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I know I'm not the only one who remembers Darkest Day I and II.
From those two days, up till this one and all the ones that will follow I want to see our pound of flesh collected from IU. I always want them physically whipped, emotionally stunned and nationally embarrassed by the final score. I know Tress won't run up scores but 500+ yards and 50+ points should always be the goal with these fucksticks.
From those two days, up till this one and all the ones that will follow I want to see our pound of flesh collected from IU. I always want them physically whipped, emotionally stunned and nationally embarrassed by the final score. I know Tress won't run up scores but 500+ yards and 50+ points should always be the goal with these fucksticks.
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Jaxbuck;638452; said:
It's hard to even imagine that we went 2-2-1 with them beginning in 1987 or that our 3 wins in 1986, 1989, and 1991 were by a total of ten points. Losing to Indiana at home on the way to a 6-4-1 record was the real sign of the end of Earle Bruce. And when when we were at our worst, heading to 4-6-1 the following year, Indiana zapped us 41-7 in John Cooper's first year as head coach.
In fairness to Indiana, we had beaten them worse just a couple years before and hung more than 50 on them, but those days should be a reminder to us that in the Big Ten, every dog, even an Indiana, can be a dog that bites.
It's time to muzzle the new pup.
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OZone
"I love Quinn's speeches. I'm a Quinn guy," said OSU linebacker Curtis Terry.
"I think he has the best speeches, but Troy's last week really hit home and it made you think. I think it kind of got us fired up.
"Quinn has great speeches. That's all I'm going to say about that," said a smiling Terry.
Terry wouldn't elaborate, but Brandon Mitchell did.
"Everyone has their own niche," said Mitchell.
"Troy's thing when he gets up he talks about it being another step and we all know where we want to be, the national championship, and we know how hard it is to get there. Every week he talks about how much harder it is because you've won another game and you've got another team coming in here trying to knock you off.
"Quinn always talks about their (the opponent's) mascot, different things, because all the other captains, Doug and Dave, they're more serious and talk about we really need to get after them and maybe talk about something they said about us or something like that or something that we didn't do the week before that we need to do. Quinn usually goes last and after everyone has been so serious he tries to lighten things up a little bit," Mitchell said.
"Last week he had a picture of Sparty. The funniest one was Texas week. He had a picture of the Longhorn and a Buckeye helmet, I don't know where he gets these things, I guess he does it with his clip art, it's pretty amazing. It's always funny. I think he had one with the Longhorn eating a Buckeye nut and falling on the ground. It's pretty funny," Mitchell said.
"Quinn is a smart guy who puts a lot of thought into what he's saying," added fellow captain Doug Datish.
"He has a new wrinkle every week that he brings out and displays and everybody really enjoys it. It really helps fire up the team. He puts a little show on and it's good for everybody. It could be a visual thing, could be an auditory thing, usually it's a little bit of both. It's all good and seems to be working good for us. He kind of puts an exclamation point on it for us every week."
Kirk's Corner: OSU starting right tackle Kirk Barton was on a roll this week with reporters, so much so that we decided to devote a whole subtitle to some of the things Barton commented on.
Football
The-Ozone Note and Quotebook
By John Porentas
The-Ozone Note and Quotebook
By John Porentas
Duck!: Ohio State starting tailback Antonio Pittman brings a slashing, speed-merchant style to the OSU tailback position, and "Pitt" will lower his shoulder on you too if you get in his way. Pittman's number one relief man, freshman Chris Wells, is not exactly slow, as a matter of fact he's very fast, but Wells' style differs from Pittman's in that Wells is an bone-jarring, intimidating runner who simply runs over people.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Jay Richardson [/FONT]
That fact was not lost on OSU's defensive backfield this spring and fall when they had the unenviable task of tackling Wells in practice sessions. That experience, though probably unpleasant at the time, has paid dividends for the Buckeyes, because to date OSU's secondary has been a relatively sure-tackling bunch this season. OSU defensive end Jay Richardson says that practicing against Wells is a big part of the reason those DBs are tacking well.
