Ohio State Buckeyes Thread

[Roody]

never happen unless its a bowl game.... next years schedule is still up in the air on that SEC team which rumors are Alabama.

It's already set to happen. How is it a Va. Tech diehard like yourself doesn't know that.

They are set for a Home and Home in the future. I do believe it's close to 10 years out though.

[Roody]

first of all, you are the jab king. we know it is all in fun just like when we jab at VT.

2nd...wells is as good a player than anybody in the country....period. barring injury of course, but hell, look at what he did last year with 2 injuries all year.

Yeah that's why I tease Sava. He tends to be a little inconsistent with his information. He will call a team like Ohio State overrated and then call Nebraska a strong team?!

There is either something incredibly naive about that or blatant homerism. Point in case. Va. Tech beats Nebraska by 5 points and it's a beatdown. USC beats Va. Tech by eleven and it's not. Yet USC outgained Va. Tech by more then Va. Tech outgained Nebraska.

Personally I think you get further by admitting things to people, but that's Sava. He's proud of his team which is fine, but sometimes I believe it goes a little to far. I mean come on. Let's not kid ourselves here. Nebraska is NOT a strong team. At best they are average.

[Sava700]

Yeah that's why I tease Sava. He tends to be a little inconsistent with his information. He will call a team like Ohio State overrated and then call Nebraska a strong team?!

There is either something incredibly naive about that or blatant homerism. Point in case. Va. Tech beats Nebraska by 5 points and it's a beatdown. USC beats Va. Tech by eleven and it's not. Yet USC outgained Va. Tech by more then Va. Tech outgained Nebraska.

Personally I think you get further by admitting things to people, but that's Sava. He's proud of his team which is fine, but sometimes I believe it goes a little to far. I mean come on. Let's not kid ourselves here. Nebraska is NOT a strong team. At best they are average.

No see what you don't understand and you call inconsistent is the fact that the numbers didn't mean nothing...NOTHING in the first few up to 5 weeks of the season. Thats my argument that you ignore thus the teams and their scoring on each other differ from each other big time. I've watched just as many games as you have and see different things so its your opinion vs mine. Nebraska is a good team I don't know how anyone can argue they are not regardless of who they have played so far... its easy to see that a unranked team can do alot which was proved again yet tonight with Pitt and USF.

To go back and argue that USC and VA Tech game's stats now is crazy..that was years ago and not what is going on currently this season.

I hope to see Nebraska win their game this week and bust another ranked team which will of course push VA Tech up a few more notches.

[Roody]

No see what you don't understand and you call inconsistent is the fact that the numbers didn't mean nothing...NOTHING in the first few up to 5 weeks of the season. Thats my argument that you ignore thus the teams and their scoring on each other differ from each other big time. I've watched just as many games as you have and see different things so its your opinion vs mine. Nebraska is a good team I don't know how anyone can argue they are not regardless of who they have played so far... its easy to see that a unranked team can do alot which was proved again yet tonight with Pitt and USF.

To go back and argue that USC and VA Tech game's stats now is crazy..that was years ago and not what is going on currently this season.

I hope to see Nebraska win their game this week and bust another ranked team which will of course push VA Tech up a few more notches.

If you were consistent with your remarks about other teams (i.e. Ohio State etc) then I would understand your statement on Nebraska a little better even if I disagreed with it.

As for Va. Tech that would only serve to offset what now looks like a terrible loss to ECU.

[Sava700]

As for Va. Tech that would only serve to offset what now looks like a terrible loss to ECU.

You must be talking about West VA cause they had a terrible loss to ECU. The loss by VATech to ECU was by a lucky blocked punt in the closing few mins to seal the deal otherwise by stats VATech played a better game.

ECU is still a very good team.... I'd say even better than a few top 10 ranked teams at this point. Its odd that you bring that up cause it fits in well with my argument on numbers don't mean anything early in the season...see ECU slipped past VATech in the opening game which should have been on neutral field ( it wasn't) and dominated a over ranked West VA team on their home field ( which it was). They get beat by two non -ranked one of whom was Houston which I hardly hear anything of. Just doesn't add up does it and shows whats already happening again yet this week with the upsets or so we call them cause we are trained on those numbers.

[Roody]

You must be talking about West VA cause they had a terrible loss to ECU. The loss by VATech to ECU was by a lucky blocked punt in the closing few mins to seal the deal otherwise by stats VATech played a better game.

ECU is still a very good team.... I'd say even better than a few top 10 ranked teams at this point. Its odd that you bring that up cause it fits in well with my argument on numbers don't mean anything early in the season...see ECU slipped past VATech in the opening game which should have been on neutral field ( it wasn't) and dominated a over ranked West VA team on their home field ( which it was). They gets beat by two non -ranked one of whom was Houston which I hardly hear anything of. Just doesn't add up does it and shows whats already happening again yet this week with the upsets or so we call them cause we are trained on those numbers.

Again Va. Tech lost to ECU. It doesn't matter how they lost, but the loss looks bad just like the Oregon State loss looks bad for USC. Come on Sava this is the stuff we are talking about. You seem to concede nothing when it comes to Va. Tech. Neither ECU or Nebraska are great teams. Neither are certainly worthy of a Top 10 ranking. Whether that's in week 6 or Week 1. We are now far enough in to garner an idea of who is Top 10 material.

