He’s a self-proclaimed “little white wide receiver,” but as a Buckeye, Dane Sanzenbacher has been challenged to be so much more.

“I get that a lot. I get pinned as (Anthony) Gonzalez or (Brian) Hartline because we’re both little white wide receivers,” Sanzenbacher said. “It’s easy to learn from the guys and they’re two good mentors to have.”

Hartline saw his successor’s potential early on.

“Dane Sanzenbacher is doing a really good job at making great strides in his game,” Hartline said following Sanzenbacher’s first season.

“There is a point when you get to college and lose your swagger and become not as edgy. As you keep playing, you gain an understanding of the speed of the game and things slow down and you learn how to make adjustments on the run. Dane is doing that and is seeing things a lot quicker.”

Three years later, at 5-feet-11-inches, Sanzenbacher is aggressive and has developed that speed.

It’s been a learning experience for Sanzenbacher, who wasn’t highly recruited out of Toledo Central Catholic High School.

“I would never have imagined I would have been here,” Sanzenbacher said. “Just being able to be a part of it was kind of a dream in the first place and then to get where it’s at right now is pretty crazy.”

It’s become the norm for Sanzenbacher to have to block on the Buckeye offense.

“You get used to it,” he said.

Sanzenbacher etched his name into the record books following OSU’s 73-20 victory over Eastern Michigan on Sept. 25.

“Well, I think obviously you never come into a game expecting to do that,” Sanzenbacher said following the game.

Sanzenbacher tied Terry Glenn (1995) and Bob Grimes (1952) with four touchdown receptions in a single game, the OSU record.

“That was unbelievable, not something I thought I’d do, to be named with names like Terry Glenn,” Sanzenbacher said. “It’s pretty awesome to have a piece of this history wherever you can get it, it’s cool to know that your name will be in the book forever.”

Sanzenbacher leads the team with 505 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has found Sanzenbacher for more receptions, but Sanzenbacher maintains he’s just in the right place at the right time and they connect with one another.

“I definitely think we have good chemistry together,” Sanzenbacher said. “I understand what he’s thinking.”

“Dane’s good,” Tressel said. “He’s where he’s supposed to be … It’s all according to who’s open, and some of the things we were doing, Dane was the guy that popped open.”

Close on his heels is best friend Brandon Saine with six touchdowns.

Saine, a graduate of Piqua High School, played Sanzenbacher in high school, but they didn’t know each other personally.

Irony struck close to home when Sanzenbacher and Saine were roommates in their first year. Both agree that they are best friends.

Looking at all four years, Sanzenbacher is content with the progression of the guys that he entered camp with in 2007.

“I think we’re guys that have been through tough wins, tough losses, been through a lot different situations in our career since we were freshman back in the national championship game,” he said. “And being able to win at the Rose Bowl and everything that came in between, I think when you bring that experience it just breeds confidence.”

The future for Sanzenbacher is still unclear.

“Obviously I want to take this football thing as far as I can. If not, we’ll see, I couldn’t even speculate though, cause I wouldn’t guess I’d be here a year ago.”

If Sanzenbacher follows in the footsteps of Gonzalez and Hartline, he should be preparing for the NFL draft. Gonzalez went to the Indianapolis Colts in the first round. In 2009, Hartline went to the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round.

Tressel gave each senior a notebook that documented the number of days each player has left as a Buckeye.

“It’s crazy how fast that goes though, that’s something that kind of put it into perspective, how little time we have left. It’s kind of depressing,” Sanzenbacher said. “We’ve just rattled them off, so I mean it’s flying by.”

In the midst of his senior year, he isn’t thinking about his personal future, but the future of the Buckeyes and the ‘one week at a time’ attitude. One more thing comes to mind: a national championship.

“We’re pretty sure they’re sick of us winning championships, but I mean it’s something that comes with the territory,” Sanzenbacher said. “We feel like, at least to the seniors, it’s our job to kind of pass down the knowledge and preach to the younger guys that it just doesn’t happen.”