Big 10 News (Merged)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BIG TEN NOTEBOOK
Playing keepaway is risky
Punters often fail to execute when strategy makes sense

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Rob Oller
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

</IMG> Ohio State?s Ted Ginn Jr. only got one chance to return a punt against Bowling Green, which decided to kick away from him.


Playing keepaway by punting and kicking the ball away from the other team?s dangerous return man is football?s equivalent of walking the home run hitter.
Sometimes, however, four balls become four balks, as was the case when Bowling Green botched four punts in an attempt to keep Ohio State?s Ted Ginn Jr. from burning them. Four of Bowling Green?s five punts traveled less than 30 yards before slicing out of bounds ? not exactly what the coaches had in mind.
But while the execution might have been awful, several Big Ten coaches agreed that the idea of intentionally punting out of bounds or pooching kickoffs is a solid concept.
The problem is pulling it off successfully.
"I think it makes a lot of sense, but it?s easier said than done," said Minnesota coach Glen Mason, who chose to kick to Ginn last season only to have him return the kick 100 yards for a touchdown.
Michigan State coach John L. Smith said it comes down to making a choice between the lesser of two evils when kicking to Ginn or Steve Breaston of Michigan.
"We had a guy (Breaston) last week and we have Teddy this week. I?m a big believer in not giving any of those guys any extra opportunities. If you can keep it away from them, that?s what you do," Smith said. "Now, what?s the best way to do that? Is it rolling out and keeping (the punt) on the ground? We tried that (in 2004) and Teddy ran one back against us."
Punting out of bounds is a solid option, although less experienced punters can cost their team more yardage than if they had kicked to the return man.
"It gets scary because a lot of times the kid ends up shanking it," Smith said. "It?s tough duty to get it enough yards downfield and yet keep it out of a guy?s hands."
The risk of shanking punts is why Ohio State and Michigan rely instead on increasing hang time and improving punt and kickoff coverage.
Manningham to miss game

Michigan sophomore receiver Mario Manningham will sit out Saturday at Penn State after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery yesterday, coach Lloyd Carr said during the Big Ten weekly teleconference.
"He?ll miss this week, but we just got great news as far as the injury," Carr said, declining to elaborate.
Losing Manningham, who has eight touchdown catches in the past four games, means more playing time for senior Carl Tabb and freshman Greg Mathews, Carr said.
Paterno said no to Michigan

The Woody and Bo show might not have premiered in 1969 if Joe Paterno had said yes to an offer to coach the Wolverines.
Michigan coach Bump Elliott stepped down after the 1968 season, prompting former Michigan athletic director Don Canham to contact Paterno about the job.
"He offered me the job. I said, ?Let me think about it,? " Paterno said. "Don invited me to campus, but I didn?t want to do that. We met at the Pittsburgh airport ... and I told him the next day that I appreciated the offer but there were so many things I still want to get done.
"They probably look back now and, ?Thank God he turned us down.? They went out and got Bo Schembechler."
Paterno also told Canham that ?If I ever was going to leave Penn State for another college, it probably would be Michigan.? "
[email protected]

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Mark Wogenrich'S Big Ten Notebook

Purdue is back to its old form. The Boilermakers lead the conference in total offense (465.3 yards per game) and are tied with Michigan for the lead in scoring offense (33.5 points). They're also last in the Big Ten in scoring defense (109th nationally) and total defense (115th). That's a combination reminiscent of the Drew Brees era. And with his team allowing 154.7 yards rushing per game, coach Joe Tiller thinks he has found the weak point. ''The hottest topic is the Iowa game [a 47-17 loss], and strength had not been an issue until the Iowa game. Even against Notre Dame it wasn't an issue, but it's become an issue because of one game. Are we as strong and physical as we need to be at defensive tackle? Absolutely not.''

Indiana ended a seven-game Big Ten losing streak last Saturday, beating Illinois on a last-second field goal. ''The sun shines a little brighter and the water tastes better after you win,'' coach Terry Hoeppner said. The Hoosiers should enjoy it now:ois on a last-second field goal. ''The sun shines a little brighter and the water tastes better after you win,'' coach Terry Hoeppner sal


Next on the schedule are Iowa and Ohio State.

Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith completed 85 percent of his passes in a 35-7 win over Bowling Green to earn Big Ten offensive co-player of the week (with Wisconsin back P.J. Hill). That boosted his career passer rating to 158.1, a Big Ten record.

Smith's 170.6 rating for the season ranks seventh in the nation.

How much will Michigan quarterback Chad Henne miss receiver Mario Manningham this week? Of Henne's 13 touchdown passes, nine have gone to Manningham, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday and will miss Saturday's game at Penn State.

The Big Ten has two 6-0 teams (Michigan and Ohio State) for the first time since 1999.