"I'll tell you this, our DBs have come a long way, because in camp early on guys were a little hesitant to go up and hit him full speed when he was coming downhill on them, but now they'll step up and hit him," said Richardson.
"Chris is going to be a real good player. He's big. He's probably one of the strongest freshmen I've seen come in here overall. He's going to be a good player."
Special Outlook: OSU wide receiver Brian Hartline was named the special teams player of the week last week. Hartline delivered a big block on Ted Ginn's punt return and also had three tackles on kickoff coverage. Hartline also had a big block against Iowa, knocking down two defensive linemen with one downfield block to allow Anthony Gonzalez to score a touchdown. All those physical plays are new additions to Hartline's game. He is known as a speedy wide receiver, but now has learned to appreciate doing a little head knocking as well as catching passes and running up the field.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Brian Hartline [/FONT]
"I've definitely changed as a player," said Hartline.
"I think it's more recognizing what you need to do to develop as a player.
"I started when I was eight or nine years old. I was the quarterback, I was the not-touched kind of guy, I was all of that, then when I went to receiver I got a little more contact, then I came to college and at no point did I ever think that I would be running down on special teams trying to smack somebody. It's definitely a different mindset, but I adapted pretty quick," Hartline said.
Hartline redshirted last year, and admits that sitting out was tough for him. He now says, however, that sitting out just increased his desire to play and allowed him to develop himself in the weight room. That enabled him to adopt a more physical style of play. Now he says he loves the hitting, especially on special teams.
"Maybe it's the hunger to play, the hunger to help, maybe it's just waking up maybe, that I grew up and put some more weight on and am a little more confident. Maybe it's just maturity," he said trying to explain the change in attitude.
Hartline still likes to catch the football, but says he has a learned to appreciate the other aspects of the game, including blocking for fellow receivers and especially blocking for punt returner Ted Ginn.
"I enjoy that. He likes returning and I like blocking for him, so that's a good combination," Hartline said.
Hartline's experience as a Buckeye thus far is not unusual in the Jim Tressel era. The way that Hartline has embraced his role as a special teams player surprises even him, but according to an OSU veteran, that is often the way things work out at OSU under Jim Tressel.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Brandon Mitchell [/FONT]
"It's hard for some guys. It was hard for me coming in," said OSU safety Brandon Mitchell.
"I went from in high school playing offense and defense, but I didn't play on any special teams. I didn't necessarily like the special teams, didn't think there was any point to playing special teams when I first got here, but obviously that's not how Coach Tressel works.
"You're not going to play on offense or defense if you're not playing on any special teams unless you're a quarterback. He places so much emphasis on it that you have to really buy into the program," Mitchell said.
"You realize how much fun you can have on special teams, especially when things are going your way and you're doing successful things. It's just another time to get out on the field and have fun with the guys."
OSU linebackers coach Luke Fickell puts it another way. Fickell tells his young linebackers that if they can't play special teams, they probably aren't going to be able to play linebacker at OSU.
Todd's Back, David's Not: After sitting out two games with an ankle sprain, OSU reserve quarterback Todd Boeckman is back practicing with the Buckeyes and will be available this weekend.
"He's back and doing everything." said quarterback coach Joe Daniels.
"His ankle is probably about 98 per cent but I haven't seen anything these last couple of days that shows he isn't 100 per cent," Daniels said on Wednesday.
Injured defensive tackle David Patterson was described as "doubtful" by OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel. According to Tressel, Patterson probably could play if absolutely necessary, but with so much of the season remaining, OSU is opting to give him one more week of rest before retuning him to action.
Class Clown With a Message: OSU's four captains this season, Troy Smith, Doug Datish, David Patterson and Quinn Pitcock take their captain responsibilities seriously. Each week all four address the team on Thursdays at a players-only team meeting, then again on Saturday just after the team meal.