[Sava700]

Again Va. Tech lost to ECU. It doesn't matter how they lost, but the loss looks bad just like the Oregon State loss looks bad for USC. Come on Sava this is the stuff we are talking about. You seem to concede nothing when it comes to Va. Tech. Neither ECU or Nebraska are great teams. Neither are certainly worthy of a Top 10 ranking. Whether that's in week 6 or Week 1. We are now far enough in to garner an idea of who is Top 10 material.

your opinion is that ECU or Nebraska are not good teams when its clear from the games I've seen..one of which was in person they are. Your opinion against mine so its not about conceding anything its a matter of opinion. I wouldn't say top 10 either so I agree there..but AGAIN we are trained on numbers so who's to say a few teams in the top 10 are just getting by with cheap wins and not really that good?

If Oregon St gets into the top 15 as ECU did then you can reference that USC game to VAtechs against ECU till then as you continue to focus on numbers then I'm sorry but thats like apples to oranges. Stats apparently mean alot to the voters in the polls so if they look at them why do you ignore them?

[Roody]

your opinion is that ECU or Nebraska are not good teams when its clear from the games I've seen..one of which was in person they are. Your opinion against mine so its not about conceding anything its a matter of opinion. I wouldn't say top 10 either so I agree there..but AGAIN we are trained on numbers so who's to say a few teams in the top 10 are just getting by with cheap wins and not really that good?

If Oregon St gets into the top 15 as ECU did then you can reference that USC game to VAtechs against ECU till then as you continue to focus on numbers then I'm sorry but thats like apples to oranges. Stats apparently mean alot to the voters in the polls so if they look at them why do you ignore them?

Actually I will think that loss to Oregon State was a bad loss regardless. Even if Oregon State wins all their remaining games. Sure to alot it will look better, but to me they lost to an unranked team at the time.

[Sava700]

Whats strange is this is a OSU thread and I was talking about OSU with Gixxer and for some reason this moved over to a VATech thread... I say we get back on topic for gixxers sake to save his thread

[Gixxer]

Whats strange is this is a OSU thread and I was talking about OSU with Gixxer and for some reason this moved over to a VATech thread... I say we get back on topic for gixxers sake to save his thread

you guys can talk about whatever you like here. main topic is OSU, but overall CFB is just fine. that way there is no 124 threads to flip back in forth in.

"BW ALL HYPE"

• After rushing for 169 yards against the Badgers last year, Buckeye tailback Chris Wells ran for 168 and a score Saturday -- his eighth 100-yard game in his last nine contests.

http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=282780275

[Gixxer]

Pryor comes of age in dramatic Wisconsin win
October 5, 2008 1:07 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
AP Photo/Andy Manis Terrell Pryor's 11-yard touchdown run with 1:08 remaining gives Ohio State a 20-17 victory over Wisconsin on Saturday.MADISON, Wis. -- In the euphoria of Ohio State's dramatic 20-17 win over Wisconsin, Terrelle Pryor caught up with James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins in the tunnel outside the visitors' locker room.
Ohio State's freshman front man had a message for the senior stars.
"We're giving him a hug and he says, 'I'm fighting for you guys,'" Laurinaitis said. "He cares about these guys that are older and the history of Ohio State. He cares about his future and he wants to be a big part of that."
Pryor took a big step toward solidifying the team's future Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium. The 81,608 on hand witnessed a coronation in the final 6:26, a true freshman quarterback doing things that true freshman quarterbacks aren't supposed to do.
With Ohio State trailing 17-13 against a team that doesn't lose at home (16 straight wins) or at night (11 straight wins, six at home), Pryor took the field for a drive that won't soon be forgotten. In case the pressure wasn't strong enough already, Pryor's backfield mate Chris "Beanie" Wells turned up the heat.
"Beanie said, 'You're in a man's world. This is what it is. So are you gonna be a man or a kid?'" Pryor recalled.
According to his birth certificate, Pryor is still a kid, a few months past his 19th birthday. But he answered Wells and the rest of the country a few minutes later, when he scooted into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown with 1:08 left in the game.
Recapping Pryor's heroics on the final drive:

• On third-and-6 from the Buckeyes' 24-yard line, he found Brian Hartline over the middle for 19 yards on what head coach Jim Tressel called his third read.
• On second-and-15 from the Buckeyes' 38-yard line, Pryor again found Hartline, again on the third read, this time for 27 yards.
• On third-and-1 from the Wisconsin 15-yard line, Pryor plunged forward for the first down.
• Two plays later, Pryor ran the option, recognized the cornerback drifting to Wells, kept the ball and darted into the end zone.

"I told him he's going to take a step into manhood right now,'" Wells said. "He told me he was ready for it and he capped it off with a touchdown.
"Once he pulls it down, I mean, it's a sight to see."

It wasn't a perfect night for Pryor. At times, he looked his age, taking a 16-yard sack in the first quarter and looking reluctant to throw the ball away or to open receivers.
But he never lost his composure, despite the setting or the significance of the situation.
"Terrelle likes to reassure me that he's fine," Tressel said, "and he is. No one was saying he wasn't fine. ... He was in the toughest full-game battle that he's been in in his college career thus far."
Last week, Pryor lashed out at ESPN's Mark May, who questioned how the freshman would perform on a big stage in a rough environment. Saturday night's performance provided the answers everyone was looking for, including the guy wearing No. 2.
"I can see what they mean, but I just want to show people that I can play," Pryor said. "I'm a decent football player."
He proved it on the field and then in the tunnel with the senior co-captains.
"The way all these kids are recruited nowadays, they come in and everyone's saying, 'They're going to be the next greatest thing to ever walk,'" Laurinaitis said. "To have these guys have the humility they do, this freshman class, and Terrelle leads that class, he's out there fighting for the seniors."
Added Jenkins: "We talked before the game how everybody needs to play for each other, not for the glory of the stats. That was just his way of letting us know that he played for us."
Pryor admits he likes direct challenges, like the one he received from Wells.
But the most important challenge went unsaid.
"I don't want to let my seniors down," Pryor said. "That'd be the worst thing ever. ... I grew up."

