DDN
8/8
Late start to academic year an advantage for Buckeyes?
OSU players have an extra month just to focus on football.
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
COLUMBUS | Being on a quarter system academically means Ohio State typically starts fall classes later than everyone else in the Big Ten, and head coach Jim Tressel has had to find constructive ways to fill his players' free time.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> He's staged seminars on how to handle finances, take notes and do research at the library. And he once sent them on a scavenger hunt through OSU's massive campus to get them better acquainted with their surroundings, although that idea backfired.
"We were supposed to have a clue in the gift shop of the Wexner Center, but the manager went to the restroom (and didn't leave it out)," Tressel said, breaking into a grin. "They were ransacking the place, and people were screaming that there was a robbery going on. The manager came out and said, 'No, no, no. I forgot to put out the clue.' "
Immersed in football
That glitch aside, there generally are few negatives for teams on quarter systems. The Buckeyes don't begin classes this year until Sept. 20, meaning they can immerse themselves in football through the first three games — long after their competition has started cracking the books.
Northwestern is the only other Big Ten team on quarters and begins classes Sept. 18. School is in session at Purdue on Aug. 21, at Iowa on Aug. 22 and everywhere else in the conference by Sept. 5.
"As far as football goes, we have an advantage over a lot of teams because we have almost like a pro schedule through the end of September," OSU senior fullback Stan White Jr. said. "From that standpoint, it's great."
NCAA rules allow only 20 hours of practices and meetings per week once the season starts. But players can spend as much time as they want dissecting film, lifting weights and even huddling with their coaches after the first game as long as it's optional. Most turn their sport into a full-time job while school is out.
Asked if being on quarters is an advantage, Minnesota head coach Glen Mason said: "Sure it is. They don't have — and I shouldn't use this word — 'distractions' that come with the academic year and the added pressure. Let's face it, a lot of kids are under pressure to perform in the classroom. And at 2 p.m., they've got to go to practice and perform there.
"Before school starts, all they have to do is worry about football. Everything else is taken care of. It's like being in the (military) service. You have an unlimited amount of time to work with your team."
For semester schools, getting a jump on the academic year means ending earlier. But Indiana head coach Terry Hoeppner sees little value in that.
"We get out in May, and my guys are gone," he said, "and the quarter schools are still working with their guys every day."
'Mix it up a little'
Tressel actually prefers a later dismissal because the players get to become a regular part of the student body with no football obligations.
"In the month of May, the school is buzzing — it's in normal session, and our kids get to be kids," he said. "When you're in semesters, spring practice ends, the place is empty, and you're back (about one month later) for summer training — like you're in boot camp."
But while his teams have gone 18-2 in August and September during his tenure, Tressel said one downside to a prolonged fall camp is that coaches, like parents, get few breaks until the kids march off to school.
That's why some of his peers on semesters might be hesitant to trade places.
"From my days in the quarter system, that long summer practice gets old pretty quick," Minnesota's Mason said. "You've got to mix it up a little bit. Even as a coach, you look forward to school starting so you can get back to a routine."
Canton Rep
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]OSU begins workouts with key spots available[/FONT]
Tuesday, August 8, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]THE ASSOCIATED PRESS[/FONT]
COLUMBUS - Ohio State officially opened practice — or was it a job fair? — Monday on the broiling artificial turf outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
With only two starters back from last year’s stout defense, the practices leading up to the Sept. 2 opener against Northern Illinois will serve as a way to determine who deserves playing time and starting positions.
“Both offensively and defensively we have good competition,” Coach Jim Tressel said moments before his players came rumbling onto the practice field in a lengthy cordon. “I think that’s going to be one of the best things we have going for us — there aren’t too many guys with guaranteed spots.”
That’s for sure. Tackles David Patterson and Quinn Pitcock are the only two front-line players back on defense from last year’s team that went 10-2, shared the Big Ten title with Penn State at 7-1 and ended up No. 4 in the final rankings.
The Buckeyes are led by 19 seniors, including 16 who are in their fifth year as Buckeyes. That class has been an integral part of three BCS bowl wins.
With vacancies to fill at two offensive line spots, tight end, split end and place-kicker, there are plenty of opportunities for players to step out of the shadows.
“Guys might be here for two or three years watching others lead,” said Tressel, who is 50-13 in his five years in Columbus. “Maybe sitting in their seats (in meetings) they’re saying, well, when I become a senior I’m going to do this or that. It’s fun watching them gain a foothold and say, ‘Hey, now I’m the elder statesman. I’m the guy sitting in the front row at the team meeting, and I’m getting called on to give my thoughts on things.’ It is fun to watch them grow.”
