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October 2008
More recruiting, starring Rich Rodriguez
In a bye week, it’s time to take in the big picture around the Big Ten. And here it is: Rich Rodriguez knows Michigan fans are impatient, and he knows things are tough.
Would it be different if Terrelle Pryor were in Ann Arbor? Tough to say. It seems pretty clear he would be the starting quarterback, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a better won-loss record.
Rodriguez doesn’t bank his optimism in his quarterback depth. He places it in recruiting, writes Bruce Hooley on FOXSports.com.
Now Pryor is at Ohio State, intent on tormenting the Wolverines the next several years, while Rodriguez struggles with redshirt freshman Steven Threet until two quarterback commitments arrive next season.
“It’s obvious, we’re struggling a little bit,” Rodriguez said. “It’s been a long time since our guys — maybe the first time our guys — have been, and a long time since I’ve went through something like this, but it’s not the end of the world. One positive in recruiting is that guys can see that, ‘Hey, maybe I can make an impact and help them get it turned around.’ ”
Exactly. Recruits could choose Michigan because they have a chance to help restore a legendary program to full strength.
However, Ohio State has a pretty good chance (understatement) of earning a fifth straight win against the Wolverines, especially with the game in Columbus. And between the two, recruiting isn’t looking so hot for Michigan, either.
Michigan’s 17 commitments so far give it the No. 15 class nationally, according to Scout.com.
Trouble is, Ohio State has 25 commitments and ranks No. 1.
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Saturday was loss on field, win in recruiting
Good note from Rivals.com football recruiting editor Jeremy Crabtree on the importance of last weekend to Ohio State. Not just against Penn State, but in recruiting:
Almost all of Ohio State’s 2009 commitments were there, and another top-flight recruit was on hand for his official visit. Rivals100 defensive tackle Corey Adams from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro said he enjoyed his time in Columbus despite the Buckeyes’ loss.
“The game was incredible,” Adams said. “Obviously it could have turned out better for Ohio State, but it was exciting and I really got into it. After watching Ohio State’s defense, I think I could fit in really well with them.”
Other recruits in Ohio Stadium included:
Offensive lineman Marcus Hall of Cleveland Glenville
Linebacker Jamel Turner of Youngstown (Ohio) Ursuline
Linebacker Jordan Hicks of Lakota West.
The Buckeyes already have a strong group of commitments for the Class of 2009, but it never hurts to have more. Despite the loss, the atmosphere of Ohio Stadium and the promising young players, including quarterback Terrelle Pryor, could help sway recruits.
Of course, not everyone was blown away with the play on the field.
After watching the Buckeyes up close again, Hall said he definitely would be able to compete for early playing time.
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Buckeyes, Northwestern kick off at noon on Nov. 8
Want another sure sign that this season has taken a turn for the worse for Ohio State? How about this: The Buckeyes’ game on Nov. 8 at Northwestern will be played at noon. It will be televised on ESPN or ESPN2.
That’s the time slot usually reserved for teams like Indiana, Purdue or Connecticut. No more 3:30 ABC slots for OSU.
It’s probably just as well. Yes, Ohio State and Penn State played some great defense on Saturday night, but 13-6? One touchdown was scored in the game. One.
Did you notice some of the other scores last Saturday? Here are the point totals put up by some other top-15 teams: Oklahoma, 58; Florida, 63; Texas Tech, 63; Georgia, 52; TCU, 54; BYU 42.
Those points totals look like college basketball scores.
Yes, I know Terrelle Pryor is a freshman, but you’ve got to put the ball in the end zone. The Buckeyes have played three games in which the offense has failed to score a touchdown. And they still could go to the Rose Bowl.
Amazing, but true.
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Penn State ruins Pryor’s coming-out party
Penn State defeated Ohio State 13-6 on Saturday night, kicking the Buckeyes out of the national championship conversation.
The other big score was 2-0. As in OSU made two turnovers and PSU made zero. And while you’re throwing up goose eggs, consider that the Nittany Lions were not called for a single penalty, despite an Ohio Stadium record crowd of 105,711
At halftime, it looked like the team that forced a turnover would win. Sure enough, that’s what happened after OSU freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor fumbled at midfield in the fourth quarter.
After a mad scramble, Penn State recovered at the OSU 38 and went on to score the game’s only touchdown.
Pryor lost the ball fighting for a first down on 3rd-and-1. The ball was knocked out by Penn State defender Mark Rubin.
“He tried to slide outside,” OSU coach Jim Tressel said. “A helmet hit the ball or something hit the ball or whatever. It was unfortunate.”
Penn State kept Pryor on its radar all night. The Pennsylvania native, who talked tough all week, finished 16-for-25 passing with 226 yards. Decent numbers, but the numbers that killed the Buckeyes were the QB’s rushing stats: nine carries for 6 yards.
“He was under a little bit of duress,” Tressel said. “I thought he hung in there and did some good things.”
The way Pryor reacted after the game wasn’t good. He sat on the bench, head buried for several minutes. If you want to be a leader, it’s probably best to hold your head up and shake hands.
There are plenty of good days ahead for Pryor, but they might have to wait until 2009.
“We have to try to put this one behind us in the next couple days and move on,” OSU linebacker Marcus Freeman said.