The season's first Bowl Championship Standings will be released Sunday. Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is a voter in the Harris Poll, part of the formula that determines the BCS standings.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

INDIANA 31 NO. 15 IOWA 28
Hoosiers party after upset of Hawkeyes

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Michael Marot
ASSOCIATED PRESS




BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ? Indiana waited nearly two decades to party like this. So why worry about another 20 seconds?
Players stormed the field and fireworks went off before the Hoosiers? biggest upset in nearly two decades was official, but there was nothing premature about their stunning 31-28 upset of No. 15 Iowa yesterday.
As officials spotted the ball for the final time, the scoreboard clock was at 22 seconds. With the Hawkeyes out of timeouts, all that remained was a celebration of the Hoosiers? biggest win since beating No. 9 Ohio State 31-10 on Oct. 10, 1987.
"It?s a little crazy, I pretty much lost my voice on the field celebrating," quarterback Kellen Lewis said after his second straight fourth-quarter comeback. "It?s just fun right now."
The Hoosiers (4-3, 2-1) included the fans, too.
After shaking hands with Iowa?s players, players sprinted toward the student section. Some jumped into the crowd, hugging classmates as they sang the school fight song.
But this was no mere victory for Indiana (4-3, 2-1). It was a milestone in a season that has included a loss to a Division I-AA school, coach Terry Hoeppner?s second brain surgery in fewer than nine months and a two-game suspension of their top player, James Hardy.
Yesterday, those were distant memories.
Hardy delivered the big game Indiana needed, becoming the first Hoosier to catch three touchdown passes in a game in nearly 25 years. He had eight catches for 104 yards, easily his best performance of the season.
Lewis, too, was productive before getting hoarse. After beating Illinois with a last-minute drive a week ago, he rallied Indiana with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Hardy with 9:51 left for the winning score and also beat the clock by driving Indiana 50 yards in 51 seconds for a field goal just before halftime. He finished 19 of 25 for 255 yards.
The Hoosiers also overcame the loss of their top running back and the nation?s top kick returner, Marcus Thigpen, for most of the second half with what appeared to be a right leg injury. His replacement, Demetrius McCray, carried 13 times for 84 yards.
It was the kind of day that impressed Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz.
"They?ve done a great job getting on their feet and doing what they have to do," Ferentz said. "They have to feel great what they?ve done the last couple weeks."
The loss likely ended any outside chance Iowa (5-2, 2-2) had of contending for a Big Ten title.
Drew Tate was 23-of-40 passing for 292 yards with one touchdown and one interception and Damian Sims carried 22 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns.
Iowa used first-half fumbles by Josiah Sears and Lewis to score 14 points and eventually build a 21-7 lead. Like last week, at Illinois, Indiana steadied itself. Lewis? 2-yard run with 3:25 left in the half got the comeback started. Then Austin Starr hit a career-long 46-yard field goal into a brisk, swirling wind as the half ended to make it 21-17.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BIG TEN ROUNDUP
Badgers chop down Gophers, keep Axe

Sunday, October 15, 2006


ASSOCIATED PRESS

>


No. 25 Wisconsin 48, Minnesota 12

John Stocco threw four touchdown passes and P.J. Hill ran for two scores as Wisconsin beat Minnesota yesterday in Madison, Wis., to keep Paul Bunyan?s Axe.
"I know all the seniors feel the same way ? having that Axe stay here in our last go at them just feels great," Stocco said. "We?ve done a good job starting fast. That really helps out as a team, to get the momentum early and not give it back."
Wisconsin (6-1, 3-1) got an early defensive touchdown and wasted little time turning Hill loose. The redshirt freshman responded with 164 yards on 25 carries to help produce the biggest margin of victory in the series since 1983.
"P.J. Hill is a beast," said tight end Andy Crooks, who had a TD catch to make it 28-3 at halftime.
Minnesota (2-5, 0-4) had no answer early for Hill or late for Stocco, who went 12 of 19 for 191 yards and had TD passes of 8, 2, 40 and 4 yards.
When the Golden Gophers focused on slowing the 242-pound Hill, Stocco picked them apart. Minnesota (2-5, 0-4) has lost four straight and its bowl hopes are fading fast.
"I told the players to put this all on my shoulders," said coach Glen Mason, now 2-8 against Wisconsin. "We didn?t play well offensively or defensively. I?ll take the responsibility."

