2006 Buckeyes Forecast, Recruiting, and The Game (Merged)

[osugrad21]

Toledo Blade

Article published Sunday, July 30, 2006

Pundits love Buckeyes, Irish, but don't bet on them yet
<center></center>
College football folks throughout the country are busy polishing their shoes and dusting off the blocking sleds. The start of two-a-day practices are just around the corner.
<center></center> But the national magazines aren't waiting for college football's heavyweight contenders - Ohio State and Notre Dame - to buckle up their chin straps and slip on their shoulder pads for preseason drills.<center></center> The pundits already have dissected the strengths and weaknesses of the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish, as well as the other Division I schools.

<center></center> Ohio State and Notre Dame met just six months ago in the desert at the Fiesta Bowl. And Jim Tressel and Troy Smith and the Buckeyes scored a pretty easy knockout against Charlie Weis, baby-faced Brady Quinn, and the Fighting Irish.<center></center> The same two powerhouse programs are fighting it out again in preseason polls conducted by five major publications, and dreaming of a possible rematch for a national championship Jan. 8.<center></center> Street & Smith's and CBS Sportsline have the Buckeyes ranked No. 1, The Sporting News and Lindy's handed Notre Dame the top spot. Athlon cast its vote for Oklahoma.<center></center> Ohio State was picked No. 2 by two of the publications and No. 4 by another. Notre Dame was No. 2 in one and No. 4 in two others.<center></center> Michigan, coming off a disappointing 7-5 season a year ago and unranked in the final polls for the first time since 1984, is slotted as high as No. 12 in the Street & Smith's poll and as low as No. 19 by CBS Sportsline.<center></center> There's no question, the Buckeyes and Irish have star-studded offenses. Smith, 13-2 as a starter, is a darkhorse candidate for the Heisman Trophy. He is coming off a sensational junior year in which he accounted for 2,893 yards offense and 27 touchdowns.<center></center> Tailback Antonio Pittman had a breakout season a year ago with 1,331 yards and seven touchdowns, but he will be pushed by freshman Chris Wells. And receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez give the Buckeyes two fast and sure-handed wideouts.<center></center> The Irish have Quinn, a Heisman frontrunner; Jeff Samardzija, a talented receiver and minor league pitcher; Darius Walker, a top-notch tailback, and Tom Zbikowski, an intimidating safety who doubles as a professional boxer.<center></center> Defensively, the Buckeyes have gaping holes to fill if they intend to challenge for their second national title under Tressel.<center></center> It will be a tall order indeed.<center></center> Ohio State's defense was gutted, losing nine starters, including the entire secondary - safeties Nate Salley and Donte Whitner and cornerbacks Ashton Youboty and Tyler Everett - and all three linebackers - A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter, and Anthony Schlegel.<center></center> The Buckeyes also must find replacements for their leading receiver (Santonio Holmes), top two offensive linemen (center Nick Mangold and guard Rob Sims), and kicker (Josh Huston).<center></center> Ohio State will get tested early, with a road game at Texas the second week of the season. Two weeks later, the Buckeyes have back-to-back games against Penn State and Iowa, two Top 25 teams.<center></center> Notre Dame's schedule is no picnic, either. It includes Georgia Tech, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA, and Southern Cal.<center></center> There are plenty of national championship contenders besides Ohio State and Notre Dame. Don't dismiss defending champion Texas, runner-up USC, West Virginia, LSU, Auburn, or Florida.<center></center> Those teams aren't tackling dummies.

 

[pianobuck46]

Good article



:gobucks3: :osu2: :gobucks4:

 

[OSUScoonie12]

Buckeyes Picked as Favorites

http://columbusdispatch.com/football/football.php?story=dispatch/2006/08/02/20060802-C1-01.html