[Gixxer]

Ohio State DE Wilson have knee surgery, miss rest of season




COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio State defensive end Lawrence Wilson, who missed all of last season with a broken right leg, will undergo surgery for torn ligaments in his left knee and will miss the rest of this year.
Coach Jim Tressel announced Wilson's injury during his news conference on Tuesday.
Wilson, a 6-foot-4, 274-pound junior from Akron, was injured in the Buckeyes' 16-3 victory over Purdue on Saturday.
He was the sixth-leading tackler for the Buckeyes (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) with 18, including 21/2 tackles for a loss with one sack.
Ohio State has been rotating players on the defensive line. Wilson's spot will most likely be filled by junior Rob Rose.
The 12th-ranked Buckeyes play at No. 20 Michigan State (6-1, 3-0) on Saturday.

[Gixxer]

Not every Buckeye thinks Pryor should be lone quarterback



COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has no doubt Terrelle Pryor is the best quarterback to lead the Buckeyes.
Not all his players agree.
Tight end Jake Ballard said it could help the Buckeyes' struggling offense to turn back to former starter Todd Boeckman and have him share the job with Pryor. The freshman has shown flashes of skill, but is still a work in progress.
"The senior leadership that Todd brings to the table and just how he commands the huddle would definitely help us out," Ballard said. "And he could make some big throws for us. ... I don't think a two-quarterback system would be a bad idea."
No. 12 Ohio State (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) will be facing one of its biggest tests of the season Saturday when it plays at No. 20 Michigan State.
The Buckeyes are last in the Big Ten in passing and next to last in total offense.
But Tressel clearly is committed to Pryor going it alone, though he said Tuesday he wants to play Boeckman. The senior has not played either of the last two games, both Ohio State victories.
"(I) haven't determined that that was the right moment (or) situation," Tressel said tersely.
Boeckman led Ohio State to a Big Ten title and a spot in the BCS national championship game last season. This season, he had the job for three games before Pryor, who was playing high school ball in Jeannette, Pa., a year ago, was promoted.
The Buckeyes have won all four of Pryor's starts, but the offense has sputtered.
A unit that returned nine starters stands 94th in total offense in major college football, including 108th in passing.
"If an apology is what you'd like, we can all go to lunch," he cracked. "I apologize. And we'll try to get better."
But at the same time, he knows it's no laughing matter. The Buckeyes have totaled 18 touchdowns in their first seven games; a year ago at this point, they had 31.
Buckeyes fans on radio call-in shows and Web sites are calling the offense unimaginative and predictable. Several Southern California players said they knew what the Buckeyes were going to do on almost every snap after USC pounded Ohio State 35-3 in Boeckman's last start.
Even Tressel seemed to question his own approach on Tuesday.
"You always have to start by being troubled by the plan, because there's got to be some reasons why you're not executing," he said.
A porous offensive line might be Ohio State's biggest problem. The Buckeyes are 106th in the nation in sacks allowed.
Tressel has taken an increasing interest in the line in recent weeks, even dubbing himself the "assistant offensive line coach." Usually reserved on and off the field, Tressel has strained his voice yelling at the linemen to be quicker and hold their blocks longer.
But the sacks aren't all the lines' fault.
Pryor is dangerous runner -- able to dodge or outrun onrushing defenders. Yet he sometimes doesn't know when to throw a ball away to avoid trouble. He was sacked three times on Saturday in a 16-3 victory over Purdue, a game in which the Buckeyes' didn't score an offensive touchdown.
"He can make big plays with his feet but he has to realize it's not high school, he can't make big plays every single time for 20 yards or more," Ballard said. "He's not always going to get big plays."
He said the Buckeyes cannot continue playing the way they have been.
"It's frustrating. Everybody thinks it's frustrating," he said. "But we're not worried about it as much as maybe others are because we know it's things that we can change, to turn around the way the season is going right now."

[Gixxer]

"Our economy is failing because of Ohio State football fans. A poll on the Columbus Dispatch's Web site asked Ohioans if they would be willing to trade in a victory over Michigan for a 13,000-point surge in the Dow. Fifty-nine percent voted stupidly no. What is this world coming to? "

[Sava700]

"Our economy is failing because of Ohio State football fans. A poll on the Columbus Dispatch's Web site asked Ohioans if they would be willing to trade in a victory over Michigan for a 13,000-point surge in the Dow. Fifty-nine percent voted stupidly no. What is this world coming to? "

LMAO! Go Michigan!

[Roody]

"Our economy is failing because of Ohio State football fans. A poll on the Columbus Dispatch's Web site asked Ohioans if they would be willing to trade in a victory over Michigan for a 13,000-point surge in the Dow. Fifty-nine percent voted stupidly no. What is this world coming to? "

The people of my home state have always been dumb that way.

[Gixxer]

The people of my home state have always been dumb that way.

they are everywhere

[Roody]

they are everywhere

I would disagree with that in some cases. At least based on some of the places I have lived.

[Gixxer]

I would disagree with that in some cases. At least based on some of the places I have lived.

you may have just not seen them, but they are everywhere.