Purdue 31, Northwestern 10

Curtis Painter threw for a career-high 431 yards and two touchdowns, and Purdue (5-2, 2-1) beat Northwestern (2-5, 0-3) in Evanston, Ill.
After losing by 14 at Notre Dame and by 30 at Iowa last week, Purdue went ahead in the second quarter and put Northwestern away late in the third. The nation?s fifth-leading passer, Painter set career highs with 35 completions and 49 attempts. He was intercepted once.
The junior found Dustin Keller for a 19-yarder on the first play of the second quarter to put the Boilermakers ahead for good at 14-7. His 1-yard pass to Jake Standeford late in the third quarter made it 24-10.
Greg Orton set career highs with 13 catches and 144 yards, and Keller had six receptions for 91 yards, as Purdue handed Northwestern its fourth straight loss. Purdue racked up 510 yards, and the Wildcats managed 251 against a defense that ranked 115 th in the nation.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

OHIO 20 ILLINOIS 17
Bobcats pull upset with last-second field goal

Sunday, October 15, 2006


ASSOCIATED PRESS




CHAMPAIGN, Ill. ? Matt Lasher admitted afterward that he was on the sideline with sweaty palms and a swirling stomach before he was called upon to win the game for Ohio.
He kicked a 32-yard field goal with five seconds left to give the Bobcats a 20-17 victory over Illinois last night, as the Bobcats became the first Mid-American Conference team to take down a Big Ten opponent this season.
The win is Ohio?s first over a Big Ten team since it defeated Minnesota in 2000. OU now has beaten a team from a Bowl Championship Series conference in each of the past three seasons, knocking off Pittsburgh (Big East) last season and Kentucky (Southeastern Conference) in 2004.
With the score tied at 17, the Illini (2-5) began a drive with just under two minutes remaining, only to have Ohio cornerback T.J. Wright strip receiver Kyle Hudson of the ball. Tyler Russ recovered the fumble at the Illinois 16 with a minute left to set up the winning field goal.
"I had a lot of confidence in him at the end to get that one through," Ohio coach Frank Solich said.
With the win, Ohio (4-3) equaled its win total from last season, something Solich feels his team can use as motivation.
"We?re now a winning football team," he said. "We?ve got a lot of tough games coming down the stretch, but this was good to build off of."
Illinois coach Ron Zook suffered a nail-biting loss for the second straight week. The Illini lost Indiana 34-32 last week on a similar last-second kick. "We had too many breakdowns and that is going to cost us," Zook said.
Kalvin McRae rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns, both in the second quarter, on 25 carries. McRae?s first score was from 2 yards and the second came less than five minutes later from 17 yards. In the third quarter, Lasher made a 32-yard field goal. Lasher also was a big factor as a punter, twice pinning the Illini inside their 5 in fourth quarter.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Mark Wogenrich'S Big Ten Notebook


Could the Jan. 8 BCS title game be a rematch between Ohio State and Michigan? Based on the first BCS rankings, it's possible. No. 1 Ohio State (.973 points), No. 2 USC (.956) and No. 3 Michigan (.934) have separated themselves from their closest competitors (No. 4 Auburn is at .748). If both Ohio State and Michigan enter their Nov. 18 game unbeaten, the loser still might have enough points to remain in the top two. That becomes even more likely should USC and No. 5 West Virginia lose.

And those two teams have more difficult finishing schedules. The Buckeyes' remaining opponents prior to Nov. 18 are a combined 4-20; the Wolverines' are 11-17.

Freshman quarterback Kellen Lewis became the first Indiana player in four years to be named Big Ten offensive player of the week. Lewis, who shared the award with Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter, went 19-for-25 for 255 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score in the Hoosiers' 31-28 win over Iowa.

With the upset of former No. 15 Iowa, Indiana has won back-to-back Big Ten games for the first time since 2001. It will take that streak into a visit Saturday to No. 1 Ohio State. ''Some people called it an upset last week, and I guess technically it was,'' Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner said. ''If we win this week, it would probably be considered an upset again. But that's what we're intending to do.''

Reeling from the loss to Indiana, Iowa heads to Michigan this week still unsure about its injury situation. Coach Kirk Ferentz said running back Albert Young, who missed the last two games with a knee injury, has the best chance of returning among his injured players. Leading receiver Dominique Douglas and backup running back Shonn Greene (both with knee injuries) also might return, but starting left tackle Dace Richardson (sprained ankle against Indiana) and starting defensive tackle Mitch King (hamstring) are uncertain.

Wisconsin running back P.J. Hill Jr. last week became the fourth freshman in NCAA history to reach 1,000 yards rushing in his first seven games. The other three were Florida's Emmitt Smith (1987), San Diego State's Marshall Faulk (1991) and Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson (2004). Hill leads the Big Ten in rushing yards (144.4 per game) and all-purpose yards (166.6)

With a 60-yard return for a touchdown against Michigan State, Ted Ginn Jr. of Ohio State set the Big Ten record for career punt-return TDs (six).