Over the next few weeks, the Buckeyes’ 18 incoming freshmen will be integrated into the action. A few may take that step with few problems. For most, however, it will be a major transition.
“It’s real hard for them, but what we do at the end of all meetings at the end of each day, we’ll keep the true freshmen a little bit afterwards,” Tressel said. “You’ll go back over the scripts and the practice film. They’ve got to understand they’re not going to grasp it all, they’re going to be way behind.”
The Buckeyes reported Sunday, then had a day and night of meetings and orientation. They went through conditioning drills earlier Monday.
With no classes to attend until the fall semester begins, the players spend much of their time during summer camp together. Besides rooming at a nearby university-owned hotel, they also eat, study film, practice, lift weights and go through conditioning together.
Tressel said the preseason workouts are a valuable time.
“This is the first time we’re together and building the team,” he said. “A lot of preseason is about building the team and preparing yourself to handle everything along the way, handle the hype, handle the adversity, handle the successes, handle the opponents.”
CPD
OSU FOOTBALL
Buckeyes draft plan on O-line
Tuesday, August 08, 2006 Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus -- Ohio State offensive line coach Jim Bollman, wearing a straw hat and looking fit after starting a hard-core workout program following heart bypass surgery two months ago, stood behind his line on the first day of practice Monday afternoon and listened to the "whap, whap, whap," of hands striking blocking pads.
It was a familiar sound coming from familiar hands. Though coach Jim Tressel went out of his way to remind everyone at the Big Ten preseason meetings last week of the three missing starters on this experienced offense, including NFL picks Nick Mangold and Rob Sims on the line, the Buckeyes coaches clearly like the big guys who are back. The players do, too.
"Last year, those guys were good, and it was proven on draft day," said senior right guard T.J. Downing. "But I think we have the talent to be better."
<script src="http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/s2/s2osf/@StoryAd" language="JavaScript1.1"></script><!-- CLEVELANDLIVE/TACODA_REMNANT_CL03 -->
<script language="JavaScript"> <!-- if (parseFloat(navigator.appVersion) == 0) { document.write('<IFRAME WIDTH=468 HEIGHT=60 MARGINWIDTH=0 MARGINHEIGHT=0 HSPACE=0 VSPACE=0 FRAMEBORDER=0 SCROLLING=no BORDERCOLOR="#000000" SRC="http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_sx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/s2/s2osf/@StoryAd"></IFRAME>'); } --></script> <noscript> [URL="http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/s2/s2osf/@StoryAd?x"]http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/s2/s2osf/@StoryAd?x[/URL] </noscript> Tressel didn't disagree with that outlook, comforted by both the sure things filling four spots on the line and the depth fighting for the one open spot at left guard.
"We are experienced, and I think we're going to be a little deeper," Tressel said. "Will we play better than when we had Nick and Robbie? We'll see."
At left tackle is 6-8 sophomore Alex Boone, who started five games as a freshman and is much slimmer at about 315 pounds. He was complimented by Tressel on the speed he showed during Monday morning's conditioning test.
At center is 6-5, 295-pound fifth-year senior Doug Datish, a likely pick as a captain, who has played center, tackle and guard among his 22 starts for the Buckeyes. Shifting to center after playing tackle last year, he's even growing his hair out, a la Mangold.
At right guard is fifth-year senior Downing, a 6-4, 305-pounder who has 15 career starts and no plans for hair growth.
"Not me," he said. "I think I'll shave my head after picture day."
At right tackle is Barton, a 6-6, 310-pound junior who missed three starts with a knee injury last season but has started 16 games in his career. Barton, Datish and Downing all become starters in 2004, when spotty line play dogged the Buckeyes early before those then-young players helped things settle in.
The only open position is left guard, where 6-5, 290-pound fifth-year senior Tim Schafer worked with the first team Monday. Tressel said 6-8, 329-pound junior Steve Rehring would work with the first team today, though he's also backing up at a tackle spot, and that rotation should continue for now. Tressel also mentioned Jon Skinner (6-5, 300-pound sophomore), Kyle Mitchum (6-5, 295-pound sophomore) and Ben Person (6-4, 315-pound sophomore) as contenders to start.
"Fortunately we have some young guys who aren't so young anymore and who can get out there and plug in," Datish said. "I played next to Rob [two] years in a row, and we knew what each other [was] doing. I have to find out where T.J. is doing and whatever the left guard is doing. That's what camp is for.
"The line will have a little different persona than we did last year, but hopefully we can be as successful as we were late in the year."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
8/8
Late start to academic year an advantage for Buckeyes?