[Gixxer]

Once a star, now Boeckman doesn’t play




COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)—Todd Boeckman is trying hard to take the high road.
The sixth-year senior is clearly heartbroken and humiliated that he no longer has a role other than non-playing captain on the No. 12 Ohio State football team. A star a year ago who was first team All-Big Ten at quarterback, he now stands on the sideline wondering what went wrong.
“I guess this hasn’t worked out the way I planned it,” he said on Tuesday night. “But if we’re still winning, I’m all for it.”
Four games into the season, after the offensive line had a sieve-like game in a 35-3 rout at then-No. 1 Southern California and Boeckman had to run for his life all night, coach Jim Tressel benched him and replaced him with freshman Terrelle Pryor.
Boeckman was not told about the decision. He noticed he was getting fewer snaps in practice leading into the game against Troy, but neither Tressel nor any of the other coaches ever sat down with him and discussed the situation until a week or so later.
The Buckeyes (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) have won four in a row since the switch, against teams with a combined record of 14-10. Pryor has been just OK, passing for less than 100 yards in two of those games and under 150 in the other two.
The gifted freshman has shown an ability to run away from pressure when his protection fails. He has also made some bad decisions in terms of holding onto the ball, which is understandable for a quarterback with almost no experience reading college defenses.
He’s been sacked 10 times in his four starts; Boeckman was sacked 13 times during the entire 12-game regular season last year.
Pryor will truly be tested over the next four weeks, when the Buckeyes face teams with a combined record of 21-5, starting with Saturday’s game at No. 20 Michigan State (6-1, 3-0).
Meanwhile, Boeckman watches from the sideline. He hasn’t played in the last two games. When Tressel was asked during his weekly news conference when he planned on getting Boeckman into a game, through clenched teeth he said, “You’ll know the moment it happens.”
The Buckeyes didn’t score an offensive touchdown in their most recent game, a 16-3 win against Purdue last Saturday.
That led to speculation that maybe Boeckman might be reinserted into the lineup. But Tressel effectively said that would not be the case.
Boeckman chose not to be a distraction. He is gracious publicly about the move at quarterback and has tried hard to lend a helping hand to Pryor. He refuses to say anything negative about the guy ahead of him, or the guy in the sweater vest calling the shots.
“When you’re on the sidelines, you always want to play. You always want to be that guy out there,” Boeckman said. “Terrelle is doing some good things out there. He’s getting better each and every week. I’m doing what I can. If my number’s ever called, I’m going to be there, ready to go.”
Boeckman said his family is upset by his demotion. He said when he was booed for throwing an incompletion against Troy, it was harder on them than it was on him.
His teammates and fellow seniors recognize that Boeckman is struggling with his lack of playing time.
“He’s definitely in a tough position, a senior captain and he loses his job,” tight end Jake Ballard said. “We try to stay behind him, keep his head up and tell him to just keep fighting and working hard and everything will work out for itself.”
Offensive tackle Alex Boone added, “I think he’s doing a great job in practice. If he were to be thrown into a game, he’d step right back in there. He’s the rock. It’d be great to see him back in there.”
In the meantime, Boeckman quietly waits for another chance.
“It hasn’t worked out the way I wanted it to, but like I said, we’re still winning and we’re getting the job done and he’s—I think, what is it, 4-0 now? — he’s 4-0 as a starter. I guess you can’t complain about that,” he said.

[Gixxer]

Big Ten battle has plenty of coaching connections




EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP)—The day Mark Dantonio was introduced as Michigan State’s head coach, he wore the 2002 national championship ring he earned as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator.
Dantonio’s Ohio roots run deep. So do his ties with Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes’ head coach. It’s one of several coaching staff connections that add a little more spice to Saturday’s Big Ten showdown between No. 20 Michigan State (6-1, 3-0) and No. 12 Ohio State (6-1, 3-0) at Spartan Stadium.
The winner will keep at least a share of the Big Ten lead. Bragging rights also are on the line between the two longtime friends who first coached together in the early 1980s and their interconnected coaching staffs.
Dantonio, in his second season as Michigan State’s head coach, is looking for his first win against Tressel and the Buckeyes.
“In terms of playing against Coach Tress, this is the fourth time … 0-3,” said Dantonio, who lost 24-17 to the then-No. 1 Buckeyes last season and also lost twice while head coach at Cincinnati. “You learn a little something more every year.”
For the first time in a head-to-head matchup, Dantonio gets to play Tressel in his home stadium. That could give the Spartans an advantage they’ll need against the more experienced and talented Buckeyes.
Dantonio—a native of Zanesville, Ohio—first coached with Tressel when both were assistants at Ohio State under Earle Bruce.
When Tressel became coach at Division I-AA Youngstown State before the 1986 season, Dantonio went with him and stayed for five years. Tressel has said he and Dantonio grew up together in the coaching world.
Tressel became Ohio State’s coach before the 2001 season and lured Dantonio away from Michigan State, where he had been an assistant under Nick Saban and Bobby Williams. Dantonio was the defensive coordinator on the Buckeyes’ 2002 championship team.
After a short and successful run at Cincinnati, he took over at Michigan State.
“He went in with a plan, didn’t waver from his plan, demanded excellence on and off the field, demanded toughness,” Tressel said. “It’s critical. You can see that’s the way they play offensively or defensively or special teams.”
There aren’t many coaching staffs with more common connections than Ohio State and Michigan State.
Tressel’s nephew, Mike Tressel, coaches linebackers and special teams for the Spartans. The elder Tressel noted the connection this week and said he was impressed with Michigan State’s special teams.
“Trying to give him a little love here,” Jim Tressel said of his nephew, who spent two years as a graduate assistant at Ohio State.
Mike Tressel said Wednesday the two coaching staffs read the transcripts of each other’s press conferences and “there are probably hidden messages in there” everyone else would miss.
The younger Tressel said he enjoys the opportunity to get together with a wide variety of family and friends attending a Michigan State-Ohio State game, but there is a downside.
“You hate to be in a situation where somebody has to lose,” he said. “But that’s part of the business.”
When Jim Tressel coached wide receivers at Miami of Ohio in 1979-80, one of his players was Don Treadwell, now Michigan State’s offensive coordinator. Treadwell later was an assistant for Tressel at Youngstown State.
Tressel coached quarterbacks at Syracuse in the early 1980s. One of his QBs was Dave Warner, who now is Michigan State’s quarterbacks coach.
“One of the most competitive quarterbacks I’ve ever seen in my life,” Tressel said of Warner. “I still have a film that I made up of him that I’ve showed for years to my quarterbacks as to how tough you need to be when you play that position.”
Michigan State tight end/tackles coach Mark Staten was a graduate assistant for Tressel and the Buckeyes in 2002-03.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Jim Bollman spent three years as an assistant at Michigan State, working with Dantonio under Saban. Bollman and Dantonio also worked together in Columbus and at Youngstown State under Tressel.
Ohio State safeties coach Paul Haynes coached at Michigan State under former head coach John L. Smith in 2003-04.
Michigan State and Ohio State share some similar philosophies and schemes, from a run-first offense to an aggressive defense. But it’s hard to tell who has the advantage in guessing what the other side will do headed into Saturday’s game.
“You spend time at another place with a person, you get to know that person,” Dantonio said. “That person also gets to know you. So it goes both ways there.”

