Utah again in the Mountain West.

Another team to keep an eye on is Oregon State, who returns two explosive playmakers in running back Jacquizz Rodgers and wide receiver James Rodgers. But as Staples writes in his top 25 rankings, quarterback Lyle Moevano is coming off offseason shoulder surgery and will battle senior Sean Canfield in preseason practice.