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Parity an illusion in Big Two, Medium Nine

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The leaves are starting to change colors, which means Michigan and Ohio State are starting to pull away in the Big Ten football race.
If you've seen one Big Ten football season, you've seen them all.
And folks, it's getting old.
Don't give me that line about the conference having parity, because what Michigan and Ohio State are doing this season is as close to dominating as you'll ever see by today's standards.
This isn't the 1970s when Michigan and Ohio State took turns winning Big Ten titles and going to the Rose Bowl every year, but it's close.
Just ask members of the Iowa football team.
Three weeks after facing top-ranked Ohio State at home, the Hawkeyes will face No. 2 Michigan today at the Big House.
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz made Michigan sound like the second coming during his weekly press conference Tuesday.
"It's hard to find anything that isn't impressive," Ferentz said.
Former Iowa coach Hayden Fry used to say the same thing before facing Michigan or Ohio State.
It's like a broken record hearing a Big Ten coach gush over the Wolverines and Buckeyes.
But what else can they do?
The dominance of both Michigan and Ohio State in football is as American as apple pie and congressional sex scandals. It's a way of life.
If you're under the age of 50, you probably can't recall the Wolverines or the Buckeyes being bad in football.
They've combined to win 72 Big Ten titles, including 42 by Michigan. In fact, Michigan has won at least one conference title in every decade since the turn of the 20th century.
You could argue that no team, college or professional, has dominated to the degree that Michigan and Ohio State have dominated the Big Ten in football.
Even the New York Yankees have been mediocre at times.
Nebraska and Oklahoma used to enjoy a similar dominance in football, but both programs recently went through rebuilding stages.
USC also went through a rebuilding stage after being mediocre for much of the 1990s.
Iowa, meanwhile, was credited with breaking the stranglehold that Michigan and Ohio State had on the Big Ten when Fry led the Hawkeyes to the Rose Bowl in 1981.
It marked the first time since the 1967 season that somebody besides Michigan or Ohio State represented the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl.
Iowa also went to the Rose Bowl following the 1985 and 1990 seasons, but hasn't been back since, and hasn't won a Rose Bowl since the 1950s.
Wisconsin has won three Rose Bowls since 1993, but hasn't sustained that level of success.
Illinois, Purdue, Northwestern and Michigan State also have played in the Rose Bowl since the 1970s, but their appearances have been few and far between.
And remember how everybody assumed that Penn State would form an unstoppable triumvirate with Michigan and Ohio State after joining the conference in 1993?
Boy, did we overestimate the Nittany Lions.
The Big Ten these days is more like the Big Two and medium-sized nine.
Iowa has won 25 of its last 27 games at Kinnick Stadium, but guess who the two losses were against? That's right, Ohio State this season and Michigan last season.
Michigan and Ohio State don't win all the time, just most of the time.
Michigan has won 11 national titles and hasn't had a losing season since 1967. Although, last year's 7-5 record might as well be considered a losing season by Michigan's ridiculous standards.
Former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler never won a national title, but his teams did win at least 10 games on 11 different occasions, including seven times in the 1970s.
To put that into perspective, Iowa has won at least 10 games just six times and Iowa State never has won at least 10 games in a season.
It's no mystery why Michigan and Ohio State dominate in football, but rather a cruel fact of life for the other nine Big Ten teams. Michigan and Ohio State recruit the best players because the best players usually want to attend the best schools.
Many of the best players also grow up in Ohio and Michigan.
It's a fact of life that has existed for more than a half century and shows no signs of ending.
A pattern has developed since the 1980s where a Big Ten team rises to elite status for several years, but unlike Michigan and Ohio State, is unable to sustain the success.
It's hard enough rebuilding a program, but it's even harder for a school like Iowa to stay rebuilt.
The Hawkeyes slumped under Fry in the late 1980s, and for parts of the 1990s, before he retired in 1998.
Iowa has won two Big Ten titles since 2002 under Ferentz and combined to finish 20-4 in conference games during a three-year stretch from 2002-04.
But the Hawkeyes are just 7-5 in their last 12 Big Ten games dating back to the start of last season. Two of the losses came against Ohio State by a combined score of 69-23 and one came against Michigan.
It makes you wonder if Iowa is on the verge of falling back in the pack, and whether another team, perhaps Wisconsin, is ready to rise again.
One thing is certain, though: Michigan and Ohio State aren't going anywhere, except to the national title game for whoever wins their annual showdown next month.

Reach Pat Harty at 339-7368 or [email protected].

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BIG TEN ROUNDUP
Blocked FG attempt saves Minnesota from upset

Sunday, October 22, 2006


ASSOCIATED PRESS




Minnesota 10, North Dakota State 9 ?

Minnesota blocked Shawn Bibeau?s field goal attempt as time ran out yesterday, helping the struggling Gophers hold on to beat Division I-AA North Dakota State in Minneapolis.

Amir Pinnix rushed 25 times for 97 yards and a 5-yard score with 10:36 left to give Minnesota (3-5) its first lead against the ninth-ranked team in I-AA.
Bibeau made kicks of 30, 39 and 41 yards for the Bison (6-1), but his 21-yard try in the third quarter banged off the left upright.
"To come out here in our home stadium and put on a show like that, it?s really unacceptable," Minnesota linebacker Mike Sherels said.
Next week, Minnesota plays at top-ranked Ohio State and must go 3-1 in its last four games to be eligible for a bowlgame invitation.

No . 21 Wisconsin 24, Purdue 3 ?