Buckeyes made Big Ten favorites
Top offensive player Smith persuades media to give nod to Ohio State
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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CHICAGO — As far as Ohio State being named the preseason favorite in the Big Ten, it seemed to be not so much a question of why but why not.
So what if the Buckeyes, coming off a 10-2 season they capped with a Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame, must replace nine starters on defense and three on offense? So what if almost all of those players are in NFL camps and four were first-round picks?
As Illinois coach Ron Zook said, they’ve still got junior quarterback Troy Smith.
"The guy taking that snap is a pretty good football player," Zook said yesterday at the Big Ten meetings. "And some of the guys he’s throwing it to (including Ted Ginn Jr.) are really good."
But it’s Smith — named the league’s preseason offensive player of the year in media voting — who makes Ohio State special, Zook said, just as Vince Young did for national champion Texas last season. Defense is still important, but quarterbacks who can make plays with their arms or feet are the difference in college football.
"Anytime you’ve got a quarterback like that, it gives you a chance," Zook said.
If you prefer to focus on Ohio State’s holes, well, "This year you cannot find a team considered to be one of the contenders for the national title that doesn’t have something on their own roster they need to overcome, which will make it a heck of a race, and a wide-open race," ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said.
For example, Texas must replace Young. Southern California must replace two Heisman Trophy winners in quarterback Matt Leinart and running back Reggie Bush. Notre Dame’s mediocre defense of a year ago must rise nearer the level of its potent offense. Have Oklahoma and Adrian Peterson really put a forgettable 2005 behind them? Will Chris Leak and Florida embrace the Urban Meyer system in his second season?
So why not Ohio State?
"They all have big questions," Jerry Palm of CollegeBCS.com said. "That’s why you could see a year similar to … 2003, when a lot of teams at the top had one loss. You could see that this year, with the polls playing a much bigger role in the Bowl Championship Series ratings, where when you lose could make the biggest difference as far as making the national title game."
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel prefers to focus on the present. Between the Buckeyes and a possible spot in the national title game is a 12-game schedule that includes a trip to Texas; a night game at Iowa, which was picked third in the Big Ten; and a finale at home against Michigan, which was picked second.
"Granted, we do have to replace a lot of good folks, and we have been working hard to do that since January," Tressel said. "How legitimate is (being the league favorite)? I don’t know that we know the answer to that. We’ll find out by the end of November, but it’s always nice to be mentioned."
As Zook pointed out, though, the Buckeyes might not have earned their preseason stripes if not for Smith.
"It’s always nice to hear those things, and I am thankful, but I have said it time and time again, it’s a credit to those other 10 guys on the field, because without them I wouldn’t be getting such accolades," Smith said.
That’s also the reason he thinks Ohio State national title talk is legitimate.
"I’m kind of biased when I say it because I think my guys all across the board are the best in the nation," Smith said. "I don’t think there is a better team all across the board than us. And if I did say another team, they’d shoot me, because I think this could be the year for us."

 

[bkochmc]

FYI, this was already posted...
http://www.buckeyeplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?p=569303#post569303

 

[RLC65]

Well, this story confirms what most of us believe, I think. The components for a championship season appear to be there, but it is ultimately a question of chemistry. I believe that is not only true of the D with a lot of less tested players, but also the OLine, IMHO.

The guys there are huge and have obvious talent, but it has to mesh in intangible ways, and the loss of Mangold in particular and Sims will have to be evaluated in terms of negative impact. We all hope that the new combination will be as good or better, of course. Troy, Antonio and Chris have the talent to excel, but whether they do will ultimately be dependent on the cohesiveness of the line in front of them. And it has been that way for the nearly 60 years I have been a fan.

Go Bucks!

 

[Dryden]

http://ohiostatebuckeyes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/080206aaa.html

Ohio State Football Reports Sunday, Opens Practice Monday
Team picked as preseason favorite by Big Ten coaches, media
Aug. 2, 2006

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State football begins its sixth season under the direction of head coach Jim Tressel Sunday when the team reports to camp. Practice commences the following day when the Buckeyes take to the field preparing to defend their 2005 Big Ten co-championship.

On Tuesday, Ohio State was the media pick as the preseason favorite to win this year's championship. A championship would mark the third title in five years for Tressel's Buckeyes. The preseason acclaim is just another bit of notoriety for a team some have picked to challenge for the national championship.

Helping lead this year's team is a group of 19 seniors, including 16 who are in their fifth year as Buckeyes. A majority of the class was on the roster for the 2002 national championship season, has been a part of two Big Ten championship teams and has won three BCS games.

"Our leadership will turn out to be strong," Tressel, who is 50-13 at Ohio State, said. "We have 16 guys on the team as fifth-year seniors and they have experienced a lot. From the high of winning a national championship to the low of a three-game losing streak (in 2004). They have seen it all. When you have seen as much as they have, you hope they have gained the lessons that help them develop as leaders."

The team returns 43 lettermen from last year's team that finished 7-1 to tie Penn State for the Big Ten title and beat Notre Dame 34-20 in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, finishing fourth in the nation with a 10-2 record. The team returns 10 starters, including eight from an offense that averaged almost 33 points and 423 yards per game a season ago.

Much of the excitement surrounding the team centers on four incredibly talented players, featuring a duo who could contend for the Heisman Trophy in December. Quarterback Troy Smith and flanker Ted Ginn Jr. each will try to win the school's seventh bronze statue. Split end Anthony Gonzalez and tailback Antonio Pittman fill out the quartet.

Smith, who was picked as the Preseason Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Tuesday, piled up 2,893 yards of total offense and accounted for 27 touchdowns (16 passing and 11 rushing) last year. He guided the Buckeyes to seven straight wins to end the season and then in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, Smith outshined Irish quarterback Brady Quinn, who finished fourth in Heisman balloting. Smith threw for a career-high 342 yards, a pair of touchdowns and added another 66 yards rushing to earn Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP honors.

