2006 Preseason Polls (official thread)

[osugrad21]

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Thu, August 31, 2006
Buckeyes class of field, for now


By ROB BRODIE


THIS TIME, THE DRAMA -- and yes, 2006 should positively teem with it -- will take a whole lot longer to play out.
This year, you won't have to read about the inevitable Texas-USC showdown from about mid-October on (if it wasn't actually sooner).
Nope, we've got ourselves one heck of a horse race as a new season of college football (finally!) dawns upon us. Just take a look at the pre-season polls, which see six schools with at least one first-place vote from someone. In the Associated Press version of the weekly voting, that hasn't happened since 1997.
While Ohio State is everyone's choice to rule the roost, the Buckeyes aren't exactly the juggernaut -- not yet, anyways -- that USC fielded to start 2005. Yes, that offence will be hellacious, but coach Jim Tressel is lining up a swift defence missing nine starters from one of the nation's best stop troops last season -- a group which produced a handful of folks you'll see on Sundays this fall.
Right behind the Buckeyes are a raft of talented teams with flaws of their own. The Notre Dame hype is already in full swing -- surely, you must have heard all that talk about a national title and a Heisman Trophy for QB Brady Quinn? -- but the memory of a defensive secondary getting torched by Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl remains fresh.


Texas must make do without all-world QB Vince Young; USC moves on without Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White and plenty of other stellar talents. Auburn, LSU and Florida must survive the always nasty Southeastern Conference.
Anyways, you get the picture. Lots of questions still to be answered. And more than four months of fun to get it done.
Big change worth noting this season: The NCAA has approved a boost to a 12-game schedule, which explains, in part, why every team in the Top 25 sees action on Labour Day weekend.

 

[osugrad21]

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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]OSU has seen bigger distractions than No. 1[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]BY JIM NAVEAU - Aug. 31, 2006[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]COLUMBUS — They say their No. 1 preseason ranking isn’t something they talk much about.
But there was one day where being No. 1 created a bit of a stir in Ohio State’s football locker room.
That was the day Sports Illustrated’s college football preview issue arrived with quarterback Troy Smith and offensive linemen Doug Datish and T.J. Downing on the regionalized cover.
“The only time we really talked about it was when Sports Illustrated came out,” senior wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez said. “That’s kind of neat because when you’re a kid and when you’re an adult, you read Sports Illustrated, that’s the sports magazine you look at.
“But, to be honest, nobody really talks about it. We’re not talking about it in our locker room. Some other teams might be but we’re not talking about it much, if at all,” he said.
Ohio State was ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press and USA Today coaches polls.
The last time Ohio State entered a season ranked No. 1 was in 1998, when this year’s players would have been in elementary school.
But the fifth-year seniors, like Van Wert’s Joel Penton were around for the national championship run in 2002 as redshirt freshmen.
The lesson from that season, where Ohio State wasn’t No. 1 in the polls until after the BCS title game win over Miami, is that rankings only matter when all the games have been played.
Penton said, “I wouldn’t call it pressure being No. 1. We know the important thing is not the preseason rankings but where we finish at the end.”
He said Ohio State’s defense has used the No. 1 ranking as motivation. People point to nine new starters on defense as the biggest factor working against the Buckeyes making the preaseason predictions come true.
“It’s definitely motivating. It’s kind of nice to be the underdog in some way and it’s tough to get that feeling when you’re ranked No. 1 going into the season,” Penton said.
Offensive T.J. Downing said OSU’s players won’t be distracted by the polls because they’ve faced preseason commotions before.
“Last year it was the quarterbacks, before that it was the Maurice Clarett distraction,” Downing said.
Asked which of the three was the least distracting, he chose this year without hesitation.
“We know it’s only talk. We haven’t done anything to deserve that No. 1 ranking. Yeah, we won some games last year, we won the Fiesta Bowl and we did great doing it. But we lost a lot of guys from that team. There are some new faces who are going to have to step up and deserve that No. 1,” Downing said.
Coach Jim Tressel said the only person in the chain of command to mention rankings so far has been athletic director Gene Smith.
“I've never mentioned that,” Tressel said. “Gene Smith mentioned to the team in our team opening meeting, he talked about distinguishing yourself and how do you do that at a place like Ohio State, there have been so many great teams and so forth. He threw out the challenge to us, you know, there is a way to distinguish yourself. That was day one of practice.
“We haven't talked about it since because we've been pretty busy and I'm sure we won't talk about it after, but it was mentioned once.”
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