OSU players have an extra month just to focus on football.
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
COLUMBUS | Being on a quarter system academically means Ohio State typically starts fall classes later than everyone else in the Big Ten, and head coach Jim Tressel has had to find constructive ways to fill his players' free time.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> He's staged seminars on how to handle finances, take notes and do research at the library. And he once sent them on a scavenger hunt through OSU's massive campus to get them better acquainted with their surroundings, although that idea backfired.
"We were supposed to have a clue in the gift shop of the Wexner Center, but the manager went to the restroom (and didn't leave it out)," Tressel said, breaking into a grin. "They were ransacking the place, and people were screaming that there was a robbery going on. The manager came out and said, 'No, no, no. I forgot to put out the clue.' "
Immersed in football
That glitch aside, there generally are few negatives for teams on quarter systems. The Buckeyes don't begin classes this year until Sept. 20, meaning they can immerse themselves in football through the first three games — long after their competition has started cracking the books.
Northwestern is the only other Big Ten team on quarters and begins classes Sept. 18. School is in session at Purdue on Aug. 21, at Iowa on Aug. 22 and everywhere else in the conference by Sept. 5.
"As far as football goes, we have an advantage over a lot of teams because we have almost like a pro schedule through the end of September," OSU senior fullback Stan White Jr. said. "From that standpoint, it's great."
NCAA rules allow only 20 hours of practices and meetings per week once the season starts. But players can spend as much time as they want dissecting film, lifting weights and even huddling with their coaches after the first game as long as it's optional. Most turn their sport into a full-time job while school is out.
Asked if being on quarters is an advantage, Minnesota head coach Glen Mason said: "Sure it is. They don't have — and I shouldn't use this word — 'distractions' that come with the academic year and the added pressure. Let's face it, a lot of kids are under pressure to perform in the classroom. And at 2 p.m., they've got to go to practice and perform there.
"Before school starts, all they have to do is worry about football. Everything else is taken care of. It's like being in the (military) service. You have an unlimited amount of time to work with your team."
For semester schools, getting a jump on the academic year means ending earlier. But Indiana head coach Terry Hoeppner sees little value in that.
"We get out in May, and my guys are gone," he said, "and the quarter schools are still working with their guys every day."
'Mix it up a little'
Tressel actually prefers a later dismissal because the players get to become a regular part of the student body with no football obligations.
"In the month of May, the school is buzzing — it's in normal session, and our kids get to be kids," he said. "When you're in semesters, spring practice ends, the place is empty, and you're back (about one month later) for summer training — like you're in boot camp."
But while his teams have gone 18-2 in August and September during his tenure, Tressel said one downside to a prolonged fall camp is that coaches, like parents, get few breaks until the kids march off to school.
That's why some of his peers on semesters might be hesitant to trade places.
"From my days in the quarter system, that long summer practice gets old pretty quick," Minnesota's Mason said. "You've got to mix it up a little bit. Even as a coach, you look forward to school starting so you can get back to a routine."
Canton Rep
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]OSU begins workouts with key spots available[/FONT]
Tuesday, August 8, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]THE ASSOCIATED PRESS[/FONT]
COLUMBUS - Ohio State officially opened practice — or was it a job fair? — Monday on the broiling artificial turf outside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
With only two starters back from last year’s stout defense, the practices leading up to the Sept. 2 opener against Northern Illinois will serve as a way to determine who deserves playing time and starting positions.
“Both offensively and defensively we have good competition,” Coach Jim Tressel said moments before his players came rumbling onto the practice field in a lengthy cordon. “I think that’s going to be one of the best things we have going for us — there aren’t too many guys with guaranteed spots.”
That’s for sure. Tackles David Patterson and Quinn Pitcock are the only two front-line players back on defense from last year’s team that went 10-2, shared the Big Ten title with Penn State at 7-1 and ended up No. 4 in the final rankings.
The Buckeyes are led by 19 seniors, including 16 who are in their fifth year as Buckeyes. That class has been an integral part of three BCS bowl wins.
With vacancies to fill at two offensive line spots, tight end, split end and place-kicker, there are plenty of opportunities for players to step out of the shadows.
“Guys might be here for two or three years watching others lead,” said Tressel, who is 50-13 in his five years in Columbus. “Maybe sitting in their seats (in meetings) they’re saying, well, when I become a senior I’m going to do this or that. It’s fun watching them gain a foothold and say, ‘Hey, now I’m the elder statesman. I’m the guy sitting in the front row at the team meeting, and I’m getting called on to give my thoughts on things.’ It is fun to watch them grow.”