While Smith was becoming one of the finest all-around quarterbacks in college football, the electrifying Ginn had his best year as a receiver, finishing with 51 catches for 803 yards and four touchdowns, the shortest of which covered 42 yards. He totaled 17 receptions his final two games, including eight catches for 167 yards and a TD vs. Notre Dame. Against the Irish, he scored on a 56-yard reception and a 68-yard reverse. He was untouched on both plays. Gonzalez is the other option. He totaled 28 receptions, scored three touchdowns and averaged 13.3 yards per catch. Fans will no doubt remember his acrobatic 26-yard grab that set up the winning score against Michigan in Ann Arbor last season.

Pittman had a superb sophomore season, finishing the 2005 campaign with 1,331 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. He averaged 5.5 yards on 243 carries.

"We are full of anticipation to see what Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez and Antonio Pittman will be able accomplish this season," Tressel said. "We'll have to see if we can live up to some of the expectations of this team and make up for the guys who left us as high draft choices."

The offensive line is big, strong, athletic, explosive and experienced. Three starters return up front, including Kirk Barton, Doug Datish and T.J. Downing. Datish, who started at left guard in 2004 and left tackle last year, will take over at center for first-round NFL draft pick Nick Mangold. Barton is a force at right tackle, while Downing returns for his second season as a starter at right guard. No doubt those guys will be the leaders on the line.

Ohio State followers had been spoiled on the defensive side of the ball the last few years. Linebackers A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter, Anthony Schlegel, defensive backs Tyler Everett, Ashton Youboty, Nate Salley, Donte Whitner and linemen Mike Kudla and Marcus Green had become household names. All of them are gone, leaving just two defensive starters on the 2006 depth chart.

Tackles Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson are left to anchor the defense, which returns 20 lettermen. Judging by spring practice there is no lack of talent, speed or enthusiasm.

"We are extremely deep and experienced," Tressel said. "We did not have many guys injured during spring practice. Our height, weight and speed are more than adequate. We will have to see how they perform day to day and week to week. That evolution is key."

Pitcock and Patterson combined for 52 tackles last year, including 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. Pitcock is unquestionably the strongest player on the team and is a dominating player, while Patterson, who started at end last year and moved inside after the first series, demonstrates exceptional quickness.

Lawrence Wilson and Jay Richardson look to step into starting roles on the ends, while John Kerr, Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis, who stepped in for the injured Carpenter against Michigan, are slated as starting linebackers as the team reports to camp. Malcolm Jenkins and Antonio Smith finished the spring as the two corners, while Nick Patterson and Jamario O'Neal edged ahead as the safeties.

Competition will continue throughout camp and on a weekly basis once the season begins Sept. 2 against Northern Illinois.

"We cover many issues in camp," Tressel said. "We have good experience covering everything. We leave no stone unturned. We thoroughly prepare in every phase of the game and adjust as time goes on."

Monday will be the first day of practice, but the team will not put shells on until Wednesday. The team then puts on pads Aug. 12. The first two-a-day is Aug. 14 with scrimmages Aug. 19 and Aug. 23.

"It is exciting to have camp starting," Tressel said. "It has been an exciting offseason with the renovations to the Woody Hayes facility. It has disheveled our day-to-day routine. We had some different things happen this year with what Tyson Gentry went through and the health problems of (coaches) Joe Daniels and Jim Bollman. It has been a lot different of an offseason, but I'm excited. We're ready to lace up and have fun."

 

[Dryden]

http://ohiostatebuckeyes.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/080206aac.html

CSTV to Carry 12 Hours of Ohio State Programming Sunday
Coverage kicks off as Buckeyes report for fall camp
Aug. 2, 2006

COLUMBUS, Ohio - CSTV will carry 12 hours of Ohio State programming beginning at noon Sunday in what the network is calling "Buckeye Sunday." The coverage will feature the 1975 Rose Bowl vs. Southern California, the 1986 Ohio State-Michigan football game and the 2006 spring game. The block begins with the Best of Ohio State Total Access and concludes at 9:30 p.m. with the 1986 Michigan game. The day also will feature One2One with Jim Tressel and the Ten-Year War: Woody vs. Bo.
<pre>CSTV "Buckeye Sunday" Broadcast Schedule<br>Noon-1 p.m. Best of Ohio State Total Access<br>1-2 p.m. Ten Year War: Woody vs. Bo<br>2-2:30 p.m. One2One Jim Tressel<br>2:30-4:30 p.m. CSTV Retrovision Football: 1975 Rose Bowl Ohio State vs. USC<br>4:30-7 p.m. CSTV Spring Football - OSU 2006 Spring Game<br>7-8 p.m. Best of Ohio State Total Access<br>8-9 p.m. Ten-Year War: Woody vs. Bo<br>9-9:30 p.m. One2One: Jim Tressel<br>9:30-Midnight CSTV Retrovision Football: 1986 Ohio State vs. Michigan</pre>

 

[Buckeye86]

Cool, I'm going to show my age a little bit here, but was there anything special about The Game in 86? Was that the year that Speilman had 29 tackles? Also '75 was Archie's last Rose Bowl correct?