telegraph-forum

No excuses
"There's work to be done." -- QB Troy Smith

By Jon Spencer
NNCO



COLUMBUS -- So what if the pigskin pundits who anoint Ohio State as America's No. 1 team take it for granted that the Buckeyes can replace five NFL first-round picks and nine starters on defense?
They must figure Ted Ginn Jr. can avoid another slow start and replace Santonio Holmes as the go-to receiver. They apparently believe the Buckeyes can win two huge road games at night in September even though they've lost their last four regular-season games under the lights.

Maybe all that matters is that triggerman Troy Smith is taking nothing for granted. "Coming in as a young guy, we won the national championship," said Smith, reflecting on his redshirt year in 2002. "I'm walking around with my ring on. I had hardware on that I earned ... and yet I didn't.


"It's something I took for granted. I don't wear my ring now because all that work is done on the field. I'll worry about being glorified later. There's work to be done."

It's fair to assume the rest of the Buckeyes share Smith's mindset after the way they followed his lead down the stretch in 2005. Once he shook off the effects of a two-game suspension for taking $500 from a booster, Smith directed OSU to seven straight wins, capped by a 34-20 rout of Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Buckeyes' 617 yards in Tempe were the most ever allowed by Notre Dame and made an indelible impression on those who've forecasted a return to the Valley of the Sun for this year's BCS championship game.

"I can't disagree with that (prediction)," Min- nesota coach Glen Mason said. "A play here or there last season and Ohio State could have been national champions. They have outstanding offensive talent."

The Buckeyes also made a believer of Penn State coach Joe Paterno, even though Smith and Co. generated only 230 yards in a 17-10 loss at Happy Valley that ultimately gave the Lions a share of the Big Ten championship with OSU.

"No question, Smith is an outstanding quarterback," Paterno said, comparing him to Michael Robinson, who won Big Ten MVP honors for Penn State last season. "Against us, he was just starting to get a feel for things. After that he was just a tremendous, tremendous player. They have a couple of good kids around him, too.

"That Ginn kid ain't bad. I don't want to cover Ginn. And Jim (Tressel) does a great job of recruiting Ohio and getting good people. So I think they probably deserve to be the favorite."

That perception -- that Ohio State merely reloads -- makes it easy for some to overlook all the holes on defense. Talent has come and gone, along with two defensive coordinators, but the Buckeyes were No. 1 in Big Ten rushing defense three of the last four years and in scoring and total defense twice. The result: one national championship, two Big Ten titles and three Top 5 finishes.

"It's Ohio State; they're always going to have great athletes and backups who could start for a lot of Division I teams," Iowa quarterback and 2004 Big Ten MVP Drew Tate said. "Just because they graduated nine starters doesn't mean their defense is going to be bad. I've seen teams with nine starters back not do as good. It can go either way."

Gone is arguably the best set of linebackers in school history -- two-time consensus All-American A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel.

But what might really hurt are the early NFL defections of safety Donte Whitner and cornerback Ashton Youboty.

Their departures left OSU with the task of replacing its entire back seven.

The only holdovers up front are tackles Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson, whose four sacks are the most of any returning player. Cornerback Malcolm Jenkins started four games last year as a freshman.

"Some guys got spot-duty last year," Tressel said, referring in part to projected starters Jay Richardson (end), James Laurinaitis (middle linebacker), John Kerr (outside linebacker) and Jamario O'Neal (strong safety). "Did they get enough? Probably not. The good thing about the spring is that we didn't have many nagging injuries. I feel if we keep healthy, we'll have enough experience to be a good defense. I feel we're very capable."

Tressel hopes his 18-man senior class -- including 17 fifth-year players -- helps the young defense age gracefully. He's banking on members of the 2002 recruiting class, like Smith and offensive linemen Doug Datish and T.J. Downing, to provide invaluable leadership.

"The thing I like about Troy now is he wants to know 'why' when he watches film or we do something a certain way," Tressel said. "He's got to think like the opposing defensive coordinator."

