DaytonDailyNews.com

When Bart Denlinger and his son Todd, an Ohio State University defensive lineman, finish phone conversations from Troy to Columbus, they repeat the letters L.T.D.

It stands for Living The Dream.

"This is Bart's dream, too," said Teri Denlinger, Todd's mother. "This is every guy's dream. We're just closer to it."

While tens of thousands of football players around the country wish for the chance to don a gray helmet and Ohio State scarlet while running onto the field at Ohio Stadium, very few get the chance. But there's another group that benefits from the athletic ability of 112 late-teens to early-20s men.

Their parents.

At a major football program such as Ohio State, which enters today's game at Michigan State as the nation's No. 1 team with a 6-0 record, the players have a long list of responsibilities. So, too, do their mothers and fathers, who work to ensure their sons are happy and healthy while soaking up as much of the experience and celebrity that their sons' roster spots grant them.

"You also realize how wonderful people are, how thoughtful they are," said Jane Pitcock, whose son Quinn is a defensive lineman and captain from Piqua. "I wouldn't trade the experience."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@daytondailynews.com.

When your son's a Buckeye: lots of pride, some sacrifice