Smith has developed a reputation as a real motivator and compelling speaker at those meetings. According to his teammates, Smith commands attention and delivers his message forcefully and effectively. They also say that Quinn Pitcock always holds their attention but that Pitcock has a very different style.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Quinn Pitcock [/FONT]
"I think he has the best speeches, but Troy's last week really hit home and it made you think. I think it kind of got us fired up.
"Quinn has great speeches. That's all I'm going to say about that," said a smiling Terry.
Terry wouldn't elaborate, but Brandon Mitchell did.
"Everyone has their own niche," said Mitchell.
"Troy's thing when he gets up he talks about it being another step and we all know where we want to be, the national championship, and we know how hard it is to get there. Every week he talks about how much harder it is because you've won another game and you've got another team coming in here trying to knock you off.
"Quinn always talks about their (the opponent's) mascot, different things, because all the other captains, Doug and Dave, they're more serious and talk about we really need to get after them and maybe talk about something they said about us or something like that or something that we didn't do the week before that we need to do. Quinn usually goes last and after everyone has been so serious he tries to lighten things up a little bit," Mitchell said.
"Last week he had a picture of Sparty. The funniest one was Texas week. He had a picture of the Longhorn and a Buckeye helmet, I don't know where he gets these things, I guess he does it with his clip art, it's pretty amazing. It's always funny. I think he had one with the Longhorn eating a Buckeye nut and falling on the ground. It's pretty funny," Mitchell said.
"Quinn is a smart guy who puts a lot of thought into what he's saying," added fellow captain Doug Datish.
"He has a new wrinkle every week that he brings out and displays and everybody really enjoys it. It really helps fire up the team. He puts a little show on and it's good for everybody. It could be a visual thing, could be an auditory thing, usually it's a little bit of both. It's all good and seems to be working good for us. He kind of puts an exclamation point on it for us every week."
Kirk's Corner: OSU starting right tackle Kirk Barton was on a roll this week with reporters, so much so that we decided to devote a whole subtitle to some of the things Barton commented on.
Kirk on a possible injury to Michigan wide receiver Mario Manningham: When a reporter suggested that OSU would probably like Manningham to be healthy for the OSU vs. Michigan game so that if the Buckeyes won their victory would not be "diluted", Barton was somewhat incredulous.
"I think you'd have to be an idiot to say that you want Mario Manningham back on the field," said a somewhat wide-eyed Barton.
"I remember when he was a sophomore at Warren Harding and he came off the JV game and just tore up Massilon Washington. I'm from Massilon Perry and I don't like the Tigers at all, and he just tore them up. They couldn't even scout him because he was playing JV the week before. He returned like two kickoffs and a punt for touchdowns. It was unbelievable. And he ends up going to Michigan," Barton, an obvious Manningham fan, lamented.
Kirk on his teammates during his OSU career: "The thing about being here is you're playing with Mike Nugent, who might be the best kicker ever, A. J. Hawk is up there for one of the best linebackers ever. That's the thing about playing here. You're always playing with guys who could be legends. Teddy is one of the best special teams guy ever. He's obviously a very good wide receiver, but special teams he's probably the best ever. He's up there with Galloway and all those guys. It's a fun rush."
Kirk on OSU's number one ranking: "It doesn't mean anything when you only have seven wins. You have to have 12 for it to mean anything."
Kirk on OSU quarterback Troy Smith: "He's just a great guy. He never blames us. If we screw a block up he never says anything to us, and when we get a good block he'll say good job," Barton said.
"He can do it all. He commands the huddle, he makes a play every game like the one where he was about to get sacked last weekend. How many guys make that play? He's just so strong but he's so accurate and he's got an cannon for an arm. He's as good as it gets."
Kirk on which side of the offensive line is better: "Me and (right guard) T. J. (Downing) are better looking than the left side. They're younger and they're obviously going to be very good players, but right now me and T. J. have the looks department locked down."