QUICK HITS
— ABC play-by-play guy Brent Musberger uttered the dumbest sentence of the night when he wondered aloud whether there would be a quarterback controversy after Pat Devlin replaced Daryll Clark late in the game. Clark was, uh, injured, although he didn’t look like it.
— Just wondering … Did Tressel even consider putting Todd Boeckman in at QB to change these up a little?
— OSU’s defense looked good, but Penn State’s was better. The Buckeyes managed just 61 yards rushing on 31 carries. Ouch.
— The all-time series with Penn State is now tied at 12-12. OSU holds a 10-6 edge since PSU joined the Big Ten in 1993.
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Pin loss on offensive line, game plan
Ohio State has perhaps the best running back in the nation in Beanie Wells, but the Buckeyes’ offensive line made him look as if he were plucked off one of the school’s intramural flag-football teams against Penn State.
No push. No holes. No daylight.
Yes, Penn State has one the better defenses in the nation, but it’s certainly not an awe-inspiring bunch. In fact, only real college football aficionados could name more than one or two players off that unit.
But Wells — a big-time, big-game player — could gain only 11 yards on 10 carries in the first half and finished with 55 yards on 22 attempts.
Of course, Terrelle Pryor’s fourth-quarter fumble will be the play everyone remembers from the 13-6 defeat. But the Buckeyes might not have found themselves in such a taut, nerve-crunching affair if they hadn’t been so intent on sticking with their ultra-conservative game plan.
Perhaps Pryor just isn’t ready to digest more of the playbook, but the Buckeyes could have loosened up the Penn State defense — and maybe created some openings for Wells — with a vertical passing game. Instead, OSU fell into a familiar pattern: two runs and a pass attempt on third-and-7. Not exactly a recipe for success.
The loss was costly for the Buckeyes. Let’s face it, their national title hopes were shot already, but a victory would have put them alone in first place in the Big Ten with three games to go — at Northwestern, at Illinois and Michigan at home.
If they had beaten Penn State and won out, they would have become the first team in Big Ten history to capture three straight outright conference titles.
If they had beaten Penn State and stumbled once in their final three games, they still would have been the Big Ten co-champs (assuming the Nittany Lions didn’t lose again) and played in the Rose Bowl.
Now, they need major help to seize a share of the league crown. The Nittany Lions would have to lose one of their final three games against either Iowa on the road or Indiana and Michigan State at home.
Don’t see that happening.
Looks like a trip to the Capital One Bowl will have to suffice.
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Stats pack: Buckeyes, Nittany Lions
The following info is brought to you courtesy of Rusty Miller, an outstanding writer for the Associated Press. Rusty’s based in Columbus and will be covering Saturday night’s Ohio State-Penn State tussle.
This was at the end of his daily Buckeye Periscope column, that runs daily in the DDN.
STATS PACK: Numbers you can’t do without:
Penn State has produced 51 plays that went at least 20 yards this season.
Ohio State is a 2-point underdog at home. Last time the Buckeyes weren’t favored at Ohio Stadium was the 2004 Michigan game. A 4-point underdog, the Buckeyes won 37-21.
Rain is forecast earlier in the day on Saturday in Columbus, with a possibility of light showers during the game.
Each starting QB has thrown only two interceptions so far this season.
Penn State is No. 3 in graduation success rates among AP Top 25 teams; Ohio State is not in the top 16.
Much is made of the Nittany Lions’ high-scoring offense, but the defense is in the top 10 in the nation in pass efficiency, total defense and scoring defense.
Ohio State’s director of football operations Bob Tucker, who is retiring after the season, was a grad assistant with the Penn State football team in 1965 and ‘66 (Joe Paterno’s first as head coach) and got his master’s degree there in ‘67.
Penn State’s Kevin Kelly last week became the leading kick scorer in Big Ten history with 376 points.
The Nittany Lions will not have a walkthrough at Ohio Stadium.
Ohio State is 6-1 in home night games, but lost the last one (Texas, 2005).
The Buckeyes are 10-5 against Penn State since the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten in 1993, 7-0 at home.
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Buckeyes will keep rolling toward Pasadena
Mighty Penn State is a 2 1/2-point favorite in Saturday night’s Big Ten battle royale against Ohio State in Columbus. The Nittany Lions have laid waste to just about every team in their path this season, scoring more than 40 points in six of their eight victories.
But, Penn State trailed at halftime to lowly Michigan last week. That ain’t right.
Ohio State last week finally looked like THE OSU everyone expected to see this season. A complete stomping of Michigan State has me convinced that we’ll see the Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. Against USC? That would be a juicy story line.
Anyway, back to this week’s game. More reasons to like the Buckeyes in this one:
— The home team is 8-2 in this series since 1998.
— Penn State looked about as bad against Purdue as Ohio State did, pulling out a 20-6 victory. That means we’re not dealing with the New England Patriots here.
— Does anyone remember last year’s game in Happy Valley? Hello! Ohio State pasted Penn State 37-17, and most of the Buckeyes from that team are back.
— OSU QB Terrelle Pryor has something to prove against his home-state team. He’ll be focused, sharp and might even complete a few passes!
— OSU is 5-0 against the spread in last five home games vs. Penn State. The Nittany Lions obviously have the Buckeyes’ full attention. You’ll hear the word “redemption” thrown around a lot on Saturday.