[Gixxer]

PLAYER TO WATCH
Ohio State RB Chris Wells. He looks to be hitting his stride after an injury to a big toe caused him to miss three games. Good thing, because the Buckeyes have the Big Ten's worst passing attack (143.6 ypg) with true freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor at the controls. Wells, who has run for 479 yards, will have to carry a big load if the Buckeyes hope to escape Michigan State with a victory Saturday before a huge showdown on Oct. 25 with Penn State in Columbus.

[Gixxer]

BEST REMAINING GAME: Penn State at Ohio State, Oct. 25. This sets up as a possible de facto Big Ten title game. Know this — the Nittany Lions never have won in Columbus (0-7) since joining the Big Ten in 1993.

[Gixxer]

BEST FRESHMAN: Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor. He assumed command in the fourth game (vs. Troy) and hasn't looked back, living up to his hype as the next Vince Young.

[Roody]

you may have just not seen them, but they are everywhere.

Every team has their share of idiots. That said most Buckeye fans graduated from the Andy Katzenmoyer school of stupidity.

[Gixxer]

Every team has their share of idiots. That said most Buckeye fans graduated from the Andy Katzenmoyer school of stupidity.

that was then and this is now.

[Sava700]

that was then and this is now.

yep its always about NOW and the present isn't it... never look back to the past.

[Roody]

that was then and this is now.

Clearly as we have seen by your previous quote it's happening now also.

[Gixxer]

Clearly as we have seen by your previous quote it's happening now also.

they were asking hypothetically. if there were a chance it could be real i am sure the answer would be different.

kinda like saying "if USC could take back the OSU (oregon) game instead of the dow surging 13000 pts, what would USC people pick?"

[Gixxer]

WHERE ARE THEY FROM AND WHERE ARE THEY GOING?

Florida leads the way with 15 prospects in the Rivals100. California has 12 and Texas has 11. Six states have five players each in the Rivals100 – Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Sixty-two prospects in the Rivals100 have committed. USC leads the way with eight commitments. Ohio State is No. 2 with seven, LSU and Texas each have five and Alabama has four.

[Gixxer]

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- After a couple of sluggish performances, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor sought out his head coach Friday at the school's football complex.
On the eve of his biggest collegiate start, on the road against No. 20 Michigan State, he didn't want what most freshmen would want in a time of doubt. He didn't want sympathy, stroking or a Lifesaver. Quite the opposite.
Pryor's message to Jim Tressel: "If I don't take us down the field first drive, second drive, third drive, I need to be taken out."
The Vest's response: "Just relax. Now, if you throw it to them, don't worry [you're coming out]."
Tressel said he's never had any player do that before. Much less a 19-year-old true freshman who one month ago supplanted a 24-year-old, fifth-year senior.
"I needed that challenge," Pryor explained. "If I'm going to be great, I need to move the ball. ... I never doubt myself. I'm a perfectionist. I need to do everything perfect."
As it turned out, Pryor did get yanked -- with his Buckeyes leading 38-7, on their way to a 45-7 beatdown of the Spartans. Up to that point, he showed flashes of the dazzling talent that made him the No. 1 prospect in America last year, and could make him the next Vince Young.
The 2008 graduate of Jeannette (Pa.) High School has a lot of work to do on his throwing mechanics, but he's more advanced than Young was at the same age. He's a nuclear stockpile of speed, size, strength, savvy and confidence, seemingly destined to win a Heisman Trophy or a national championship or both.
But before he gets to those things -- and before he gets to his first certifiably huge start Saturday against Penn State -- Pryor had to prove himself here, under his self-imposed threat of a benching.


If I'm going to be great, I need to move the ball. ... I never doubt myself. I'm a perfectionist. I need to do everything perfect.