Smith also needs to think like an offensive coordinator in finding ways to maximize Ginn's game-breaking skills. The Buckeyes waited too long to incorporate Ginn into the attack his first two years. Another slow start by the speed demon could doom OSU with prime-time showdowns at Texas and Iowa awaiting in September.

"My expectation of Ted is that he's going to be the best player in the nation," Smith said of his childhood friend, Glenville teammate and fellow Heisman Trophy contender. "He can do that. He's got all the tools and, hopefully, we can get the ball in his hands so he can flourish."

Seventeen of Ginn's 51 receptions last season came in the last two games against Michigan and Notre Dame. He caught only four TD passes, but none was shorter than 46 yards. He had a 100-yard kickoff return and a 68-yard punt return for scores last season. It was his fifth punt return TD, tying the Big Ten career mark.

But can Ginn and complementary pieces like Anthony Gonzalez, Roy Hall, Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline make OSU fans forget Santonio Holmes?
"I want the team to feel I'm the go-to guy," Ginn said. "Santonio made us feel he was that guy when he was here. I just have to have confidence that the team has confidence in me. I have to try and stay relaxed and humble and trust in my seniors."

There's always a potent running attack to fall back on. Junior Antonio Pittman answered questions about his toughness and speed, rushing for 1,331 yards and seven TDs last season, including the clincher in the Fiesta Bowl. Keeping him on his toes and offering a powerful change of pace will be 6-foot-1, 225-pound freshman Chris Wells, touted as the nation's No. 1 prospect when he enrolled in the spring.

It might be asking a lot of 27-year-old South African Ryan Pretorius to match the place-kicking exploits of predecessors Josh Huston and Mike Nugent, but this OSU attack could be even better than the one that averaged 33 points and 422 yards last season.

Question is, how much scoring will be enough?

"I'm glad people are talking about our offense, but you can't leave out the defense," Pittman said. "They've been the heart and soul of the team for years and nothing's going to change this year."

[email protected]
419-521-7239

Originally published August 31, 2006

 

[NFBuck]

Welcome back Trev

This was good for a laugh. What an assbag. Just look at #2.

http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stories/082506aar.html

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

This was good for a laugh. What an assbag. Just look at #2.

Well, he did have one good statement: "Anyone better at reloading than Tressel?"

 

[osugrad21]

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[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Will OSU remain No. 1?[/FONT]
Friday, September 1, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER More OSU previews are in Regional Sports today.[/FONT]

JIM TRESSEL​

http://ads.cantonrep.com/Repads/adview.php?what=zone:4&n=a33d1097 You won’t find Jim Tressel nestled into a La-Z-Boy drinking a beer, watching a game. He doesn’t fish, hunt or golf. In the summer, he reads.
So it should not surprise anyone that Tressel went C.S. Lewis on the Buckeyes.
His team is everyone’s preseason No. 1. Ohio State is expected to win the Big Ten, avoid land mines at Texas and Iowa, beat Michigan for the third straight year and cruise into the desert for the national championship.
Cruise?
“You remember the C.S. Lewis quote?” Tressel said. “ ‘The greatest danger there is is the illusion that all is well, when, indeed, all is not well.’ ... If you have that illusion that all is well, and put it in cruise, then we’re in trouble.
“I wish I could get inside our guys’ heads and tell for sure what’s inside them. If there is an inkling of anything other than this is going to be brutally hard, we’re in trouble.”
Tressel has to replace virtually everyone on defense. His team plays night road games at Texas and Iowa after losing two night games (one at home to the eventual national-champion Longhorns) last year. The leading wide receiver was a first-round draft pick. Center Nick Mangold is gone.
And this is the best team in the country?
Thanks to the walking highlight reel that is quarterback Troy Smith, yes, Ohio State can be the best in the country.
Tressel doesn’t seem concerned about the hype. He returns 12 fifth-year seniors, as much veteran leadership as he’s had in his six years in Columbus.
The USA Today coaches’ poll picked the Buckeyes No. 1. As did the Associated Press writers’ poll. They were on a regional cover of Sports Illustrated. The Sporting News says Ohio State is No. 1.
Tressel took it in stride.
Opponents have a bull’s-eye.