 

[Buckeye86]

I found this on the '75 Rose Bowl... sounds like a good game but I think I'd rather watch the '97 Rose Bowl thank you very much.

And this on The Game in '86. Once again, sounds like a good game but give me '04 or '05 instead please. Why the hell would they show two games we lost on "Buckeye Sunday"?

 

[BB73]

Dodd piece on tOSU. An OK article, but apparently Lawrence Wilson changed his last name to Richardson.

sportsline

Inexperienced Bucks need all the preparation they can get


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CHICAGO -- Midway through the Rose Bowl telecast, Quinn Pitcock and his friends forsook video for a video game.
"We started playing Option Attack on NCAA 2006," the Ohio State senior said. "Spring drills."
Quick aside for the tragically unhip: NCAA 2006 is a college football video game. Fairly popular. You might have heard of it. In spring drills mode you can practice plays against other teams.
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</TD><TD width=15></TD></TR><TR><TD width=200>Jim Tressel still has Troy Smith and an explosive offense to cover for any lapses on D. (Getty Images) </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Still don't get it? Texas runs the spread option. Pitcock is a defensive tackle who played against that spread option when Texas won at Ohio State in 2005. Texas and Ohio State meet again Sept. 9 in Austin.
Fairly big game. You might have heard of it.
Anything? No?

Sledgehammer to the head, please. MAYBE PITCOCK WAS GETTING A HEAD START THAT NIGHT.

Jim Tressel won't like that assertion but it helps get us into Ohio State's biggest dilemma for 2006. It must account for the loss of nine starters off the 2005 unit that finished fifth in the nation in total defense.
It must do it quickly and successfully. The linebacker supergroup of Schlegel, Hawk and Carpenter is gone. So are two super juniors in the secondary who left early -- Donte Whitner and Ashton Youboty.

Buckeye Nation doesn't much care. There are expectations. After the season opener against Northern Illinois, the Bucks go to Texas with the season on the line. That's about five weeks from now.

"It's going to be a big season maker or breaker for both teams," said Pitcock, one of the two returners.

It's clear these Buckeyes are not mere college football mortals. Tressel has built a powerhouse in his five seasons. The loss of nine starters would be toxic for most programs. In Columbus, it's a mustard stain on Tressel's sweater vest.

Things are so "bad" that Ohio State was picked to win the Big Ten during the conference preseason media days here this week. CBS SportsLine.com has been on the Buckwagon for a while. They're our preseason No. 1.
"I don't know how it is at other schools," Pitcock said. "It could be devastating. (But) a lot of these guys haven't played in a game as a starter, but they've been here for a couple of years."

Three years for John Kerr, a senior linebacker who is replacing Anthony Schlegel in the middle. Kerr has walked-on, paying his way the whole time, per Big Ten rules, after transferring from Indiana.

Marcus Freeman, a sophomore coming off an injury, will replace A.J. Hawk. Well, maybe replace is the wrong word.
"It's not that you replace them, you find other guys," Kerr said. "We have passion to make up."

Outside linebacker Jim Laurinaitis, the son of a pro wrestler, got plenty of experience late last season after Bobby Carpenter was injured on the first play of the Michigan game.

"We'll be analyzed almost snap-to-snap," Laurinaitis said. "You have to be up to that. You knew it was coming. You know you're going to be scrutinized."

Six of the 11 are sophomores. It might not matter. It begins up front with Pitcock and fellow tackle David Patterson. If they, along with senior Jay Richardson and sophomore Lawrence Richardson, don't come through, the newbies are going to be out on an island in the secondary.

"Out there on the corner you can play 71 plays well, the 72nd play can be a disaster," Tressel said. "The better the front seven are, all the sudden you look pretty good back there."

Sophomore corner Malcolm Jenkins, the leading returning tackler, started four games last season. Former walk-on Antonio Smith has the other spot. Sophomores Jamario O'Neal, from talent-rich Glenville High in Cleveland, and Nick Patterson will be the safeties.

"It's really difficult to play defense in college football," Tressel said. "We are who we are, a zone-blitz defense that prides itself on pressure and speed. We don't have the experience we've had."

Let's say that defense slips a little bit, to top 20 status. The offense is going to be world-class. Quarterback Troy Smith could be this year's Vince Young. Tailback Antonio Pittman is ready for a breakout year. Ted Ginn Jr. is a Heisman candidate.

So much for the mustard stain.

"You're kind of hungry for it," Laurinaitis said. "We're young, we're going to make mistakes but Troy (and the offense), they're going to carry us over the first few bumps."