My advice is to turn down the TV sound to spare yourself from the Brent Musberger slobber-fest and go with the radio guys.
Oh, and take the points and the Buckeyes.
LAST WEEK: If you’re going to lose you might as well make it good. Our advice last week was to take Michigan State and the points. Alas, the spread was only 4. The favored Buckeyes won 45-7. That pretty much sums up why I don’t bet on football.
THE SEASON: The beat-down in East Lansing drops our season record vs. the spread to 4-3. Respectable, but not good enough to finance a new bass boat, or even a fancy tackle box.
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Color of the day at Ohio Stadium will be scarlet
If you’re heading to Columbus on Saturday for the big Ohio State-Penn State clash, don’t forget to wear your scarlet. That’s the word from OSU, from the top (Jim Tressel) on down.
“We need the place to be a sea of scarlet,” Tressel said Thursday on his radio show. “We need to create that home-field advantage … scream and yell and make it hard on Penn State.
“I think our fans will be up to the occasion.”
Another thing: Be careful out there. Things can get ugly outside Ohio Stadium after dark. Let’s just say the tail-gating has the potential to get out of hand.
ODDS & ENDS
— ESPN’s College GameDay will set up shop on the south side of St. John Arena, with the Shoe as a backdrop. Hopefully Desmond Howard and Nick Lachey won’t sing Penn State’s fight song. (If you recall, those two goofs belted out “Victors” on the show a couple years back.)
— Other things to do besides drink and watch football include: OSU women’s hockey game at 1 p.m. (free admission); women’s basketball practice from noon to 2 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center; men’s basketball scrimmage at 4 p.m.
— Former OSU coach John Cooper will be recognized on the field at halftime for his upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. He’s expected to wear scarlet.
— Fans watching from home will get some odd angles from Skycam, touted as a “patented broadcast-quality robotic camera suspended from a cable-driven, computerized transport system that can fly in three-dimensional space.” … Uh, OK.
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And Pryor could’ve been their teammate
This is a photo that arrives when you do a search for pictures of State College, Pa. I’ve never been there. A good friend went to school at Penn State and never wanted to leave, so it must be nice.
Terrelle Pryor didn’t like it. Among the things he said, which he might now regret, was that State College is “too country.”
Saturday, Pryor will play the team that perhaps recruited him the hardest, and there are some mixed feelings about his choice of Ohio State, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“He knows he’s going to get harassed and jerked around,” said (Pryor’s high school assistant coach Roy) Hall, who has attended four of Pryor’s games in Columbus but will have to skip this one because his Jayhawks are playing Greensburg Central Catholic in a battle of unbeaten high school teams.
“When a P.A. boy leaves the state for Ohio and doesn’t go to Penn State or Pitt, he knows he’s going to get the business. But he thrives on it. He feeds off that situation.”
The word on Pryor and Penn State was that Pryor was ready to commit to Ohio State on signing day last February but that his father wanted him to take another look at the Nittany Lions. He said all along he loved PSU assistant Tom Bradley, as well.
It just wasn’t enough to get him to State College.
“He’s actually texted me a couple times and called once asking if he was going to take me on a tour of Columbus, but I told him I didn’t need one,” (Bradley) said. “He was a guy we really wanted. They loved me at [the] Eat ‘n Park [in Jeannette}. I guess they have 33 different shakes there and I probably had 27 of ‘em.”
Penn State, of course, is doing just fine for the time being. The Nittany Lions are ranked third nationally, in large part because of their mobile quarterback Daryll Clark. There could be harder feelings in the coming years as Clark moves on, depending on what else comes up for PSU at the quarterback position.
Everyone’s playing nice for the most part, but you know the Penn State defenders have to be licking their chops to attack the quarterback that spurned them.
The outstanding quarterback play they’re getting from Clark, though, has to soften the blow, even if his place might be more uncertain if Pryor were wearing a Penn State uniform.
“I would hope it still would be me,” Clark said. “… He made his decision. [I] don’t know if it’s a bad one or not. I can’t really say it’s a bad one because he’s doing well right now. He’s actually playing as a true freshman. So what more could you want?”
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Joe Paterno will not give you his vote
Joe Paterno’s Penn State football team is ranked third in the country heading into the weekend’s prime time game against Ohio State in Columbus.
But not because Paterno voted for them.
The 81-year-old coach, who has been vocal in his belief that a playoff is best for big-time college football, no longer votes in the coaches poll.
“They told me you had to vote according to BCS, I forget what restrictions, I said I’m not gonna do that,” Paterno said. “I’m not gonna vote for somebody I don’t think belongs to be No. 1. So, they asked me not to vote anymore.”
Instead, Paterno is coaching his Nittany Lions toward a possible spot in the BCS Championship Game. Penn State has rolled over opponents with the Big Ten’s best offense and its traditionally strong defense and enters Ohio Stadium for what could be the deciding game of the Big Ten Conference.
Even if Penn State reaches that championship game (plenty of football to play, I know), and even if it wins, Paterno might not be quite as giddy as other coaches. He has been stung before with teams he thought should have been the country’s best.
“I thought our ‘69 and our ‘94 teams were two of the best teams to ever play college football,” he said. Neither, though, was awarded the national title.
“That’s why I’ve always been for a playoff,” he said.