P.J. Hill ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns to help Wisconsin (7-1, 4-1) beat host Purdue (5-3, 2-2) in West Lafayette, Ind.

The Boilermakers drove 60 yards on the opening possession of the second half, but Chris Summers missed a 37-yard field goal try and Wisconsin maintained its 10-3 lead.
Wisconsin came back with a 12-play, 80-yard drive that Hill capped with a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 17-3.
A 46-yard run by Hill set up Wisconsin?s final touchdown, an 8-yard run by Lance Smith with 6:30 remaining.

Penn State 26, Illinois 12 ?

Cornerback Tony Davis scored on a 6-yard fumble return, Anthony Scirrotto had two interceptions and returned an onside kick for a touchdown, and Penn State beat Illinois? in State College, Pa.

Rashard Mendenhall ran for 161 yards on 14 carries for Illinois (2-6, 1-3). The Nittany Lions defense came up with big stops in Illinois territory and Penn State (5-3, 3-2) scored nine points in the last 1:20 to pull away.
In trouble at his 7-yard line, Illinois quarterback Isiah Williams scrambled but was sacked and fumbled after linebacker Paul Posluszny grabbed him from behind. The ball took two bounces before Davis recovered and ran untouched into the end zone for a 19-7 lead midway through the third quarter. Dan Connor sacked Williams for a safety with 1:20 left in the game. Scirrotto recovered the ensuing onside kick and returned it 29 yards for a score.

 

[osugrad21]

OZone

Football
Big Ten Stat Leaders Mirror Big Ten Standings
By John Porentas​

The Big Ten schedule is now half complete, and a glance at the Big Ten standings and statistics says that there are three teams who are the cream of the crop at this point of the season.​

Michigan, Ohio State and Wisconsin dominate both the standings and the stats thus far. The Buckeyes and Wolverines are both undefeated both in and out of the conference and the Badgers have lost only once to Michigan. The three teams have a combined overall record of 23-1 and a conference record of 13-1.​

The Big Three are one, two, three in both scoring offense and defense, and after last week's play, the Buckeyes have taken the statistical lead in the conference in both those categories. OSU is scoring at a 34.9 ppg clip (11th in the nation), while Wisconsin is putting points on the board at a rate of 32.6 ppg (17th in the nation), and Michigan 29.88 (25th in the nation). In scoring defense, OSU is giving up just 8.3 points per game (second in the nation), Wisconsin 11.5 (fourth in the nation), and Michigan 12.6 (ninth in the nation).​

In other statistics of note, the Badgers lead the conference in rushing offense with 196.2 yards per game, while the Wolverines are third with 172.2 yards per game, the Buckeyes fourth at 170.1 yards per game. The Wolverines are the best run stoppers allowing a miserly 33.6 yards per game (first in the nation), the Buckeyes are now second in that category at 97.3 yards per game (20th in the nation). The Badgers allow 114.6 yards per game, fourth behind Penn State at 99.4 yards per game.​

In the passing game, it's all Buckeyes. OSU leads the league in passing efficiency with a 175.52 rating (third in the nation) while the Wolverines are second at 146.5 (25th in the nation and Badgers third at 145.33 (28th in the nation). The Buckeyes are second in pass offense with 240.6 yards per game, almost 70 yards per game behind pass-happy league leader Purdue. The Badgers are seventh in the league at 202.0 while the Wolverines are ninth at 190.4​

When it comes to protecting the football, the Buckeyes and Wolverines are in a league of their own. OSU and Michigan share the national lead for fewest turnovers with six turnovers lost each.​

OSU Season Statistics​

Other Stats of Note​

Big Ten Team Statistics of Note​

Sacks Allowed

Ohio State 9​

Michigan 12 ​

Wisconsin 14 (sixth Big Ten) ​

Sacks Made

Michigan 30 (3.63/game, fourth ncaa) ​

Ohio State 28 (3.50/game eighth ncaa) ​

Wisconsin 18 (fifth Big Ten) Total Defense

Michigan 240.88yd /game fourth ncaa) ​

Wisconsin 245.75 yds/game (seventh ncaa) ​

Ohio State 270.84 yds/game (15th NCAA Turnovers Gained

Ohio State 17 (22nd ncaa)​

Michigan 15 (41st ncaa) ​

Wisconsin 13 sixth Big Ten) Passing Defense

Wisconsin 139 yds/game (third ncaa) ​

Ohio State 173.76 tds/game (third Big Ten, 34th ncaa) ​

Michigan 207.25 yds/game (sixth Big Ten, 73rd ncaa) Third Down Conversions Ohio State 49.5% Wisconsin 46.5% (third Big Ten) Michigan 30.8% (fifth Big Ten) Opponent Third Down Conversions Wisconsin 26.4% Michigan 27.0% Ohio State 30.8% (fourth Big Ten) ​