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="30%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD>Living Up to 2005 </TD></TR><TR class=bg4><TD>Ohio State's '05 defensive rankings </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Rushing: First (73.4 yards) </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Total: Fifth (281.3 yards) </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Scoring: Fifth (15.2) </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Sacks: Fifth (3.67) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


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[MililaniBuckeye]

what happens if i tell you that i tend to agree with him? do the memories of 2004 fade so quickly?

I guess you don't remember how bad our offense totally sucked in the first half of 2004...that's why the defense took so long to gel. We won't even be close to having that problem this year.

 

[ytownbuckeye]

BLUE RIBBON YEARBOOK PREDICTIONS

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Big Ten Conference[/FONT]
1. Ohio State
2. [URL="http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/insider/news/story?id=2510203"]Iowa

3. Penn State

4. Michigan

5. Purdue

6. Wisconsin

7. Michigan State

8. Minnesota

9. Northwestern

10. Illinois

11. Indiana

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]All-Big Ten Team[/FONT][/URL]

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Offense[/FONT]
WR: Dorien Bryant, Purdue
WR: Ted Ginn Jr., Ohio State
OL: Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
OL: Levi Brown, Penn State
OL: Mike Jones, Iowa
OL: Jordan Grimes, Purdue
OL: Doug Datish, Ohio State
QB: Troy Smith, Ohio State
RB: Tyrell Sutton, Northwestern
RB: Antonio Pittman, Ohio State
TE: Matt Spaeth, Minnesota


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Defense[/FONT]
DL: Ken Iwebema, Iowa
DL: Jay Alford, Penn State
DL: Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State
DL: LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
LB: Paul Posluszny, Penn State
LB: Mark Zalewski, Wisconsin
LB: Dave Harris, Michigan
DB: Marquice Cole, Northwestern
DB: Marcus Paschal, Iowa
DB: Leon Hall, Michigan
DB: Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Specialists[/FONT]
K: Kyle Schlicher, Iowa
KR: Ted Ginn Jr. , Ohio State
P: Ken DeBauche, Wisconsin
PR: Steve Breaston, Michigan


[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Offensive Player of the Year[/FONT]
Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Defensive Player of the Year[/FONT]
Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Newcomer of the Year[/FONT]
Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/6/06

Filling the gaps

With nine starters gone from last season’s stellar unit, Ohio State’s defense must learn to jell quickly

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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How much of Jim Tressel’s bubbly optimism about his defense is real, and how much is the Ohio State coach forcing a smile?

Nine starters are gone from a tough-as-nails bunch last year that finished with the nation’s fifth-ranked defense overall and first against the run.

Goodbye, Green Berets. Hello, green bananas.

"I don’t know if any of those guys shave," Tressel said of the newcomers.

One would think this would depress a coach. But Tressel has called the rebuilding effort, "fun" and "an adventure," and said he’s "excited about the process."

Really?

Consider this: It turns out that the tired phrase, "offense wins games; defense wins championships," actually is true, at least in recent college football seasons. Five of the past six national champions have been ranked in the top 10 in total defense. The only exception was OSU in 2002, when the Buckeyes ranked 23 rd. In contrast, only two of those six title teams had top-10 offenses.

So if a top-25 defense is necessary to win a title, and top-10 is preferable, the question is clear: Can the Buckeyes’ defense be championship-caliber?
Tressel answered firmly.

"We think they’re very capable," he said. "From a physical, intellectual standpoint, they’re very capable of being a championship defense."

And then, the caveat.

"Now, we’ll see how they handle that when the play occurs."

As the Buckeyes report to fall camp today, 27 days before the opener, the state of the defense remains the team’s biggest potential stumbling block to high expectations.

OSU is ranked No. 1 in the USA Today coaches poll. That must be based largely on the Buckeyes returning eight offensive starters, including quarterback Troy Smith, receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez and tailback Antonio Pittman.

It appears the pundits are overlooking the defensive question marks.

"It just shows maybe how confident people feel in our coaching staff, getting young guys ready," defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock said. "And how many athletes we have that can be able to overcome that adversity and be a great team."

Great athletes are, well, great, but the real issue is experience.

The 2004 defense featured A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Donte Whitner — all first-round NFL draft picks this spring — but that group struggled early on, giving up 90 points while losing its first three Big Ten games.

They were fine players who hadn’t had enough time on the field together to jell.So growing pains are just plain going to happen.

"The problem is, when you have a group of guys who have played together, and the coach draws up plays on a board for five days, and shows you what the opponent does … and then all of a sudden you get into the game and they show completely different formations and run completely different groups of plays, you can adjust on the fly when you’ve got a veteran group and still run your defense," ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said.

"Whereas when you’ve got a bunch of new players, you’ve got to go back to square one and say, ‘OK, let’s just play our base stuff.’ So it kind of handicaps you a little bit in being aggressive."

Tressel knows this, but he remains confident.

He avoids talk of the offense needing to run up 40 points per game in order to win, or hold onto the ball for 45 minutes to keep the defense off the field. He simply wants the offense to avoid turnovers deep in its own territory, or anything that can put a young defense in a bad spot.