Over the next few weeks, the Buckeyes’ 18 incoming freshmen will be integrated into the action. A few may take that step with few problems. For most, however, it will be a major transition.
“It’s real hard for them, but what we do at the end of all meetings at the end of each day, we’ll keep the true freshmen a little bit afterwards,” Tressel said. “You’ll go back over the scripts and the practice film. They’ve got to understand they’re not going to grasp it all, they’re going to be way behind.”
The Buckeyes reported Sunday, then had a day and night of meetings and orientation. They went through conditioning drills earlier Monday.
With no classes to attend until the fall semester begins, the players spend much of their time during summer camp together. Besides rooming at a nearby university-owned hotel, they also eat, study film, practice, lift weights and go through conditioning together.
Tressel said the preseason workouts are a valuable time.
“This is the first time we’re together and building the team,” he said. “A lot of preseason is about building the team and preparing yourself to handle everything along the way, handle the hype, handle the adversity, handle the successes, handle the opponents.”
CPD
OSU FOOTBALL
Buckeyes draft plan on O-line
Tuesday, August 08, 2006 Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus -- Ohio State offensive line coach Jim Bollman, wearing a straw hat and looking fit after starting a hard-core workout program following heart bypass surgery two months ago, stood behind his line on the first day of practice Monday afternoon and listened to the "whap, whap, whap," of hands striking blocking pads.
It was a familiar sound coming from familiar hands. Though coach Jim Tressel went out of his way to remind everyone at the Big Ten preseason meetings last week of the three missing starters on this experienced offense, including NFL picks Nick Mangold and Rob Sims on the line, the Buckeyes coaches clearly like the big guys who are back. The players do, too.
"Last year, those guys were good, and it was proven on draft day," said senior right guard T.J. Downing. "But I think we have the talent to be better."
<script src="http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/s2/s2osf/@StoryAd" language="JavaScript1.1"></script><!-- CLEVELANDLIVE/TACODA_REMNANT_CL03 -->
<script language="JavaScript"> <!-- if (parseFloat(navigator.appVersion) == 0) { document.write('<IFRAME WIDTH=468 HEIGHT=60 MARGINWIDTH=0 MARGINHEIGHT=0 HSPACE=0 VSPACE=0 FRAMEBORDER=0 SCROLLING=no BORDERCOLOR="#000000" SRC="http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_sx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/s2/s2osf/@StoryAd"></IFRAME>'); } --></script> <noscript> [URL="http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/s2/s2osf/@StoryAd?x"]http://ads.cleveland.com/RealMedia/ads/adstream_nx.ads/www.cleveland.com/xml/story/s2/s2osf/@StoryAd?x[/URL] </noscript> Tressel didn't disagree with that outlook, comforted by both the sure things filling four spots on the line and the depth fighting for the one open spot at left guard.
"We are experienced, and I think we're going to be a little deeper," Tressel said. "Will we play better than when we had Nick and Robbie? We'll see."
At left tackle is 6-8 sophomore Alex Boone, who started five games as a freshman and is much slimmer at about 315 pounds. He was complimented by Tressel on the speed he showed during Monday morning's conditioning test.
At center is 6-5, 295-pound fifth-year senior Doug Datish, a likely pick as a captain, who has played center, tackle and guard among his 22 starts for the Buckeyes. Shifting to center after playing tackle last year, he's even growing his hair out, a la Mangold.
At right guard is fifth-year senior Downing, a 6-4, 305-pounder who has 15 career starts and no plans for hair growth.
"Not me," he said. "I think I'll shave my head after picture day."
At right tackle is Barton, a 6-6, 310-pound junior who missed three starts with a knee injury last season but has started 16 games in his career. Barton, Datish and Downing all become starters in 2004, when spotty line play dogged the Buckeyes early before those then-young players helped things settle in.
The only open position is left guard, where 6-5, 290-pound fifth-year senior Tim Schafer worked with the first team Monday. Tressel said 6-8, 329-pound junior Steve Rehring would work with the first team today, though he's also backing up at a tackle spot, and that rotation should continue for now. Tressel also mentioned Jon Skinner (6-5, 300-pound sophomore), Kyle Mitchum (6-5, 295-pound sophomore) and Ben Person (6-4, 315-pound sophomore) as contenders to start.
"Fortunately we have some young guys who aren't so young anymore and who can get out there and plug in," Datish said. "I played next to Rob [two] years in a row, and we knew what each other [was] doing. I have to find out where T.J. is doing and whatever the left guard is doing. That's what camp is for.
"The line will have a little different persona than we did last year, but hopefully we can be as successful as we were late in the year."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
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