Not that he gets a vote.
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Tressel coaching at 90?
The question on the Big Ten teleconference was obviously a play on Joe Paterno’s age. A reporter wanted to know what 55-year-old Jim Tressel thought he would be doing in 25 years, which would match him with Penn State’s 81-year-old Joe Paterno as an 80-something college football coach.
“Maybe sitting in the press box at Ohio Stadium watching the game,” Tressel said. “I’m trying to get through this week. Lord willing, I’ll be around in 25 years.”
Paterno has spent his time lately in the PSU press box because of injuries that make it difficult to walk the sideline. It’s a big change in his 43rd season as Penn State’s head coach.
Tressel is in his eighth season with the Buckeyes, which means if he coaches Ohio State for as many season as Paterno has led the Nittany Lions, Tressel would be talking about an opponent on a teleconference at age 90.
Can you imagine, Ohio State fans? Hasn’t it already seemed like an eternity since a much darker-haired Tressel gave his famous speech at the OSU basketball halftime?
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Beanie will have to learn to deal with pain
Beanie Wells complained of some discomfort in his troublesome right foot after a 31-carry, 140-yard performance against Michigan State last week, but coach Jim Tressel doesn’t think the lingering soreness is any cause for alarm.
Asked whether Wells would be 100-percent healthy for the Penn State game, Tressel said on the Big Ten teleconference Tuesday: “I think he’s at the top end. I don’t know what 100 percent means. He’s an extraordinary guy and gets sore like any back who carries 30 times.
“He’s a power-type guy, but I think he’s as good as he’s going to get for a running back.”
For being such a brute when he carries the ball, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound Wells seems to come up lame as often as a brittle 175-pound back. We’ve all watched him limp to the bench over the last three years, looking as if he might be sidelined for good, only to see him return to the huddle the next play.
No one would dare call Wells soft, at least not to his face, but whenever health questions arise, Tressel seems to be trying to get a message across to his star, one that perhaps hasn’t been fully embraced yet: For a workhorse running back, pain is a constant companion.
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Let’s see which head Corso wears
For the second time this season, Ohio State will be featured on ESPN’s College GameDay. This time, though, it will be on the Buckeyes’ campus.
GameDay will be in Columbus this weekend for Ohio State’s big-time Big Ten game against Penn State. That’s both a nod to the game’s importance and, presumably, the national perception warming to the Buckeyes.
It wasn’t long ago that athletic director Andy Geiger told ESPN and GameDay wouldn’t be welcome in Columbus because of the way the network covered the Maurice Clarett story. Earlier this year, the group was on hand for the Buckeyes’ game against USC in California, which didn’t turn out well.
Now Chris, Lee and Kirk will broadcast with an Ohio Stadium backdrop. Could this mean that the country is becoming more comfortable with paying attention to Ohio State again? And that the Big Ten isn’t the joke it was when the season began?
Or, it could just be that the ESPN folks didn’t think the weekend schedule produced any better games.
It’ll take more than a win against Penn State to get the Buckeyes back into the national embrace, of course. But winning with ESPN’s orange bus-traveling crew on site with greater national attention couldn’t hurt.
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Meet Daryll Clark, Penn State destroyer
Joe Paterno can’t get all the credit. As the octogenarian coach sits high above the stadium wearing his cockeyed headset and watches Penn State roll over opponents, it is Daryll Clark who does much of the destruction on the field (along, of course, with the very strong defense).
We heard for years about Anthony Morelli before he took over Penn State’s offense and was mostly lackluster for two years or so. But not many people outside Happy Valley knew much about Clark before he took the reins this season and made the Nittany Lions into one of college football’s best offenses.
So, here he is:
Clark went to Ursuline High School in Youngstown, where he threw for 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior. He was a second-team All-Ohio pick in Division IV. When he signed his letter of intent with Penn State, Clark was rated by Rivals.com as a three-star athlete (average, at best) as Derrick Williams and Justin King led the recruiting class in publicity.
As a freshman and sophomore, Clark was a combined 20-of-36 for 147 yards while playing behind Morelli. Then, this season, Clark exploded.
(As a side note, Morelli, for some reason, has his own Web site.)
Let’s go to the numbers: Clark has completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 1,531 yards and 11 touchdowns against two interceptions. The Nittany Lions have the Big Ten’s best offense, as they average 45.4 points per game and 482.1 yards per game (Illinois averages more yards, at 484.6 per game).
He’s big at 6 feet 2 and 231 pounds, has a strong arm and is very elusive (elusive QBs ring a bell, we’re sure, for Ohio State fans).
Added up, that makes for a quarterback worth fearing this weekend when Ohio State plays Penn State.
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Lack of passing game puzzling
Ohio State flexed its muscle in dismantling Michigan State on Saturday, rolling to a 45-7 win. But there was still a somewhat troubling aspect to the Buckeyes’ victory.
Yes, Terrelle was terrific, and Beanie was a beast. But that duo is still too susceptible to negative-yardage plays, and that could easily cost the Buckeyes in some bigger games.
Opponents feel like they can tee off on the Buckeyes’ ground game because there’s very little consequences for guessing wrong. It’s amazing, really, that Pryor (72 yards on 12 rushes) and Wells (141 on 31) were as successful as they were since foes pretty much knew that one or the other was going to get the ball.