Big Ten Individual Statistics of Note​

Rushing P. J. Hill, Wisc l46.5 yds/g (sixth ncaa) Mike Hart, Mich 129 yds/g ((seventh ncaa) Antonio Pittman, OSU 97.5 yds/game (20th ncaa) Pass Efficiency Troy Smith, OSU 176.4 (fourth ncaa) John Stocco, Wisc 153.6 (17th ncaa) Chad Henne, Mich 146 (29th ncaa) Receiving yards/game Mario Manningham. Mich 87.83 yds/g (13th ncaa) Anthony Gonzalez, OSU 73.88 yds/g (34th ncaa) Ted Ginn, Ohio State 73.63 yds/g (35th ncaa) Sacks LeMarr Woodley, Mich, 9 (1.33/game, fourth ncaa Quinn Pitcock , OSU, 7, (.88/game, 17th ncaa) Eric Gholstin, OSU, 5.5 (.69/game, 35th ncaa) Receptions
/Game Ted Ginn, OSU 5.12/game (second Big Ten) Anthony Gonzalez, 5.12/game (third Big Ten) Steve Breaston, Mich, 4.38/game (eighth Big Ten)

​

​

 

[DaddyBigBucks]

It's not like the o-zone to get things wrong, but they did this time. The story above says that tOSU is 2nd in the nation in scoring defense at 8.3 ppg.

While the official NCAA stat site does list us second, a quick look at the two important columns in the table tells the story. The "rank" column shows that we share the top spot with LSU. If that weren't enough, the "Ptspgm" column shows that the numbers are identical.

LINK

 

[BB73]

It's not like the o-zone to get things wrong, but they did this time. The story above says that tOSU is 2nd in the nation in scoring defense at 8.3 ppg.

While the official NCAA stat site does list us second, a quick look at the two important columns in the table tells the story. The "rank" column shows that we share the top spot with LSU. If that weren't enough, the "Ptspgm" column shows that the numbers are identical.

In the SEC they get to round down, so LSU's goes from 8.25 to 8.2.

Other conferences have to round up, so tOSU goes from 8.25 to 8.3.

I think Tuberville complained and got that changed by the NCAA. :tongue2:

Of course, in offensive categories, the opposite rounding rules apply.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

 

[bkochmc]

Since the Dispatch only showed the rushing leaders below are some other offensive categories from the Big10's website (after Week 8):

RUSHING .......... Team Cl G Att Yds. Avg TD Yds/G Long
-----------------------------------------------------------
1. Hill, P.J...... WIS. FR 8 202 1172 5.8 13 146.5 60
2. Hart, Mike..... MICH JR 8 214 1032 4.8 08 129.0 54
3. Pittman, A..... OSU. JR 8 142 0778 5.5 08 097.2 48
4. Hunt, Tony..... PSU. SR 8 159 0754 4.7 07 094.2 34
5. Pinnix, Amir... MINN JR 8 145 0747 5.2 06 093.4 39
6. Sutton, Tyrell. NU.. SO 8 108 0659 6.1 03 082.4 64
7. Thomas, Pierre. ILL. SR 8 96. 0522 5.4 03 065.2 44
8. Sheets,Kory.... PUR. SO 8 96. 0504 5.2 09 063.0 30
9. Sims, Damian... IOWA JR 8 90. 0473 5.3 05 059.1 44
10.Mendenhall, R.. ILL. SO 8 53. 0444 8.4 02 055.5 79


PASSING AVG/GAME. Team Cl G Att Cmp Int Pct. Yds TD Avg/G
-------------------------------------------------------------
1. Painter,Curtis. PUR. SO 8 309 182 9 58.9 2405 13 300.6
2. Tate, Drew..... IOWA SR 7 233 138 6 59.2 1678 11 239.7
3. Smith, Troy.... OSU. SR 8 193 131 2 67.9 1715 21 214.4
4. Stocco,John.... WIS. SR 8 183 114 3 62.3 1590 12 198.8
5. Cupito, Bryan.. MINN SR 8 212 126 4 59.4 1548 11 193.5
6. Stanton, Drew.. MSU. SR 8 216 136 8 63.0 1535 10 191.9
7. Henne, Chad.... MICH JR 8 192 118 5 61.5 1502 14 187.8
8. Morelli, A..... PSU. JR 8 236 132 6 55.9 1501 07 187.6
9. Lewis, Kellen.. IND. FR 7 202 108 3 53.5 1244 05 177.7
10.Williams, I.... ILL. FR 8 166 070 7 42.2 1081 08 135.1