You be the judge.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Left tackle Alex Boone [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Left guard Steve Rehring [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Right guard T. J. Downing [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Right tackle Kirk Barton.[/FONT]
Kirk on the importance of staying undefeated: "This is for the rest of our lives. If you drop one you remember it forever. The 1998 team dropped that one to Michigan State and that's what they're known for. Nobody even knows that they beat Michigan and beat Texas A&M in he Sugar Bowl. Everyone knows that they lost to Michigan State. In a season like this if you drop one that's what your season is going to be defined as."
And finally, Kirk on how to save money at Christmas Time: "I give my (OSU game) tickets away at Christmas, because I'm cheap, I can't afford to buy gifts. That's how I do it," Barton said.
Anybody want to get on his list?
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Dispatch
Indiana assistant scrutinized game on OSU sideline
Palcic?s father coached under Bruce, Cooper
Friday, October 20, 2006
Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
</IMG>
When Joe Palcic was in junior high and high school in Worthington, he had a front-row seat for Ohio State football.
Better than front row, actually. He held the cords for the headset worn on the sideline by his father, Bob, who coached the OSU offensive line for Earle Bruce and John Cooper. He also remembers holding Ron Zook?s when Zook coached the OSU defensive backs.
"So I could also be around what the defense was
doing and hear
the adjustments
they were (making)," Palcic said. "My dad was pretty smart with trying to get me involved and letting me see things like that."
It began Palcic?s career path. When he returns to Ohio Stadium on Saturday, someone will be holding his cords. He?ll wear the headset, albeit on the unfamiliar east sideline, helping coordinate the Indiana defense against the Buckeyes.
Palcic lived in Worthington for six years until going to Miami University. He was given the run of more than the stadium sideline at Ohio State. He remembered offseasons lifting weights alongside Chris Spielman in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
"My number was 36 and I played linebacker, so he was my hero," Palcic said. "As much as I could be around him, I wanted to, and my dad wanted me to be around him just to see how the great ones work and how they handle themselves.
"The intensity with which he would lift weights was amazing. He had the headband on, he?d get the chalk on his hands and he?d be bench-pressing and pounding his head against the bar. He?d always find something to get angry about, something to get him pumped up for the lift. It was amazing to see his intensity."
Palcic said he was a "good high school player" at Worthington Kilbourne and "probably an average college player" at Miami, where he furthered his coaching education by routinely sitting behind defensive coordinator Terry Hoeppner on bus rides to and from games to pick his brain about why Hoeppner did what he did during games.
"I think people would describe me as a player as like a coach on the field. I think I was trying to take advantage of my strengths in that sense and just know everything that was going on," Palcic said.
"And by that time I knew I wanted to be around the game, and if I wasn?t able to continue playing at the next level, then I was going to end up coaching. So I think I just started trying to take advantage of the resources I had around me."
Hoeppner once told Palcic he?d hire him if he ever became a coach. When Hoeppner got the Miami job in 1999, Palcic, after one year as a graduate assistant at Eastern Michigan, reminded him of the promise. Hoeppner hired him as linebackers coach, promoted him to co-defensive coordinator five years later and took him to Indiana when Hoeppner moved there in 2005.
The Hoosiers traditionally struggle on defense because they lack the size of most of their Big Ten opponents. This year is no exception, and only better recruiting will cure it.
In the meantime, two weeks ago Palcic switched schemes, which Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said helped the Hoosiers play "more decisively and aggressively" in their 31-28 upset of the Hawkeyes last weekend. It was Indiana?s first win over a top-15 team in 19 years.
"We?ve missed some tackles, and I think a lot of it has been mistakes that we?ve made," Palcic said. "We?ve tried to simplify things and just let them play fast and attack. Instead of worrying about assignments, just line them up and let them play."
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Lantern
Hoosiers look to climb Big Ten hill
David Briggs
Freshman receiver Ray Small runs past a defender against Bowling Green earlier this season.
Forgive Indiana's players for their animated celebration with the hometown fans after Saturday's 31-28 win over No. 15 Iowa.