But there’s a solution to this increasingly predictable offense: Turn Terrelle loose.
I know he’s only a freshman, and there’s still a lot of the offense left to absorb. But even though coaches tend to make football as complicated as splitting atoms, I believe Pryor could bite off a little more of the passing game without messing up his progress.
He finished 7-of-11 passing for 116 yards against the Spartans. Eleven attempts! Most QBs uncork that many throws just trying to avoid taking a sack.
Coach Jim Tressel seems to trust Pryor with low-risk swing passes and deep bombs where interceptions are tolerable because they’re virtually the same as a punt. But he’s ready for more than that.
Tressel needs to allow him to loosen up defenses with some intermediate throws. If not, the Buckeyes aren’t going to survive against the likes of Penn State.
This can be a Big Ten championship season. The offense has some weapons. It’s time for Tressel to use all of them.
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If Buckeyes beat Penn State, expect BCS critics to melt down
Ohio State fans got the win they’ve been looking for. The Buckeyes completely crushed Michigan State on Saturday, a 45-7 stuffing in East Lansing that puts OSU back in the … BCS national championship picture?
Sure, why not?
A win next week against Penn State would create all kinds of possibilities. A lot of teams in front of the Buckeyes — including half the Big 12, it seems — will eventually fall. And if one-loss USC should stumble, who knows?
BTW, if you need to start making plans, the BCS championship is Jan. 9 in Miami. Man, if Ohio State showed up on South Beach you might see Congress try to pass legislation forcing a playoff system.
Anyway, back to Saturday’s game. If you drank the Javon Ringer Kool-Aid, it’s time to spit it out. Great player, but he can’t do it alone. Michigan State jinxed Javon by launching a web site Friday pumping him for the Heisman Trophy. The Buckeyes finished him off, allowing the C-J grad to rush for a quiet 67 yards.
“He’s a great back and even a better person,” OSU coach Jim Tressel said after the game. “We were able to keep him from going crazy.”
MSU wasn’t able to say the same about the Buckeyes’ defense, which would’ve produced huge points in a college football fantasy league.
A late Buckeye defensive touchdown — their second of the game — capped this mismatch.
“That was not a 45-7 ballgame, we all know that,” Tressel said, perhaps trying to soothe the psyche of old friend Mark Dantonio, whose team fell apart just as Michigan State teams always seem to do.
Up next is Penn State. The last time the Nittany Lions came to Columbus, Joe Paterno sprinted to the bathroom near the end of the first half. He was fighting a flu bug.
This time, we might not even see JoePa on the sideline, bad hip and all. But his team is better. Should be fun.
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Spartans could put OSU through the Ringer
Back in early January, a day before Ohio State was dumped by LSU in the national championship game, many of the Buckeyes were asked to reveal their favorite movie.
It was almost unanimous: 300.
Great flick. It’s about 300 bad-ass Spartans who do some serious damage to the Persians back in 480 B.C. The Spartans’ leader, King Leonidas, rallies his troops by yelling, “Spartans! Prepare for glory!”
The Buckeyes probably won’t be watching 300 in their Lansing hotel rooms tonight.
Ohio State is a 4-point favorite Saturday at Spartan Stadium. The line was 3 earlier in the week, which means a lot of folks are jumping on the OSU bandwagon.
Me? I’m taking the points and Michigan State. Even if it’s close and the Buckeyes pull it out, that field goal-plus 1 cushion looks enticing.
You usually can count on Michigan State self-destructing, but this group of Spartans looks pretty solid. MSU has won six straight for the first time since 1999, the last time it beat OSU.
The Buckeyes are a dismal 10th in offense in the Big Ten and there seems to be some discontent about automatically trotting Terrelle Pryor onto the field as Todd Boeckman sits on the sideline and wonders about landing a job after the season.
I’ve never been a big Brian Hoyer fan, but the MSU quarterback is someone competent. The Spartans, of course, will give the ball to Javon Ringer 40 times. The C-J grad has carried 247 times for 1,112 yards this season.
Considering the whole story about his recruitment, I’d say Javon will be extra-special motivated to show his home-state team that it should’ve done everything humanly possible to get him in a scarlet & gray uniform.
LAST WEEK: OSU was a 19-point favorite against Purdue. Both teams looked horrible in the Buckeyes’ 16-3 victory. But the Boilermakers covered, as we predicted.
That gives us a 4-2 record against the spread. We’ve won two straight; let’s make it three.
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Denlinger a factor on defensive line
Sounds like Troy’s Todd Denlinger is in full-recovery mode. The Buckeyes junior defensive tackle will be an important cog in The OSU Machine on Saturday at run-happy Michigan State, especially with talented defensive end Lawrence Wilson lost for the season.
Denlinger has missed a lot of time with a high ankle sprain. But OSU coach Jim Tressel gave out some positive vibes on his Thursday radio show.
“I think he’s over the hill,” Tressel said, in a positive way. “He’s on his way back up.”
I think he meant over the hump or something, injury-wise. Anyway, the ankle must be feeling better.
“A guy like Todd Denlinger is a study guy,” Tressel said, indicating that Denlinger didn’t spend his time on the sidelines waving towels at the fans. “He was out, but was staying in it.”