PASS EFFICIENCY . Team Cl G Att Cmp Int Pct. Yds TD Eff.
-------------------------------------------------------------
1. Smith, Troy.... OSU. SR 8 193 131 2 67.9 1715 21 176.4
2. Stocco,John.... WIS. SR 8 183 114 3 62.3 1590 12 153.6
3. Henne, Chad.... MICH JR 8 192 118 5 61.5 1502 14 146.0
4. Cupito, Bryan.. MINN SR 8 212 126 4 59.4 1548 11 134.1
5. Painter,Curtis. PUR. SO 8 309 182 9 58.9 2405 13 132.3
6. Stanton, Drew.. MSU. SR 8 216 136 8 63.0 1535 10 130.5
7. Tate, Drew..... IOWA SR 7 233 138 6 59.2 1678 11 130.2
8. Morelli, A..... PSU. JR 8 236 132 6 55.9 1501 07 114.1
9. Lewis, Kellen.. IND. FR 7 202 108 3 53.5 1244 05 110.4
10.Williams, I.... ILL. FR 8 166 070 7 42.2 1081 08 104.3


RECEPTIONS/GAME . Team Cl G Rec Yds TD Avg/C Rec/G Long
-----------------------------------------------------------
1. Bryant,Dorien.. PUR. JR 8 46 578 3 12.6 5.75 53
2. Ginn, Jr., Ted. OSU. JR 8 41 589 7 14.4 5.12 58
3. Gonzalez, A.... OSU. SR 8 38 591 6 15.6 4.75 33
3. Reed, Kerry.... MSU. SR 8 38 456 4 12.0 4.75 34
5. Keller,Dustin.. PUR. JR 8 36 546 2 15.2 4.50 69
5. Orton,Greg..... PUR. SO 8 36 472 2 13.1 4.50 43
5. Hardy, James... IND. SO 6 27 336 4 12.4 4.50 34
8. Payne, Logan... MINN SR 8 35 468 7 13.4 4.38 67
8. Spaeth, Matt... MINN SR 8 35 439 2 12.5 4.38 48
8. Breaston, Steve MICH SR 8 35 350 0 10.0 4.38 29


RECEIVE YDS/GAME Team Cl G Rec Yds TD Avg/C Yds/G Long
-----------------------------------------------------------
1. Manningham, M.. MICH SO 6 24 527 9 22.0 87.8 69
2. Gonzalez, A.... OSU. SR 8 38 591 6 15.6 73.9 33
3. Ginn, Jr., Ted. OSU. JR 8 41 589 7 14.4 73.6 58
4. Bryant,Dorien.. PUR. JR 8 46 578 3 12.6 72.2 53
5. Keller,Dustin.. PUR. JR 8 36 546 2 15.2 68.2 69
6. Beckum,Travis.. WIS. SO 8 32 501 3 15.7 62.6 41
7. Lymon,Selwyn... PUR. SO 7 23 436 2 19.0 62.3 88
8. Butler, Deon... PSU. SO 8 33 479 2 14.5 59.9 55
9. Orton,Greg..... PUR. SO 8 36 472 2 13.1 59.0 43
10.Payne, Logan... MINN SR 8 35 468 7 13.4 58.5 67


ALL PURPOSE ...... Team Cl G Rush Rcv PR. KR. Yds. Avg/G
------------------------------------------------------------
1. Hill, P.J...... WIS. FR 8 1172 172 000 000 1344 168.0
2. Hart, Mike..... MICH JR 8 1032 091 000 000 1123 140.4
3. Bryant,Dorien.. PUR. JR 8 0088 578 000 337 1003 125.4
4. Thigpen, Marcus IND. SO 8 0202 113 000 630 0945 118.1
5. Ginn, Jr., Ted. OSU. JR 8 0010 589 228 111 0938 117.2
6. Hunt, Tony..... PSU. SR 8 0754 172 000 000 0926 115.8
7. Sheets,Kory.... PUR. SO 8 0504 111 000 260 0875 109.4
8. Breaston, Steve MICH SR 8 0058 350 232 198 0838 104.8
9. Pinnix, Amir... MINN JR 8 0747 079 000 000 0826 103.2
10.Pittman, A..... OSU. JR 8 0778 043 000 000 0821 102.6


And just for fun...


PUNT RETURN AVG.. Team Cl G Ret Yds TD Avg Long
----------------------------------------------------
1. Ginn, Jr., Ted. OSU. JR 8 18 228 1 12.7 60
2. Jones, Dominic. MINN SO 8 13 145 0 11.2 35
3. Brodell, Andy.. IOWA SO 7 13 138 0 10.6 31
4. Williams, D.... PSU. SO 8 17 169 0 09.9 28
5. Breaston, Steve MICH SR 8 24 232 0 09.7 29
6. Love, Terry.... MSU. JR 8 12 089 0 07.4 22
7. Hampton, Zach.. WIS. SR 8 25 169 0 06.8 29
8. Halsey, E.B.... ILL. SR 8 18 116 0 06.4 20
9. Adams,Royce.... PUR. FR 8 14 070 0 05.0 21
10.Cole, Marquice. NU.. SR 8 08 028 0 03.5 15

 

[bkochmc]

Individual Defensive Statistics from the same Big10 site (Week 8):

