COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Joe Germaine got caught breaking curfew at last year's Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. He got caught up in the frenzied surroundings of The Big Easy and apparently couldn't help himself.

	Ohio State quarterback Joe Germaine is described as a total team player.

No, he wasn't lured onto Bourbon Street. He was consumed by a passion of another sort -- game film. He was scrutinizing Florida State into the wee hours and lost track of the time. What a wild man.

While some might be tempted by the glitz and glamour that can sometimes consume college football, particularly the No. 1 team in the nation, this isn't a problem for Germaine. He's a throwback -- perhaps to as far back as prohibition.

He's a man of few words in a world where talk and hype can get you noticed by the media and those who vote for post-season honors.

Perhaps a little noise would help him build a campaign for the Heisman -- you know lobby a little, let them know your are there, Joe!

But, Germaine, the senior captain and quarterback for Buckeyes, is not your typical college quarterback. Matter of fact, he's not your typical college student.

So, what does Joe Germaine do to let loose?

"I like being around my family. I have nieces and nephews and I enjoy spending time with them," Germaine said.

OK, so Joe's ideas of cutting loose wouldn't shock anybody -- except maybe Dennis Rodman.

Last year, the 1997 Rose Bowl MVP shared the quarterback duties with Stanley Jackson. Armchair coaches all over Buckeye Land felt his pain and complained on talk radio and in letters to newspapers, but Germaine remained low key.

"He never uttered a peep," coach John Cooper said. "Joe is the total team player, and he represents the best in college football."

And now a year later, what did he have to say about that trying situation?

"It was the coaches decision," he said. "That's their call and the team came first not Stan or me."

But this year the job is his alone and Germaine is getting recognized -- frankly, for those who follow college football he's been hard to miss.

The Buckeyes rank first in pass efficiency, scoring and first downs per game in the Big Ten. Through seven games he has accumulated 1,873 yards passing, thrown for 14 touchdowns and has only four interceptions. The impressive numbers are a result of nothing more mysterious than talent and an old-fashioned work ethic.

"People don't know how hard he works," said wide receiver David Boston. "During the summer he throws a lot of balls to me and when we're done, he goes off and throws more through the tires."

Germaine is a quiet leader who has the respect and confidence of his teammates.

"Joe is always so well prepared, every check he makes is right, he keeps us all on the same page," flanker Dee Miller said. "That's why we all have so much confidence in him."

Offensive tackle Tyson Walter agrees: "I don't care what the situation is, if we really need to move down the field Joe is going to make the right decisions and he'll get us there -- we completely trust him."

Last Saturday against Northwestern Germaine led the Buckeyes to their seventh win of the season. Though he threw for over 300 yards and OSU won, he had an "off day." Even Cooper admitted it.

So what about it, Joe? An off day?

"It was a quiet 300 yards, I'll tell you that," Germaine said. "For the most part today, we recovered from some sputtering times."

If sputtering means throwing for 342 yards, setting a school record for consecutive games over 300 yards passing, and leading your team to a 26-point victory, one has to wonder what a good day would look like.

The next stop for the Buckeye express is Bloomington, Ind. They'll face the vastly improved Hoosiers who will set out to do what no team has done yet this year -- shut down Germaine and company.

And in the end, if Heisman voters feel he is the best player in college football on the best team in the nation, then what?

Well, Joe, would you loosen up a little, maybe hoot and holler?

"It would be great for the university and this team," he said. "But, if it's OK, I'll talk to you tomorrow, I've got to go watch the Indiana film."

What a wild man.