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Monday, October 6, 2008
Robiskie’s recovery kept Buckeyes on winning track
Ohio State’s football season is fun again. The Buckeyes have a lot to play for in the coming weeks — mainly a Rose Bowl bid — thanks to Terrelle Pryor’s best John Elway impression Saturday night.
Oh, and Brian Robiskie’s fumble recovery.
Keep in mind that Pryor’s game-winning touchdown run would not have materialized had Robiskie not pounced on Brian Hartline’s fumble a couple plays before Pryor put OSU ahead with an 11-yard run with 1:08 to play.
If Wisconsin recovers, we suddenly have a moping bunch of Buckeyes. Instead, because Robiskie was in the right place at the right time, OSU seems rejuvenated after a tough, 20-17 victory. It’s as if the physical punishment they took (and dished out) woke them up.
AREA HONORS: Linebacker Ross Homan tied his personal best with 10 tackles for the second game in a row. The Coldwater product also recovered a fumble and was named the Buckeyes’ defensive player of the week.
Among the Scout Team honorees was Beavercreek’s Zach Domicone (Special Units).
A FEW POSTGAME items to clean up:
— Think Chris Wells doesn’t like smash-mouth football? In two career games against Wisconsin, Wells has carried 43 times for 337 yards and four touchdowns.
— James Laurinaitis made 10 tackles, marking the 12th game of his career with 10 or more.
— Ohio State snapped Wisconsin’s 16-game home win streak.
— Ohio State is 125-101-12 all-time against ranked opponents and 37-40-7 on the road against ranked foes. The Buckeyes are 31-10 overall and 10-5 on the road against ranked teams under Jim Tressel.
— Under Tressel, the Buckeyes are 14-7 in night games and 7-3 in Big Ten night games away from Ohio Stadium.
KICKOFF AT MICHIGAN STATE on Oct. 18 is 3:30 p.m. That will be an ABC telecast, and the storyline is a good one: Javon Ringer, who wanted to play for Ohio State, tries to show the Buckeyes he would’ve looked good in scarlet and gray.
This Saturday’s home game against Purdue also is a 3:30 start. It’s Joe Tiller’s last chance to win at Ohio Stadium. Don’t count on it.
Looking ahead, the Oct. 25 game against Penn State (8 p.m., ABC) at Ohio Stadium could have some big national title implications if the Nittany Lions can remain undefeated the next two weeks (at Wisconsin, home vs. Michigan).