Denlinger forced an interception in last week’s snoozer against Purdue.
QUOTE TIME: Tressel on what he expects from Michigan State: “I doubt if Michigan State is going to throw it 57 times (Purdue threw 51 passes). You have to reset your mindset.”
A caller tried to ask Tressel if he’s going to “get help” calling the plays, but kind of chickened out when the coach acted like he didn’t understand the question.
“We get a lot of help,” Tressel said. “I get lots of letters and e-mails. I get more help than I can stand.”
Good line.
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No excuses for Buckeye offensive woes
Purdue coach Joe Tiller applauded his defense for keeping Ohio State out of the end zone during a 16-3 defeat last week — the Buckeyes tallied three field goals and a special-teams TD — but Tiller should be careful not to give that unit too much credit for its performance.
Meager offensive outputs have become the norm at OSU this season.
In the Big Ten stats this week, the Buckeyes are a dismal 10th in total offense, while Michigan is 11th. The Wolverines probably deserve a pass this year since they’re phasing in a new system with heavy player turnover, but OSU has no such excuse.
In fact, offensive problems have surfaced frequently during Jim Tressel’s tenure. In his seven previous seasons, the Buckeyes have finished sixth or worse in the league in total offense six times. The lone exception was a second-place showing in 2006 when Troy Smith won the Heisman.
How can a program that consistently pulls in one of the top two recruiting classes in the conference be so feeble on offense? Some point to Tressel’s play-calling, labeling it predictable, and others cite a lack of second-half adjustments. I’m no expert, but I believe the pillow-soft offensive line is to blame.
I can’t ever recall the unit just overpowering an opposing front four. The group even had trouble opening holes against the likes of Ohio U. and Troy this season.
The Buckeyes are heading into the meat of their schedule, meaing they’ll need to find an answer soon. If not, other coaches will emerge from their clashes with OSU just as happy as Tiller.
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Tressel, Ringer together again … on the field
The best storyline in the Big Ten this week is Ohio State vs. Javon Ringer (and Michigan State). It took a matter of seconds for reporters to zero-in on the topic during today’s Big Ten teleconference.
“Ringer is a special guy; he lifts the entire football team,” OSU coach Jim Tressel said, adding that the first thing you notice about Ringer is his exceptional character.
“He lights up a room when he walks into it; he lights up a huddle when he walks into it,” Tressel said.
Of course, when Ringer was a star at Chaminade-Julienne High School, it was no secret that Ohio State wanted him … bad. Ringer was a great kid but wasn’t the greatest student, and OSU was getting a little tougher on admissions while licking its wounds after the Maurice Clarett PR debacle.
Tressel pushed hard for Ringer, and there were reports that he took his case to OSU President Karen Holbrook. Tressel denied it today.
“I’m not sure that’s exactly accurate, no,” Tressel responded when asked if he went to the top. “We definitely wanted him to come, but it didn’t work out.”
We’ll see how it works out on the field for Ringer on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ABC).
INJURY UPDATES: Tressel said that OSU backup running back Dan Herron will play Saturday at Michigan State. Herron missed last week’s game with a concussion.
Other injury news:
— Tight end Rory Nicol and backup linebacker Austin Spitler will play at MSU.
— Backup wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher returns after suffering a concussion at Wisconsin.
— Defensive end Lawrence Wilson, who was injured during the Purdue game, is out.
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New Buckeye book not like others
One of the perks of being an Ohio State beat writer is that publishers send you free books about the Buckeyes hoping for a favorable review. I seldom give them more than a passing glance, but in the case of Buckeye Dreams: The Tyler “Tank” Whaley Story, I’ve decided to make an exception.
It’s written by Ken Gordon of the Columbus Dispatch, whom I think is one of the best sports writers in Ohio, and what intrigued me about the book is that he’s taken an unconventional subject — Lord knows we don’t need another Archie Griffin or Woody Hayes book — and made it an easy read.
Whaley was an obscure high school player from football-mad Ironton, Ohio, who had small-college size, speed and talent but a major-college heart. He probably could have excelled at the Division-III level, but he choose instead to chase a dream of donning an Ohio State uniform.
The walk-on route at OSU is an unglamorous one — Whaley supported himself at one point by painting concession stands at Ohio Stadium — but he persevered through the hard times with the help of a supportive family and not only suited up for the Buckeyes, but saw some action at fullback on a Big Ten championship team that played in the 2007 national title game.
Gordon captures Whaley’s spirit in this 148-page tale, and the author deserves credit for realizing it’s not just the stars on a team who have a story worth telling.
Buckeye Dreams: The Tyler “Tank” Whaley Story is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders and other area bookstores.
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Spread too much for Buckeyes to cover
Ohio State is a whopping 19-point favorite against Purdue on Saturday at Ohio Stadium (3:30 kickoff, ABC). Sometimes when you look at a line you say, “That’s way too much.”
Well, that’s way too much.
Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter has struggled this season, but he has a good track record with the Boilers. And, hey, I heard that Painter is channeling former Purdue QB Kyle Orton, who suddenly looks like an All-Pro with the Bears.
Painter has thrown 56 career touchdown passes, so I’m thinking he’ll do enough to put a couple TDs on the board. The total lack of a pass rush by the Buckeyes will be the deciding factor. If Painter has time, he’ll move the ball.