-- Terrelle Pryor


It took a quarter. By the time the first 15 minutes were over, Ohio State led 21-0 and Pryor had inflicted four jaw-dropping plays on the Spartans.
On the second play of the game, backed up to the Bucks' own 9-yard line, Pryor faked a handoff to Chris Wells and flowed swiftly around the left end for 32 yards. That changed the early field position.
On Ohio State's second possession, Pryor kept left again and rendered cornerback Ross Weaver helpless with one full-speed juke. He strolled into the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown. (Later in the game the 6-foot-6, 235-pound Pryor stiff-armed the 6-1, 202-pound Weaver to the ground like he was a grade-schooler. It was borderline unfair.)
On the next possession, Pryor rolled out on a bootleg from the Michigan State 7 and found defensive end Trevor Anderson in his face. It looked like a certain sack. Pryor sidestepped Anderson and left him grasping at air before throwing an off-the-back-foot touchdown pass to Brian Robiskie.
And on Ohio State's next offensive play, Pryor loaded up and threw deep to Brian Hartline. The ball was underthrown -- "I gave him some stuff about that," Hartline said -- but it got there. Hartline bounced off two tacklers and ran to the Spartans' 1 for a 56-yard gain. Wells scored on the next play and order was restored in the Big Ten.
Once again, Ohio State is forwardly placed in the title chase. And once again, Michigan State has bombed on the big stage.
"It was obviously not a very good game today," Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. "Inability to tackle, turnovers, and we lost a very good opportunity to make an impact on this country."
I don't know whether Dantonio thought a Michigan State victory might jump-start the stock market or something, but the potential impact on the country is a bit overstated. What is not overstated is Pryor's impact on Ohio State.



AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
Michigan State had no answers for Terrelle Pryor on Saturday.


This is still a defense-first, turnover-obsessed, field-position-driven program -- that will never change as long as Tressel is in charge. That's one reason why Pryor threw the ball only 11 times Saturday, completing seven for 116 yards. And why he's thrown the ball only 90 times this season in a game plan the coaches have kept paint-by-numbers simple.

But the playmaking juice Pryor has supplied an inconsistent offense has gotten the Buckeyes in position to play Penn State for an unprecedented third straight outright Big Ten title.
"I don't know where our team is," Tressel said. "We'll find out Saturday night against the Nittany Lions."
The Nittany Lions, of course, tried desperately to keep Pryor in-state. But the kid was having none of that story line Saturday night.
"I don't care," Pryor said. "I'm from Ohio now. That's still my hometown, but this is where I am now. I don't need to make Penn State happy."
He clearly didn't when he signed with the Buckeyes. You can add ESPN analyst Mark May to the list of people Pryor is not concerned with making happy.
Pryor got huffy earlier this season before the Minnesota game about some fairly innocuous and well-reasoned comments May said about wanting to see Pryor perform on the big stage. He remains huffy.
"I'd love to battle against Mark May anytime," Pryor said, before adding, "I don't worry about what he says. I don't even watch 'SportsCenter.'"
Perhaps not. But Pryor clearly has rabbit ears for any perceived criticism, using it as motivational fuel.
"People don't know what I can do," he said. "They say I'm overrated. Wait and see. The time will come and you will find out.
"I didn't prove anything yet. But I like playing with a chip on my shoulder."
Buckeyes fans love wearing jerseys to games, and all of them should come with a chip on the shoulder given the state's wounded reaction to criticism of Ohio State's serial pratfalls in major national games. First there was Florida, then LSU, then USC -- but now, returned to the safe (and slow) harbor of the Big Ten, the Bucks are rolling once more.
The nation might not relish the sight of Ohio State in the top 10, but the Buckeyes will be there when the first BCS standings are released Sunday. And if they take down Penn State in the Horseshoe on Saturday, they'll rise even higher.
"We've got a big fight next week," Pryor said.
To win that fight, Ohio State won't need The Perfectionist to be perfect -- just productive. But given his performance here, Terrelle Pryor might want to threaten himself with another benching.

[Gixxer]

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Terrelle Pryor became the first player to tell Ohio State coach Jim Tressel to bench him if he didn't produce.
Then, the Buckeyes' quarterback made the request moot against Michigan State.

Forde: Show And Prove

On the eve of playing No. 20 Michigan State, Terrelle Pryor asked to be benched if he didn't move the offense. He got benched alright, after the Buckeyes were up 31 points thanks to Pryor's on-field magic, writes Pat Forde. Column


Pryor turned some of his potential into production, running for a score and throwing for another in the first quarter to help the 12th-ranked Buckeyes build a four-touchdown lead en route to a 45-7 win Saturday over the 20th-ranked Spartans.
"He stopped in my office right before we left Friday and said, 'If I don't move the ball down the field, you should bench me,'" Tressel recalled. "That's just the way he is."
The freshman finished 7-of-11 for 116 yards and a TD and had 72 yards rushing on 12 carries, including an 18-yarder for a score early in the game.
Pryor showed poise and touch when he threw before sitting on the big lead with handoffs.
When he ran, Pryor displayed speed and power by running past defenders and stiff-arming some to the ground.