In the meantime, nobody is claiming this defense will be as good as last year’s, at least from the start.

"That’s true, it’s going to take a while," linebacker James Laurinaitis said in the spring. "And like coach (Jim) Heacock has been preaching, we’re not on that level we were at last year to start off with.

"But he said if anyone doesn’t believe we can get to that level, then they should get out of the room. I believe we can get to that level. We have the pieces."

It’s just a question of how long it will take, and whether OSU loses a game or two in the process.

Dispatch reporter Tim May contributed to this story.

[email protected]

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Sunday, August 06, 2006

5 QUESTIONS
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Ken Gordon and Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>NEAL C . LAURON DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Chris "Beanie" Wells’ power running has drawn the attention of his teammates. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

The pressure is on the Ohio State football team, which is ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today as the Buckeyes report to camp today. The team has some issues to address between now and the Sept. 2 opener, and Dispatch reporters Ken Gordon and Tim May examine some of those issues:
1. What are the hottest position battles on de fense ?

GORDON
: I’d say safety. There’s a scrum at linebacker, but at least there are some players with experience at those spots. At safety, fifth-year senior Brandon Mitchell is back, but youngsters Jamario O’Neal and Nick Patterson are listed as starters. Also, Anderson Russell was impressive in the spring. These jobs appear wide open for the taking, and safeties are crucial in any defense. OSU coaches would feel a lot better if one or two of those players seized control.
MAY
: It’s hard to say the Buckeyes are loaded at linebacker, considering they lost three NFL draft choices — including two first rounders — so let’s just say there is a stockpile of above-average talent. That’s why it will be interesting to see how James Laurinaitis, John Kerr and Marcus Freeman, the projected starters, deal with Curtis Terry, Ross Homan, Larry Grant and the ever-rebounding Mike D’Andrea, among others, in preseason camp. At the moment, it appears whittling it down to a top six will be the first job for the coaches.
2. Can RBs Maurice Wells and Chris Wells do something in camp that would make coaches split carries with Antonio Pittman ?

MAY
: Based on the way things went in the spring, with Pittman having to watch so a torn hamstring could heal, there seems no doubt all will gain some time this fall. Chris "Beanie" Wells might be a freshman, but he already has a reputation among his teammates for his power running, and Maurice Wells is just looking for a niche to call his own. Still, Pittman had 1,331 yards last season, including the clinching touchdowns against Michigan and Notre Dame. It is his position.
GORDON
: Agreed. Camp might serve to further reassure coaches that this is suddenly a deep position and that Beanie could step right in if Pittman gets hurt again. That’s about it, though. Jim Tressel will be very loyal to his 1,300-yard guy, and Beanie’s turn will come next year when Pittman turns pro a year early (not exactly a bold prediction).
3. What does it do for OSU to have a clear - cut starter in Troy Smith at QB ?

GORDON
: It makes for less to write about in camp for us. This is Team Troy, and Smith is one fired-up, motivated guy. It’s so much better for team chemistry to know who "the guy" is from day one, and the Buckeyes hope this means the end of early season offensive struggles they endured in 2004 and 2005.
MAY
: Texas had that going for it last year with Vince Young. The offense and the defense knew that in crunch time he was going to find a way to make the play. The danger could come in leaning on that thought a little too much. Even Smith seems to be guarding against that. His preparation from the 2006 Fiesta Bowl to now has been all about beating defenses as much with his mind as with his arm or his feet. His intensity seems genuine, and that rubs off on all around him.
4. How will the kicking competition pan out ?

MAY
: This will be the most intriguing aspect of preseason and maybe even the early season. You know the offensive talent is there, and there is enough defensive talent to find a good unit eventually. But Ryan Pretorius — a former rugby player from South Africa — and Aaron Pettrey — he has never kicked on a collegiate field — are competing to be the No. 1 kicker. The Buckeyes haven’t had this kind of kicking competition since 2001, and I don’t think there is a clear-cut No. 1 headed into camp.
GORDON
: It’s interesting, because Tressel places so much emphasis on special-teams excellence. To an extent, through constant practice, you can control how good you are on kick and punt returns and coverage. But you really can’t control how a new kicker will perform. It’s certainly a wild card. If OSU is down two points late at Texas, how close will they need to get to feel good about attempting a field goal? And who takes it? We don’t know yet. Maybe we will in three weeks.
5. Will quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels ’ illness have an effect on the team ?

GORDON
: It might mean a heavier workload for Tressel, who keeps a pretty heavy hand in coaching quarterbacks, anyway. A graduate assistant may have to step up, as well. Emotionally, it could serve as a rallying cry for the offense.
MAY
: Daniels is an upbeat, deep-thinking, cool guy who has never been shy about speaking his mind. If his time is limited, the coaches and the players will miss that, for sure. But timing is everything, and the Buckeyes are blessed in that their top three quarterbacks — fifth-year men Smith and Justin Zwick, and third-year Todd Boeckman — have been around for a long time, know the offense, know the drill and, really, could coach each other. That as much as anything will get them through it.