Interesting stat, courtesy Scripps Howard News Service: Since 1968, Buckeyes are 13-1 vs. Boilermakers in Columbus, including six straight wins by average score of 27-10.
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Buckeyes to face slumping QB
This was supposed to be the year Curtis Painter overtakes Drew Brees as the all-time Big Ten passing leader. But after a few rough outings, Painter instead is fighting for his job.
Purdue coach Joe Tiller said he doesn’t plan to make a quarterback change against Ohio State on Saturday, but Painter had better produce if he wants to stay in the game.
Senior back-up Joey Elliott saw some action in the Penn State loss last week. Painter, a four-year starter, was pulled after going 13-of-22 passing for just 112 yards with one interception.
Asked what he expects from his veteran, Tiller said: “I’d like him to deliver in the clutch. You can draw your own conclusions. I’m curious. I want to see how he snaps back from this. That will give us an indication of where he’s headed in the future, and where we’re headed.”
OSU coach Jim Tressel said on his call-in radio show Thursday that a QB change wouldn’t affect the Buckeyes’ defense because Purdue’s scheme would remain the same.
“I would think if Curtis comes in and plays solid, they’re not going to pull him. If he’d come in and make an error or two, that could happen,” Tressel said.
“(Elliott) is obviously very, very good. But I’m sure they’re over their hoping Curtis Painter has the game of his life.”
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Buckeyes’ Boone can talk the talk
Reporters love Alex Boone. The Buckeyes’ big senior left tackle knows how to throw out the quotes. I remember that Boone seemed right in his element at Media Day last January, the day before the BCS national championship game.
Boone was working the floor of the Louisiana Superdome. At one point, an Ohio TV station gave Boone a mic and asked him to interview teammates. He obliged, and probably asked some great questions.
I just read an Associated Press story on Boone. The AP’s Rusty Miler chronicles Boone’s loose lips, including how he used the harsher version of “POed” several times in an interview.
Maybe his best quote this week was when he was asked about Dan Herron, who was knocked out of the Wisconsin game last Saturday night.
“I guess when they went up to him he was like snoring or something,” Boone said.
On how he’d grade the offensive line this season: “Being honest? Probably a C-minus or a D-plus. We’re going to get criticism from everybody and we know that. But we need to really step it up. I don’t know how you do that. You just keep going and pushing guys and working.”
Mmm. I detected a little coach-speak in that one.
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Tressel: Pryor’s form just fine; Herron won’t play against Purdue
The college football world may have been skeptical about whether Terrelle Pryor was more hype than substance, but he proved that all the recruiting buzz about him was valid when he orchestrated a game-winning touchdown drive against Wisconsin on Saturday.
Pryor led the Buckeyes on an 80-yard march for the winning score. He had two key completions to Brian Hartline, who lucked out when his fumble after a 27-yard gain to the Wisconsin 35-yard line was recovered by teammate Brian Robiskie, who just happened to be in the area.
The Buckeyes then ran off six plays, five of them runs by either Beanie Wells or Pryor. The only pass in that stretch was a perfect toss to Ray Small in the end zone, and the former Cleveland Glenville star dropped the pass (it wouldn’t have counted anyway since he had stepped out of bounds earlier on his own).
Pryor’s passing skills have been better than advertised. Although he doesn’t have a text-book throwing motion, he has plenty of arm strength and accuracy, and OSU coach Jim Tressel doesn’t intend to fiddle with Pryor’s form.
“I don’t know if we fuss with anybody’s motion,” Tressel said on the Big Ten teleconference Tuesday. “We talk about results and talk about when the ball needs to get let go and the type of velocity it needs. But, no, we don’t monkey with technique — unless there’s something glaring keeps them from being able to be successful. But Terrelle doesn’t have that situation.”
It’s hard to say Pryor has exceeded expectations with the amount of acclaim he received, but he’s certainly delivering faster than many figured he would.
“I think he’s done a lot of things very well,” Tressel said. “Ohio State is a tough place to play quarterback whether you’re a freshman or fifth-year senior, and I think he’s handled that.
“Sometimes coming off the recruiting hype, guys have a hard to living up to what everyone said they might be like. He’s handled that well. He plays the game extremely hard. He’s very hard on himself. He has the ability to throw and run and lead and (do) a lot of those things you’d love in your quarterback. He’s going to be better by the day.”
INJURY REPORT: Tressel announced on the teleconference that backup running back Boom Herron and Dane Sanzenbacher, the team’s third receiver, will both miss the Purdue game this week because of concussions suffered again the Wisconsin.
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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).
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Pryor not dazzling, but good enough
Ohio State may not be quite ready to test the elite teams in the nation just yet, but the defending Big Ten champs pulled out a season-saving, 20-17 victory at Wisconsin on Saturday night and appear to have rid themselves of that post-Southern Cal funk.
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor looked more like a freshman than a budding superstar much of the night, but he showed plenty of panache on an 80-yard game-winning TD drive in the final 6 1/2 minutes.
He came up with key completions to keep the scoring march humming — yes, his throwing motion is a little funky, but accuracy and arm strength aren’t an issue — and he showed how dangerous he can be with his feet on the 11-yard TD scamper with just over a minute to go.