“We all want to affirm how people feel about us,” Tressel said. “I’m sure Northern Illinois (this week’s opponent) is worried about fundamentals, and not Ohio State.
“Do we want to be the best team in the Big Ten? Do we want to be the best team in the country? That’s up to us. It won’t be about Northern Illinois or Texas or what’s on down the road.”
TROY THE LEADER
The season will go how Smith goes. A year ago, Smith threw for 2,282 yards and ran for 611. Michigan and Notre Dame did nothing to slow him.
Smith spent the offseason trying to improve. He studied film. He looked at himself. He looked at defenses.
Smith has come a long way since the day when he watched his teammates in the 2004 Alamo Bowl, then listened to the 2005 opener on the radio at a high school game. He was suspended two games for taking $500 from a booster.
He graduated with a degree in communications. He is working on a second degree in African-American studies.
“It’s like night and day,” Smith said. “It’s a total sense of urgency in terms of being there for my teammates. I took those things for granted. ... I was in situations where I had to assess myself as a man and as a college athlete. I had to know there is more at risk and at stake than the silly decisions I made.”
The most remarkable transformation Tressel has seen is Smith’s leadership. Sure, his decision making — on and off the field — has made a 180-degree turnaround, but there is no mistaking who’s in charge.
“You want that guy in the huddle ... to make sure that no one’s talking but him and everyone wants to hear what he has to say,” Tressel said.
“Troy ... tells (players) sometimes the way us coaches would like to tell them but maybe we’re a little more sensitive. It’s kind of neat to see the way he’s grabbed a hold of this football team.”
OFFENSE IS LOADED
Smith isn’t alone on offense. In addition to an offensive line with Kirk Barton, T.J. Downing, Doug Datish and Alex Boone, Smith has weapons. Running back Antonio Pittman ran for 1,331 yards. Freshman Chris Wells will spell Pittman.
The receivers may be the best on the Big Ten. Ted Ginn Jr. is a Heisman candidate. He is a year smarter and another 50-plus catch season could propel him into the NFL Draft. Anthony Gonzalez had the biggest catch of the season against Michigan in the final seconds. Brian Hartline is expected to rotate with Brian Robiskie and Roy Hall.
If OSU’s defense reloads, the preseason No. 1 status won’t be hype. In Tressel’s previous five seasons, he has lost 13 games. Just four times, though, has he lost a game by 10 points or more. In 58 regular-season games, the Buckeyes have allowed 16.3 points a game.
Tressel like his defensive front.
“With Quinn Pitcock, Jay Richardson, Joel Penton and David Patterson, we have veterans I think will be good,” Tressel said. “A key guy is Vernon Gholston. Quinn was sitting in my office the other day and said, ‘Coach, if Vernon keeps playing the way he’s been playing, we have a chance.’ I agree with him.”
Do the Buckeyes have enough back to win it all?
Early indications are yes.
Those are just polls.
“How legitimate is it?” Tressel said. “I don’t know. We’ll all find out together by the end of November. It’s always nice to be mentioned.”
Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[osugrad21]

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[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]OSU numbers[/FONT]
Friday, September 1, 2006


745
Total yards Buckeye QB Troy Smith had in games against Michigan and Notre Dame.
2.83
Combined grade-point average of Ohio State’s football team. The Buckeyes had a league-best 18 players on the Big Ten All-Academic team last fall.
4
Number of OSU players who have graduated: Troy Smith, Doug Datish, Brandon Mitchell and Stan White Jr.
21
Number of returning starters Illinois has this
season, most of any Big Ten team.
20-1
Ohio State’s record against MAC schools. The lone loss was to Akron 111 years ago.
27
Number of consecutive home openers Ohio State has won.
8
Number of turnovers Illinois forced in 2005, fewest in the country.
0
Number of wins Penn State has in Ohio Stadium since joining the Big Ten.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Buckeyes used to being targets

By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

COLUMBUS — You might think that owning the top ranking in all of college football would leave its mark with a smorgasbord of mixed emotions — pride, euphoria, anxiety, consternation.

But the preseason No. 1 slapped on Ohio State has left the Buckeyes feeling somewhat like it’s just another day at the office.

“It’s nice to know people out there think that much of our team, but it doesn’t really do anything to change the expectations around here. At Ohio State, the expectations are always sky-high,” senior defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock said.