Fast Facts


• Ohio State scored a season-high 45 points and defeated Michigan State for the 12th time in their last 14 meetings. Ohio State has now won nine of its last 10 games on the road against ranked opponents.
• For Michigan State it was their first loss by more than seven points under Mark Dantonio. Dantonio fell to 0-4 in his career against his former boss, Jim Tressel (0-2 with Michigan State, 0-2 with Cincinnati).
• The Buckeyes' defense held Javon Ringer to a season-low 67 yards and kept him out of the end zone for just the second time this year.
• Beanie Wells rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns on a season-high 31 carries. -- ESPN research



"It's just like high school," said Pryor, who became a YouTube sensation as a prep star in Pennsylvania.
The Buckeyes (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) stayed in first place atop the conference as did Penn State, setting up a marquee matchup Saturday night at Ohio Stadium.
Ohio State's Chris "Beanie" Wells had season highs with 31 carries, 140 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
"Pryor played an excellent game and Wells was dominant," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "They came together today and had zero turnovers."
Meanwhile, the Spartans had three fumbles and two interceptions after losing the ball just six times in their first seven games.
"Five turnovers? That's a loss. Missed tackles? That's a loss," Dantonio said. "But we're a 6-2 football team. We have to move on."
Wells' second TD put Ohio State ahead 28-0 midway through the second quarter.
A big play on defense early in the fourth ended Michigan State's comeback hopes.
After allowing backup quarterback Kirk Cousins to drive the Spartans down the field for a TD to open the second half, Malcolm Jenkins' sack forced Cousins to fumble and defensive end Thaddeus Gibson scooped up the football and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown.
"We were working to at least try and be respectable," Dantonio said. "You can't snap your fingers and say, 'It's 28-all.' You have to claw your way back. If we could've gotten to 14 and been down 14, the whole complexion of the sideline changes."
The Buckeyes added a field goal and returned another fumble for a TD to finish the rout of Michigan State, which hadn't lost by 38 points to match the combined total from Dantonio's seven previous setbacks.
The Spartans were off to their best start since 2003, but seemed to show they're not ready to be a contender in a conference dominated recently by the Buckeyes.
"I didn't expect to get beat like that," Javon Ringer said.
Michigan State was handed its most lopsided loss at home since Nick Saban's debut in 1995, when they by 40 to Nebraska.
"I thought we did a good job in warmups today," Spartans defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said sarcastically when asked what his unit did well on defense.
Ringer was held to season lows with 67 yards rushing and 16 attempts a day after the school launched a Web site to tout him as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
"Our D-line did a great job of letting us fly around and make plays," linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer didn't start the second half against because of an injured right hand, but returned in the fourth quarter. Hoyer was scheduled for a concussion test Sunday.
Hoyer finished 5-of-13 for 27 yards and an interception. Cousins was 18-of-25 for 161 yards with a TD, interception and fumble.
Michigan State will get a chance to bounce back next week at Michigan Stadium, where the Spartans haven't won since 1990.
Ohio State is shooting for its fourth straight Big Ten title and perhaps a third straight appearance in the BCS national championship game, winning five straight since getting blown out at USC.
Pryor helped the Buckeyes score 21 points in the first quarter against a team that hadn't allowed a point in its first four home games this season and was giving up less than 17 points a game overall.
He was 5-for-5 for 86 yards in the first quarter and ran for 62 yards on four carries, including a 32-yard gain on the opening drive, that made Pryor smile when recalling what he told Tressel the previous day.
"I wanted to let him know if I don't take us down the field, bench me," Pryor said. "I love when I have to challenge myself."

[Gixxer]

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The loser in the Terrelle Pryor recruiting sweepstakes gets his first up-close look at Ohio State's freshman phenom.
Penn State coach Joe Paterno doesn't have any regrets or hold any grudges.
"No, no. Everybody's got to do what they got to do. You're dealing with a kid who's got to make a life for himself,'' Paterno said Tuesday. "You're dealing with people's lives.
"It's working out for him fine. I hope we beat him, but you know how that goes,'' Paterno said.
As if Saturday's game at the Horseshoe between the unbeaten No. 3 Nittany Lions (8-0, 4-0 Big Ten) and the No. 10 Buckeyes (7-1, 4-0) needed another storyline.
A year ago, the 6-foot-6 Pryor was the hot high school recruit, a freakish blend of size, speed and strength who made college coaches drool. The native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Jeannette was the only player in Pennsylvania high school history to rush for more than 4,000 yards and throw for more than 4,000 in a career.
Pryor's reputation was burnished by his western Pennsylvania pedigree, hailing from a region nicknamed the "Cradle of Quarterbacks'' for producing the likes of Dan Marino, Joe Montana and Johnny Unitas, among others.
Suitors lined up outside the front door of his high school. Rich Rodriguez had called, first at West Virginia, then from Michigan. Oregon was one of the finalists.
Adding to the drama was his last-minute and unusual decision to delay committing on national signing day, on Feb. 6, after his father wanted him to take more time to consider Happy Valley.
Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley and quarterback coach Jay Paterno put on a full-court press, crossing paths with Ohio State coach Jim Tressel and his staff.
Joe Paterno was mistaken if he thought Pryor was locked up to Ohio State as a junior in high school, Tressel said.
"I guess we tricked him, because I'm not sure that was true,'' Tressel said Tuesday.
During his deliberations, Pryor continued to give signs — unintentional or not — that he was leaning toward Ohio State.
Tressel said his confidence never wavered, though he did not take Pryor's signing for granted.
"So for me to sit back and make the assumption that, well, I'm confident because this is the best place for him, that's a little shortsighted, but I felt that he felt that way and if he continued to feel that way it would go our way,'' Tressel said.
On March 15, Pryor had the opportunity to put a storybook ending on his recruiting when he won a state high school basketball championship at the Bryce Jordan Center, on Penn State's campus.
Instead, clutching the trophy in his hand, Pryor didn't sound too thrilled with the State College area, though he called Penn State a good school with good coaches.
Four days later, he signed with Ohio State.
"He's going to be a great player. Good kid with a lot of poise. Handles pressure, knows what's going on,'' Paterno said. "He'll be one of the really good quarterbacks we've had coming out of this state.''
Pryor is off to an encouraging start for a freshman quarterback leading a team with BCS aspirations, though there have been struggles.
He has shown a propensity to take a lot of negative plays, which made the performance last week against Michigan State promising. Pryor went 7-of-11 passing for 116 yards and one touchdown, and ran for 72 yards and an 18-yard score.
Pryor isn't made available to speak with reporters at midweek, though he does talk to the media briefly after games.
"We're hungry for more. We want more,'' Pryor said after the Michigan State win. "We got a big fight next week.''
Tailback Chris "Beanie'' Wells called Pryor a "carefree-type of guy'' who is growing into a leader. "He's become more calm and poised out there on the football field. You can just tell."
Apparently, Bradley is still close enough with the quarterback to get a text message from him now and then, including a recent one offering to show the veteran assistant around Columbus.
"I asked him if he had the wrong number,'' joked Bradley, who said he had no problems with how Pryor's recruiting went down.
There's little time for small talk, though, since Bradley will have to put together a scheme to shut down Pryor and the increasingly confident Ohio State offense.
Things have turned out pretty well, too, for Penn State, firmly in the national championship hunt.
The Spread HD offense is scoring 45 points a game with first-year starter Daryll Clark playing brilliantly under center.
"To tell you the truth we have our own great quarterbacks,'' Nittany Lions cornerback Tony Davis said. "(Pryor) chose to go to Ohio State.''