[email protected]

[email protected]

OHIO STATE NOTEBOOK
OSU hoping NCAA allows for fill-in coach
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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With No. 1-ranked Ohio State set to open preseason camp today, coach Jim Tressel awaits word from the NCAA on whether he can use a fill-in for assistant Joe Daniels from time to time as the quarterbacks coach deals with cancer treatments.
"You know, just the flat-out rules it looks to me like you couldn’t," Tressel said, referring to NCAA guidelines regarding substitutes for coaches who are on leave. "We’re filing an appeal saying this is a little unusual."
Under NCAA rules, he said for example, if a coach goes on maternity leave, that coach is not allowed even to drop by the athletic facility as long as she is being replaced by a another coach.
Daniels is hoping to work half-days through camp.
"Now, this is a little different scenario, because we really believe Joe being involved in coaching is as important a part of his therapy as any medical treatment," Tressel said. "That’s our approach, and we will find out how the appeal looks."
Offense quality control graduate assistant coach Nick Siciliano probably would fill the void if allowed. If he is not allowed, then Tressel, who has worked with the quarterbacks in the past, would take up the slack.
"Yeah I would step in and get warmed up," Tressel said.
Two not among 105

Upperclassmen defensive backs Sirjo Welch and Brandon Underwood won’t be among the 105 players in preseason camp because they are taking a summer school class to maintain eligibility.
"I can’t have a guy going to class while everyone else is practicing," Tressel said. "You can’t do it."
Offense sways voters

OSU is No. 1 in one of the major preseason polls (USA Today coaches poll) for the first time since 1998 and is the consensus pick to win the Big Ten title.
"They (voters) saw Troy is back, they saw Teddy is back," Tressel said, referring to quarterback Troy Smith and receiver/ returner Ted Ginn Jr., who helped put up 617 yards of offense in the 34-20 win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
[email protected]

 

[lvbuckeye]

I like the stats about defense winning championships... they make the '02 D look like chumps and that we won it on O. what a joke. they needed to mention that the '02 D finished #3 against the rush, and #2 in scoring D.

and go figure, '03 SC finished #30 in total D, but #1 against the rush and #17 in scoring D...

seems to me that total defense isn't as important as rush D and scoring D... this seems to indicate that it doesn't matter if a team dinks and dunks its way down the field with the pass, because once they get in the red zone, and the field gets shorter, it's a lot harder to dink your way into the endzone...

 

[Best Buckeye]

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/Big_Ten/2006_Previews/OhioState_preview.htm

For those of you who havent seen this. it doesnt sound like pete is enamored with the bucks.



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2006 Ohio State Buckeyes​

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Preview 2006<O:p></O:p>

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- 2006 OSU Defense Breakdown
- 2006 OSU Depth Chart
- 2006 OSU Further Analysis
- 2005 OSU Preview <O:p></O:p>

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ByPete Fiutak

If you were wondering what kind of a monster Ohio State has become under head coach Jim Tressel, take a look at the respect the 2006 team is getting after losing an array of future NFL stars.

Seriously, who loses five number one draft picks, the entire defensive back seven, the number one receiver, and two tremendous offensive linemen and is supposed to be better than the year before? <O:p></O:p>
It's partially due to the lack of a true number one team to start the season, and it's partially due to quarterback Troy Smith and an offense that should light up most defenses like a Christmas tree, but it's mostly due to the recruiting. Ohio State is one of the select few that can lose players like A.J. Hawk, Donte Whitner, Bobby Carpenter, Santonio Holmes, Nick Mangold, Ashton Youboty, Anthony Schlegel, Nate Salley, and Rob Sims, and immediately replace them with athletes just as strong, just as fast, and just as talented.

Of course, it's asking too much for all the new starters to immediately play like first round draft picks, but the expectations have gone out of control after winning fifty games, including four of the last five against Michigan, a national title, three BCS games, and four straight bowl games under Tressel. Simply put, anything less than a national title will be seen as a disappointment in Columbus.

No pressure there. <O:p></O:p>
But the makings are there for this team to get the job done. If it's not the number one team going into the season, it'll be in just about everyone's top three. It has a high profile showdown at Texas which could mean a rock-solid number one ranking with a win, and a loss would come early enough that a national title shot would still be a possibility by winning out. The secondary is full of big, fast athletes that looked like seasoned veteran throughout spring ball. The linebacking corps replaces the legendary trio of Hawk, Schlegel and Carpenter with seven talented options to form a great rotation. And then there's the offense.