The Buckeyes, coming off a 10-2 season, a share of the Big Ten championship, and a Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame, are ranked first in both major polls. When Ohio State hosts Northern Illinois tomorrow at Ohio Stadium, the Buckeyes will open the season at No. 1 for the seventh time. Only Oklahoma (9) has occupied that seat more often.

“The No. 1 ranking — you don’t think about it, you don’t expect to get it, and so you don’t make a big fuss over it, if it happens,” Ohio State senior quarterback Troy Smith said. “Sure, it’s an honor and there’s a lot of pride involved in it, but nothing’s happened out on the field yet, so we can’t put too much emphasis on that. Being No. 1 at the end of the year is what we play for.”

The last time the Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 before a regular season game was in November of 1998, just before a loss to Michigan State at Ohio Stadium. Before that defeat, Ohio State had won eight consecutive games as the No. 1 ranked team that season. Ohio State finished the 2002 season as No. 1 after defeating previously top-ranked Miami for the national title.

“Anytime you are ranked No. 1, it puts a bull’s-eye on your back, but since this is Ohio State, we have that big bull’s-eye on us all of the time, anyway,” senior center Doug Datish said. “We are going to get everyone’s best shot, regardless of where we’re ranked, or if we’re ranked or not.”

Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel said he tries to keep his approach the same, and not let outside factors like polls or predictions impact what the Buckeyes do to prepare for the season or an upcoming game.

“I think our guys are anxious, and I know we are as coaches, but I don’t know that it’s because of expectations, because the expectations are always there wherever we’re ranked,” Tressel said.

“I think especially with the leadership group we have on this team, with so many guys who have been here for so long, and they’re just so excited about the opportunity to lead this football team. Plus it’s so much fun to play games at Ohio Stadium, and you look at our schedule, whether it be the home games or the away games, those are some exciting situations to be in. So I think we’re anxious for all the right reasons.”

Pitcock, one of just two returning starters on the OSU defense, said the top ranking the Buckeyes received is the proverbial double-edged sword.

“Of course it is an honor and it’s nice to be respected like that, and to be that highly touted in the eyes of so many people around the country. But at the same time, being king of the hill is a tough job,” Pitcock said.

“It really makes that target on our backs even bigger. It would be easier to have people not expect so much from you, and then be able to come up and surprise them with how well you do, but we’re not going to have that opportunity here at Ohio State. People here always talk about shooting for the national championship. The expectations are always there.”

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

COMMENTARY
It’s time for OSU to earn its ranking

Saturday, September 02, 2006

BOB HUNTER

</IMG>

Excited about the opportunity to see the No. 1 team in the nation play in Ohio Stadium today? Me, too. Northern Illinois has never played in the old horseshoe and I … what? You mean, you have the Buckeyes No. 1?
How about that? I picked the Huskies. After all, they do have the 2005 national rushing leader coming back and they gave Michigan a good run last year in the Big House, and … oh, all right, I’m just funnin’ with you.
Thinking that a Mid-American Conference team is the best team in the nation might be a stretch. My real choice for No. 1 is Texas Christian.
Ha-ha. Got you again. I’m really a scream, aren’t I? OK, you don’t have to tell me. Enough’s enough.
And anyway, somewhere in the middle of all this nonsense, the point should have already been made: I’m not taking this No. 1 stuff at all seriously because that’s exactly what it deserves.
Ever since the USA Today coaches poll was the first to name Ohio State as preseason No. 1 almost a month ago, it has been just about all everyone around here has talked about. That’s not surprising given the love people have for the Buckeyes; the idea that their team is on the verge of another national championship is enough to make your average fan start building a life-size statue of Jim Tressel out of toothpicks in his back yard.
But exciting as it is to a lot of people, it’s all a bit of a mirage. While being the preseason No. 1 is great for building interest for the program — this week, local clothing stores probably ran out of Woody hats Monday instead of Tuesday — it doesn’t mean anything.
Preseason rankings are a consensus of opinions, nothing more. Before the season, the No. 1 team has no more chance of going unbeaten than the No. 2 or No. 3 or even No. 30 team. Preseason rankings are based on what voters think might happen based on the reputation of the program and what happened last year. Rankings are given to the teams that receive them. They are not earned.
The coaches know this and the players say they do, although it’s always difficult to tell which ones are merely repeating what they’ve heard. In Ohio State’s case, all would be wise to remember they got this ranking partially because all of the top teams seem to have flaws; otherwise a team with nine new starters on defense would never start this high.
Senior quarterback Troy Smith made an interesting point this week about the 2002 national championship ring he was given during his redshirt year, even though he didn’t play. He said he was walking around with his ring on and "had hardware on that I had earned, and yet I didn’t." He said he doesn’t wear the ring now because "all that work is done on the field."
Even though the circumstances aren’t precisely the same, his description fits this preseason No. 1 ranking stuff perfectly. The Buckeyes are walking around with a ranking they have done nothing for; they will have a chance, just as their opponents will, to justify it on the field.
It’s not a bad thing because it gives the Buckeyes an advantage in their quest to make the national championship game. If they lose a game, the higher ranked teams at the beginning of the season have a better chance of staying within striking distance. But as a predictor of what’s ahead, a dartboard might be just as effective.
Many will take solace in the fact that for the past four years, the top-ranked team in the Associated Press preseason poll (Ohio State is also No. 1 there) has played in the Bowl Championship Series national title game. Southern California went wire to wire to win the 2004 national championship. Miami (’02), Oklahoma (’03) and USC (last season) all lost in the title game.
But remember, the 2002 Ohio State team that won it all started No. 13. It earned what it got. It made it to No. 1 by winning all of its games, not because some coaches or writers put OSU at the top of a list they compiled during the summer while sipping beers by the pool.
So where does that leave us?
Back with more No. 1s than we know what to do with.
By this time tomorrow, we will have our first real clues whether these silly rankings actually mean something.
Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Quote:
Look out for No. 1
Pressure can come from fans, foes when team starts at top