With the Badgers’ defense looking confused, Pryor took a shotgun snap, ran the option to the left with Beanie Wells, tucked the ball away and barreled into the end zone.
Many doubted whether the rookie QB could hold up in an inhospitable venue like rowdy Camp Randall Stadium, but Pryor had the moxie to do it. And the important thing from an OSU standpoint is that the positive outcome on the road should only bolster his already considerable confidence.
“They kept hanging in there, the whole team kept fighting,” OSU coach Jim Tressel told an ABC sideline reporter after the game. “Wisconsin is a good football team (that was) playing at home and fighting for their Big Ten lives. That’s the way conference play is. We’re proud of the poise we had.”
The Buckeyes still have plenty of work to do — they simply can’t muster much of a pass rush with just their front four, and the Beanie Wells-Terrelle combo hasn’t gotten into a rhythm yet — but they went into the year as the preseason pick to win the Big Ten and that feel-good triumph shows they’re still worthy of being considered the league favorites.
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Buckeyes will jump around, celebrate win in Wisconsin
After last week’s late meltdown by the Buckeyes, Vinnie down on the corner is on our heels. Time to get healthy.
Ohio State is a 1 1/2-point favorite at Wisconsin on Saturday night, and I smell a rat. That line tells me that Vegas is desperate for bettors to put their hard-earned bucks on the Badgers. (“Oh, those cute little rodents are home underdogs, so it must be a great bet, right?”) A sucker bet, I say.
The line is so small that we really don’t have to give it much thought. It comes down this: Who will win?
Ohio State will win, and snap Wisconsin’s 11-game night win streak. Here’s why:
— The only thing that scares the Buckeyes is a mobile, accurate quarterback. Wisconsin has never been known for great QBs. That means the OSU defense can focus on the run. If the Badgers become one-dimensional, it’s over. If Allan Evridge can’t get it done against Michigan, he’s not going to get it done against OSU.
— The Buckeyes are interested in this game. It’s in prime time against an opponent they know they can beat (I don’t think they were confident at USC). A possible top-10 ranking awaits the winner.
— Jim Tressel is 2-3 against Wisconsin. He’ll be intense, and his team will have his back.
— During the “Jump Around” segment of the show between the third and fourth quarters, all the Ohio State players will be hearing is AC/DC.
LAST WEEK: My advice was to take OSU and lay 18 1/2 points. I thought Minnesota QB Adam Weber was the only thing standing in the way of an easy win, and sure enough Weber threw a last-minute TD pass — on fourth down, of course — to cover the spread in the Buckeyes’ 34-21 win.
OSU had a comfortable 34-6 lead and dominated the game. Then the Buckeyes got charitable. That, folks, is why gambling can give you an ulcer. Unbelievable.
THE SEASON: We’re 2-2 against the spread. OSU is 0-4.
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Tressel wants balanced offense
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has always said he wants his offense to average 200 yards rushing and 250 passing, but those standards may be hard to reach with Terrelle Pryor in the fold.
The athletic freshman quarterback is still developing as a passer, and he’s more likely to rely on his dazzling scrambling ability than to stand in the pocket and uncork enough throws to reach 250 yards.
The Buckeyes piled up 279 rushing yards against Minnesota last week, averaging a robust 7.5 yards per attempt, but they threw for just 135.
And while Pryor’s running ability has given the ground game a boost, coach Jim Tressel isn’t ready to revise his goals for the unit.
“We need to be balanced, although you’ll never be disappointed in that rush total,” Tressel said on his call-in radio show Thursday.
Tressel said the Buckeyes went into the game against the Gophers planning to throw 25-30 times. Pryor went 8-for-13 and sub Todd Boeckman 5-for-9.
“We did call somewhere in that neighborhood,” Tressel said. “Sometimes Terrelle took off, which isn’t a bad thing.”
Sure, having a legitimate passing attack would be helpful. But Pryor’s dual-threat talents are enough to keep foes guessing, and Tressel may have to be satisfied with 450 total yards no matter how they’re amassed.
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Beanie says Heisman Trophy not out of reach
Ohio State tailback Beanie Wells thinks he still has a shot at the Heisman Trophy. That is not a typo.
Maybe it was one of those famous “gotcha journalism” moments, but Wells told reporters Tuesday that it’s not out of the question that he’ll be doing the Heisman pose in NYC in December.
Gotta like the kid’s confidence, but the Heisman is totally out of the question. Wells has played in a grand total of two games this season, rushing for 217 yards.
“There’s a lot of great athletes out there, but I’d like to think the Heisman is not out of my reach. A lot of times people get to thinking the Heisman is all about numbers and a team’s record, but when it comes around to it, it’s about who’s the best player in college football.”
I know Beanie injured his foot in the opener against Youngstown State, but did I miss a shot to the head? If the Heisman were awarded annually to The Best College Football Player, then a defensive player would win the award once in awhile.
Beanie says he feels good, and that’s bad news for Wisconsin. Still, he’s have to go completely bananas over the last seven games of the regular season to receive any Heisman hype. String together a few 300-yard games, then we’ll talk.
One more thing working against him: Considering the national backlash against all things Buckeyes, Beanie really has no chance. He missed his shot to build some Heisman steam when he sat out the USC game.
And I doubt Beanie will get a shot at the Heisman next year, because he’ll be a lock for next spring’s NFL draft.