[Gixxer]

Buckeyes' goals still within reach against Penn St

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - After getting pummeled by then-No. 1 Southern Cal back on Sept. 13, the beaten and discouraged Ohio State Buckeyes straggled onto a plane for the long trip home.
"Quiet. Very quiet. Very long,'' offensive tackle Alex Boone said, describing the flight.
Five wins later, the 10th-ranked Buckeyes have a chance to make up for that prime-time failing and undo a lot of heartache when play No. 3 Penn State on Saturday night at a rockin', scarlet-draped Ohio Stadium.
The Buckeyes say they're not trying to redeem themselves for being embarrassed in Los Angeles, or for those blowout losses in the last two Bowl Championship Series title games to Florida and LSU. Yet the thought is still in their heads that they cannot afford another huge disappointment when the lights are the brightest.
"We know that our performances of late haven't been the best in big games,'' linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "It's all about the here and now. We can't dwell on stuff in the past. You just have to keep looking forward. A game like this, a big game in the Big Ten, it's exciting.''
Ohio State (7-1, 4-0) has played unevenly, but still has knocked off every team in its path since that long flight home. As the season has worn on, the Buckeyes have come to realize that they still control their own destiny in many ways.
For example, one of their biggest goals was to become the first team to win three consecutive outright Big Ten titles. Regardless of whether they share the conference title or not, they can also become the first Ohio State team to grab at least four straight league championships since the Buckeyes did it six years in a row (1972-77).
"You know, it was tough at first to have all these goals, and visions for your team and to lose a game you fully expected to win,'' linebacker Marcus Freeman said, referring to the USC loss. "After that game, our morale was down for a while. But we got back together and our seniors and our captains did a good job of getting us back together and getting us prepared. We got it going and we still knew we had a chance to win the Big Ten. Our goals for the season are still in front of us.''
To get from the low point of the lopsided loss to the excitement of Saturday's challenge took a lot of self-evaluation and a complete transformation of the Buckeyes' offense.
Chris "Beanie'' Wells, who missed the USC game with a foot injury, is back and has rushed for 90 or more yards in each of those five victories. The starting quarterback ever since the loss to the Trojans has been freshman Terrelle Pryor, who has added a dash of speed to the attack.
Even so, the Buckeyes - due in large part to those three lopsided losses in spotlight games - are listed as a slight underdog against Penn State.
"I definitely feel we're underdogs,'' Wells said. "We've not been producing up to the expectations of the media or whoever it may be. A lot of people are thinking we're not a great football team.''
But the Buckeyes don't feel they're the same team as they were the last time a lot of people watched them on national TV. And they also feel they've learned from those searing, painful memories of that loss six weeks earlier.
"We're more prepared just because we all vividly remember what happened the last time,'' tight end Rory Nicol said. "We always say that the Big Ten is a new season, and it is. We've played more games, we've got more experience, we're kind of figuring things out on offense. And you hope you learn from your past mistakes.''

[Roody]

Not sure what made them think they expected to win that game. USC has alot more talent from top to bottom then Ohio State has. Throw in the fact USC was up to play a ranked opponent and that game spelled disaster.

[Gixxer]

Not sure what made them think they expected to win that game. USC has alot more talent from top to bottom then Ohio State has. Throw in the fact USC was up to play a ranked opponent and that game spelled disaster.

regardless of the level of talent separation for each team, OSU has enough talent that the score should not have been that lopsided.

[Roody]

regardless of the level of talent separation for each team, OSU has enough talent that the score should not have been that lopsided.

Yeah I will agree with that.

[Sava700]

regardless of the level of talent separation for each team, OSU has enough talent that the score should not have been that lopsided.

it wasn't though.. they were outscored big time without even getting into the endzone using defense or offense and that says alot for a team IMO. At least UVA managed to get into the endzone against USC

[Roody]

it wasn't though.. they were outscored big time without even getting into the endzone using defense or offense and that says alot for a team IMO. At least UVA managed to get into the endzone against USC

In Ohio State's defense they have only lost to a ranked team.

[Sava700]

In Ohio State's defense they have only lost to a ranked team.

Well I can't say I agree with that since that would go against my argument about putting numbers on a team too early in the season. To be honest with you till the BCS numbers came out (which are flawed) I didn't care much for any of them.