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

SHARI LEWIS DISPATCH For the first time under coach Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes begin the season ranked No. 1.


Ohio State fans treat their football like figure skating. Style points count, and they’re the Russian judge.
Winning isn’t always enough for the rabid fans. They want their boys in scarlet and gray to crush opponents. Maybe it’s the ghost of Woody Hayes, going for a two-point conversion to cap a 50-14 blowout of Michigan in 1968.
Whatever it is, players might not want to turn on the talkradio shows after the Buckeyes play a supposedly inferior team closer than expected, like when OSU squeaked by Marshall in 2004, winning 24-21 on a late 55-yard field goal.
"Winning, sometimes you still get heckled for it," guard T.J. Downing said.
That’s life in the fishbowl, and it’s only magnified in years like this one, when OSU comes into the season ranked No. 1 in the country.
Games like today’s against Northern Illinois are viewed as an easy victory, whether that’s realistic or not. And that potentially could put pressure on a young team.
"Obviously, being No. 1, everybody expects us to go out and win every game," Downing said, "and being No. 1, they expect us to go out there and roll over Northern Illinois. But (the Huskies) are not just going to go over there and lay down and die."
This is why coach Jim Tressel points out that in 2003, Northern Illinois beat three teams from Bowl Championship Series conferences: Maryland, Alabama and Iowa State.
It’s not just coach-speak. Players say they notice that when underdogs such as the Huskies face powerhouse teams, they really do step up their play a few notches.
"When you can really tell is when you turn on the film and you see how much faster, how much harder teams are playing against you, relatively speaking to the other teams on the schedule," receiver Anthony Gonzalez said.
"Perfect example of that: Northern Illinois, when they played Michigan last year. You throw that film on … and then maybe if you throw on like a Western Michigan, they’re not moving as fast. Not that they’re not playing as hard, just not moving as fast. So in that regard, I feel like we’ll probably get the Michigan performance."
Some Buckeyes don’t mind the pressure to win big. They accept it as a fact of life.
"It’s not hard to deal with," quarterback Troy Smith said. "It’s Ohio State, that’s what you get when you sign those dotted lines and you want to attend this university. It’s about winning, and you have to be that kind of athlete that wants to win by large numbers every week."
Margin of victory might be overrated, anyway. Last year, OSU had a solid but not laughable 34-14 victory over Miami in its season opener. Texas steamrolled poor Louisiana-Lafayette 60-3.
But what did that mean the following week? Not much, as the teams proved evenly matched in a game Texas won 25-22 on a late touchdown pass.
In fact, the Buckeyes’ national championship season of 2002 featured more nail-biters than any of Tressel’s other four seasons.
"I remember a few games in ’02 we’d win in overtime or the last second," fifthyear defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock said. "It comes down to if it’s a win, it’s a win, it doesn’t matter how you do it."
As the preseason No. 1, the reality is that unless OSU loses, it almost certainly will end up in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 8 playing for the BCS title.
That’s regardless of margins of victory.
"Of course, we’d love to blow out every team, but that’s not going to happen," Pitcock said. "There’s going to be adversity, and (we’ll) just work hard through it."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Remaining on top can be difficult