INTERCEPTIONS ... Team Cl G Int Yds TD Int/G Long
-----------------------------------------------------
1. Scirrotto, A... PSU. SO 8 04 086 00 0.50 30
1. Laurinaitis, J. OSU. SO 8 04 051 00 0.50 25
3. Shada, Adam.... IOWA JR 8 03 113 01 0.38 98
3. Jenkins, M..... OSU. SO 8 03 070 01 0.38 61
3. Porter, Tracy.. IND. JR 8 03 042 00 0.38 22
3. Langford,Allen. WIS. SO 8 03 009 00 0.38 05
3. Harris, Jamal.. MINN JR 8 03 001 00 0.38 01
8. Humpal, Mike... IOWA JR 7 02 000 00 0.29 00
9. Smith, Brendan. NU.. SO 8 02 068 00 0.25 35
10.Burgess, P..... MICH SR 8 02 066 01 0.25 35


TACKLES (All positions)
Player ......... Team Cl G Pos Solo Ast Total Avg/G Sack
-----------------------------------------------------------
1. Leman, J....... ILL. JR 8 .. 40 45 85 10.6 1.5
2. Klinkenborg, M. IOWA JR 8 LB 38 42 80 10.0 0.0
3. Posluszny, Paul PSU. SR 8 LB 41 29 70 08.8 2.0
4. Connor, Dan.... PSU. JR 8 .. 44 24 68 08.5 4.0
5. Wiley, Otis.... MSU. SO 8 DB 44 21 65 08.1 1.0
6. Laurinaitis, J. OSU. SO 8 LB 31 33 64 08.0 3.0
6. Sherels, Mike.. MINN JR 8 LB 40 24 64 08.0 0.0
8. Spencer,Anthony PUR. SR 8 DE 46 16 62 07.8 7.5
8. Roach, Nick.... NU.. SR 8 LB 41 21 62 07.8 2.0
10.Bick,Dan....... PUR. JR 8 LB 35 25 60 07.5 1.0
37.Smith, Antonio. OSU. SR 8 CB 26 17 43 05.4 1.0
44.Freeman, Marcus OSU. JR 8 LB 18 22 40 05.0 1.0
44.Mitchell, B.... OSU. SR 8 .. 24 16 40 05.0 0.0


SACKS .......... Team Cl G Pos Solo Ast Yds Total Avg/G
-----------------------------------------------------------
1. Woodley, LaMarr MICH SR 8 DE 9 0 92 9.0 1.12
2. Spencer,Anthony PUR. SR 8 DE 7 1 56 7.5 0.94
3. King, Mitch.... IOWA SO 6 DL 4 3 35 5.5 0.92
4. Pitcock, Quinn. OSU. SR 8 DT 7 0 40 7.0 0.88
5. Mattison, Bryan IOWA JR 8 DL 5 1 54 5.5 0.69
5. Gholston, V.... OSU. JR 8 DL 5 1 54 5.5 0.69
7. Johnson, Ed.... PSU. SR 8 .. 5 0 51 5.0 0.62
7. Crable, Shawn.. MICH SR 8 .. 5 0 32 5.0 0.62
7. Biggs, Rondell. MICH SR 8 DE 5 0 27 5.0 0.62
7. Baker,Ryan..... PUR. SO 8 DT 5 0 24 5.0 0.62


TACKLES FOR LOSS. Team Cl G Pos Solo Ast Yds Total Avg/G
-----------------------------------------------------------
1. Spencer,Anthony PUR. SR 8 DE 17 02 084 18.0 2.25
2. Woodley, LaMarr MICH SR 8 DE 11 02 101 12.0 1.50
3. Gholston, V.... OSU. JR 8 DL 08 05 066 10.5 1.31
4. King, Mitch.... IOWA SO 6 DL 05 04 039 07.0 1.17
5. Pitcock, Quinn. OSU. SR 8 DT 08 02 043 09.0 1.12
5. Crable, Shawn.. MICH SR 8 .. 08 02 037 09.0 1.12
5. Leman, J....... ILL. JR 8 .. 08 02 025 09.0 1.12
5. Casillas,Jonat. WIS. SO 8 .. 08 02 024 09.0 1.12
5. Miles, Edmond.. IOWA SR 8 LB 09 00 019 09.0 1.12
10.Bailey, Josh... IND. FR 7 LB 07 01 027 07.5 1.07


FUMBLES FORCED .. Team Cl G Num Avg/G
-----------------------------------------
1. Woodley, LaMarr MICH SR 8 3 0.38
1. Mattison, Bryan IOWA JR 8 3 0.38
1. Spencer,Anthony PUR. SR 8 3 0.38
4. Battle, Deante. NU.. JR 8 2 0.25
4. Herron Jr., D.. MSU. SR 8 2 0.25
4. Oluigbo, Obi... MICH SR 8 2 0.25
4. Hightower, Deon MINN SO 8 2 0.25
4. Branch, Alan... MICH JR 8 2 0.25
4. Washington, D.. OSU. SO 8 2 0.25
4. Johnson, Geno.. IND. SO 8 2 0.25