Smith is expected to be this year's Vince Young. After two years of clutch performances in several big games, and with his knowledge of the Buckeye offense that will allow for more spread formations, it's all there to have a Heisman caliber season. He has Ted Ginn Jr. to throw to, and Antonio Pittman along with superstar recruit Chris Wells in the backfield. To make Buckeye haters even more nervous, the line might be the best yet in the Tressel era with two tremendous tackles and enough depth to form a solid second team.

Of course, with everything going for them, the Buckeyes will have to avoid a 2004-like letdown if there are problems early on. That team was much like this year's version; it was loaded with talent, but it had to replace a slew of stars. Experienced teams loaded with veterans win close games; teams with plenty of new starters, even talented ones, tend to have issues when things get tight.

And that's where Smith is supposed to come in. If he really is VY part two, he'll be the leader who gets the team out of jams and makes all the big plays he has to. Fortunately for OSU, he won't have to do it too often because of ...<O:p></O:p>
The Schedule: Let's cut to the chase here. Games against Northern Illinois, Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Indiana, Minnesota, at Illinois, and at Northwestern will be mere formalities unless all the planets are aligned absolutely perfectly. Considering Wisconsin has beaten the Buckeyes in the last two meetings and that Purdue should be better, missing those two from the Big Ten slate isn't a bad thing. At Texas on September 9th is the one the world is waiting for, and at Michigan State will be much tougher than expected. The other two potential battles are in Columbus against Penn State and Michigan. In other words, if the Buckeyes can get by the Longhorns and survive a trip to Iowa, things are as favorable as can be reasonably asked for. <O:p></O:p>
Best Offensive Player: Senior QB Troy Smith. Michigan fans liked to joke that Smith was the second best pro quarterback in Ohio behind Carson Palmer after the Buckeye star got suspended for taking money from a booster. Ohio State has had all the laughs recently in the last two wins against the Wolverines thanks to Smith after he completed 40 of 60 passes for 541 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions, 282 rushing yards, and two touchdowns.<O:p></O:p>
Best Defensive Player: Senior DT Quinn Pitcock. While he doesn't get a lot of headlines and his stats are hardly eye-popping, the 6-3, 295-pound senior is one of the nation's best tackles. He's strong enough to occupy two blockers without a problem, and quick enough to force the action in the backfield.<O:p></O:p>
Key player to a successful season: Sophomore PK Ryan Pretorius and redshirt freshman PK Aaron Pettrey. Ohio State hasn't had to worry about field goals for several years with Mike Nugent and Josh Huston among the best in the nation. Can Pretorius and Pettrey be as clutch? If not, the offense might have to open it up just a little bit more in close games.<O:p></O:p>
The season will be a success if ... the Buckeyes play for the national title. The schedule is too favorable and the Texas games comes just early enough that anything less than a game on January 8th, 2007 in Glendale, Arizona will be a major disappointment.<O:p></O:p>
<TABLE style="WIDTH: 225pt; mso-cellspacing: 3.0pt; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-table-left: right; mso-table-top: middle" cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=0 width=300 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #d8d0c8; PADDING-RIGHT: 0.75pt; BORDER-TOP: #d8d0c8; PADDING-LEFT: 0.75pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0.75pt; BORDER-LEFT: #d8d0c8; PADDING-TOP: 0.75pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #d8d0c8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Key game: Sept. 30 at Iowa. Of course everyone is jacked up for the Texas game on September 9th, and the Michigan game is always one of the must-see games of the year, but Iowa has the type of team that can win the Big Ten title, and has a good enough schedule that it can reasonably dream about playing for a national title. If the Buckeyes aren't razor-sharp, national championship and Big Ten title dreams can go bye-bye.<SCRIPT language=JavaScript type=text/javascript>document.write(''); </SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT><?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shape id=_x0000_i1026 style="WIDTH: 24pt; HEIGHT: 24pt" alt="" type="#_x0000_t75" o:button="t" target='"_blank"' href="http://clk.atdmt.com/RSC/go/cllgfnwb0180000011rsc/direct/01/"></v:shape><O:p></O:p>

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</TBODY></TABLE>2005 Fun Stats:
- Sacks: Ohio State 44 for 291 yards - Opponents 18 for 110 yards
- Second quarter scoring: Ohio State 111 - Opponents 41
- Time of possession: Ohio State 32:00 - Opponents 28:00

The Last Time Ohio State…
…played in a bowl game…2005 (Fiesta Bowl vs. Notre Dame)
…missed a bowl game…1999
…pitched a shutout…2003 (Northwestern)
…was shutout…1993 (Michigan)
…scored 50 points…2002 (San Jose State)
…went undefeated…2002
…won a conference title…2005 (share, Big Ten)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…1998 (Joe Germaine)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (Antonio Pittman)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2002 (Michael Jenkins)
…had a first-round draft choice…2006 (LB A.J. Hawk, DB Donte Whitner, LB Bobby Carpenter, WR Santonio Holmes and C Nick Mangold)
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