Starting at No. 1 means OSU has room to fall

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

COLUMBUS - There is one glaring negative about Ohio State opening the season as the nation's No. 1 team.
Only Florida State in 1999 and Southern California in 2004 have gone wire to wire, starting with the top ranking in the Associated Press poll, holding it every week and finishing in the same spot.
The Buckeyes captured two national championships -- under coach Paul Brown in 1942 and under coach Woody Hayes in 1970 -- in the previous six times they began atop the poll.
The '42 team went 9-1 and won the AP title despite a loss at No. 6 Wisconsin in midseason. The '70 team finished 9-1 and was recognized as the best by the National Football Foundation, even though it lost to No. 12 Stanford in the Rose Bowl. The Associated Press acknowledged that it released its final rankings before the bowls until sometime in the 1960s.
As the Buckeyes kick off today at 3:30 p.m. against Northern Illinois in front of a sellout crowd at Ohio Stadium, OSU upperclassmen insist there has been no conversation about the lofty ranking.
``I try not to think about that,'' senior quarterback Troy Smith said. ``It's all about where you finish. Don't get me wrong, it's great being (among) the top teams. But the preseason sometimes can cut your throat if you let it.
``We read a quote in our `Winners Manual' (a book provided to players by coaches) that said something like, `The media and some of the tabloids are like poison. They can only hurt you if you swallow it.'
``I think it's in the back of guys' heads. I don't think there's a person in our locker room who has enough guts or macho to come out and start talking about that,'' Smith said. ``We focus on getting better day in and day out.''
Junior running back Antonio Pittman knows the Buckeyes have a target on their backs with the ranking, but insists he doesn't feel any pressure.
``We've got to go out and perform just like we're not ranked,'' he said. ``We have to stay on our toes at all times. We can't even think about No. 1.''
But then Pittman sounded like he might not be able to do that himself.
``I think we've got something to prove. Any time you come out No. 1, you want to let it be known that you're No. 1 for a reason,'' he said.
Senior linebacker John Kerr doesn't quite agree with Pittman.
``It's not about being anxious to show the country what we can do, it's being anxious to show ourselves,'' Kerr said. ``To prove to ourselves, `Hey, yeah, we're going to be fine.' ''
The preseason optimism was borne out of OSU's returning offensive firepower, led by Heisman candidates Smith and flanker-kick returner Ted Ginn Jr., and a strong second half of last season. A 10-2 campaign concluded with a 34-20 drubbing of No. 6 Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. On that night, Smith knew that the new BCS national championship game would be played next year in Glendale, Ariz.
It is scheduled for Jan. 8, a week after the other bowls conclude.
To achieve that goal, the Buckeyes must cope with the loss of nine starters on defense and kicker Josh Huston. Redshirt freshman Aaron Pettrey won the job Mike Nugent and Huston so aptly handled since the start of the 2002 season.
Northern Illinois could prove to be a dangerous foe, especially since a trip to No. 3 Texas is next up for OSU on Sept. 9.
The Huskies went 7-5 last season and tied for first in the Mid-American Conference with a 6-2 mark. With the nation's leading returning rusher in senior Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois is favored to win the MAC's Western Division.
``I'm glad we're catching them first,'' Wolfe said. ``Hopefully those defensive guys aren't worried, they're very confident. Hopefully they're thinking about those Longhorns.''
Junior receiver Anthony Gonzalez insists that isn't so.
``We're focused on this game,'' he said.
``Northern Illinois is going to give us everything we want and more. In no way are we looking past Northern Illinois. I haven't watched a Texas film since the summer.''
Sophomore linebacker Marcus Freeman, stepping into a starting spot after redshirting when he tore a meniscus in the 2005 opener, is more concerned with defensive coordinator Jim Heacock's total team concept. But what about 13-0?
``That's the number we want to hear at the end of the season,'' Freeman said.

 

[Steve19]

OK. The preseason is over. I am going to lock this thread and start a poll thread.

 

[matcar]

Trusty scribe in Arky picks tOSU - we're guaranteed to win it all now!

http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/164986/

Seems he predicted last years UT/USC game out of the gate and picks tOSU this year. I'm now wagerin' it all on the Bucks!

Then again, if you read the rest of this, it makes ya wonder if he knows a damn thing...

<H2>Like it is : Last year’s seer can be this year’s blind squirrel

Wally Hall




A year ago about this time, in this space it was predicted that Texas and USC would meet in the Rose Bowl for the Bowl Championship Series national championship.
It was predicted that USC would not threepeat, that Texas would win.
The fact that the Rose Bowl is practically in USC’s back yard was not a factor because the Longhorns had gone to Pasadena, and won, the year before.
Unfortunately, last year at this time your trusty scribe did not visit Vegas or some money would have been won.
What that prediction proves beyond a shadow of a doubt is even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while.
Yes, it is true that I once won the Wyatt Summary, a national contest for sportswriters who before the first game picked how they thought the final poll would turn out.
That plaque was received just 25 years ago.
Anyway, traditionally this space does make a guess at how the polls will finish, and today is the day for that unscientific survey. 1 OHIO STATE The only thing that could be missing from the Buckeyes’ national championship is a picture of yours truly giving Jim Tressel the trophy. The last time the national championship game was played in the Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State beat Miami and as president of the Football Writers’ Association of America, I presented Tressel with that organization’s trophy and that was the picture they chose to run in the next year’s media guide. 2 WEST VIRGINIA Finally, the Mountaineers get the respect they. 3 NOTRE DAME Brady Quinn. Enough said. 4 LSU JaMarcus Russell is 14-2 as the starting quarterback and LaRon Landry may be the best free safety in the country. 5 OKLAHOMA All Bob Stoops needs is a slightly better-thanaverage quarterback, one who won’t get the Sooners beat. 6 GEORGIA Could swap places with LSU if it wins the SEC Championship Game against the Tigers. 7 FLORIDA Chris Leak is now comfortable in the Spread offense. 8 FLORIDA STATE Bobby Bowden is dancing with what brought him, the running game. 9 USC Lost only one game last season but lost two Heisman Trophy winners. 10 TEXAS A much more realistic spot for the team than top three. Vince Young is gone and not coming back. 11 AUBURN Would be higher but there are rumblings of a major distraction that might hit the plains. Still could be the money year for Tom Tuberville. Next stop the NFL. 12 MIAMI Learned a valuable lesson about staying focused in last year’s Peach Bowl, where the Hurricanes were ripped apart 40-3 by LSU. 13 MICHIGAN Lloyd Carr is on the hot seat after a 7- 5 season. and he knows what it takes to cool the stool. 14 CALIFORNIA Would be higher if it had an established quarterback. 15 LOUISVILLE Lots of starters back, but the Cardinals are in the Big East now. 16 VIRGINIA TECH Has perfected cupcake scheduling. 17 IOWA A very balanced offensive attack. Albert Young runs and Drew Tate throws. 18 PENN STATE Papa Joe keeps doing it his way and the fans have re-realized the man knows what he is doing. The Nittany Lions were 11-1 last season. Derrick Williams could get some serious Heisman consideration. 19 CLEMSON With 17 starters back, the Tigers will make a run at the Atlantic Coast Conference title. 20 NEBRASKA Let the good times roll. The Huskers return 16 starters, which will finally make Bill Callahan appreciated by the Huskers nation. 21 OREGON With 15 starters back, including sophomore sensation Jonathan Stewart, the Ducks will be heard loud and clear. 22 TCU Gary Patterson has it going in Fort Worth and isn’t letting up. 23 ARIZONA STATE Roy Wittke gets to prove he is an offensive coordinator. 24 TEXAS TECH If the defense comes through this will be a good season for the Red Raiders. 25 TENNESSEE Won’t be good enough to satisfy the Vols fans, but Phil Fulmer is safe.

</H2>