And throw out the "act like you've been there before" adage. Because, well, the Hoosiers haven't, at least not in the past 20 years.
Saturday's win was the Hoosiers' first over a top-20 team since 1987. And that came a week after Indiana won a Big Ten road game for the first time since 2001. A sense of hope - an extraordinary thing for a program that has long played kid brother to the school's celebrated basketball team - had pervaded Indiana football.
"Well, it looks to me like we're now contending for the Big Ten championship," IU coach Terry Hoeppner said Saturday. "Why not us?"
Reality will apparently take longer to set in. And that's fine with Ohio State coach Jim Tressel as the Hoosiers (4-3, 2-1 Big Ten) visit the top-ranked Buckeyes tomorrow.
For reality has also been suspended in the OSU camp as Tressel portrays Indiana as a "dangerous" program on the rise, a team that can splinter OSU's title hopes if they are not given due attention.
"(Indiana is) courageous. They go as hard as they can possibly go, they don't care what anybody thinks about their chances," Tressel said. "They just play and play and play."
It's the same process that will inevitably take place over the next four weeks as the Buckeyes head into dates with four of the conference's five worst teams leading up to the potentially epic Nov. 18 brush with Michigan.
For now, the players seem to have bought into Tressel's message as they continue to live life in la la land.
"They're not the Indiana of old. They're a great team," safety Brandon Mitchell said. "If they can beat Iowa, they can definitely come in here and beat us."
Never mind that the Hoosiers were dusted at home by Division 1-AA Southern Illinois and Connecticut. Or that they trailed by 52 points after three quarters in their Big Ten opener against Wisconsin. Or that Indiana hasn't had a winning season in 11 years and is 0-14 all-time against the nation's top team.
How about over on the OSU side. The Buckeyes have trounced Indiana 13 straight times by an average margin of more than three touchdowns. And they go into tomorrow's game as 31-point favorites. And...
The list doesn't end, which is why OSU isn't reading it, vowing not to fool around with what they acknowledge could be a momentous season.
"Every game we go out like we're playing for a championship," Mitchell said. "This part of the season, you lose and you're out of it."
"With teams like this, you never know what team you are going to get," wideout Brian Hartline said. "These are the dangerous teams and we always think of the threat they may bring."
To be sure, Indiana deserves some credit.
Their quarterback, for one, improbably looks to be the real deal. Recruited by bigger programs as a wide receiver or defensive back, Kellen Lewis had his mind set that he was sticking with his high school position.
It's safe to say Hoeppner's faith in Lewis has been rewarded.
"When he got here," Hoeppner said, "I remember watching him throw on the first day and went, 'Yeah, we did good. Good for us.'"
And it was good for the Hoosiers on Saturday as Lewis tossed for 255 yards and three touchdowns in carrying IU to the upset and garnering USA Today national player of the week honors.
Mitchell compared Lewis to Troy Smith in his early stages of 2004. Whatever he lacks in polish is offset by the frequent flashes of brilliance.
"He's a great player. A big play guy who kind of reminds me how Troy worked when he first got in there," Mitchell said. "When Troy went in, he was just making things happen, whether it be with his feet or his arm ... Anytime you have a quarterback making plays and the team is rallying around him, that's a dangerous team that can win at anytime."
And if IU's recent play is any indication, the team also looks to be rallying around their coach. Their resurgence has coincided with Hoeppner's return to the sidelines three weeks ago after the coach underwent his second brain surgery in the past nine months.
"I think they're playing with the toughness and the passion of their coach. He's a special guy," Tressel said. "You have to admire the job the coach Hoeppner is doing over there, and we know when they come over to the Horseshoe, it's a huge ballgame for them."
Enough with the heartwarming tales. After all, IU is ninth in the conference in total defense and tenth in offense and will almost certainly have those plans of a Big Ten title thrashed.
But the Buckeyes maintain it won't come easily. And there is still plenty of work to be done and computers to sway - OSU isn't at the top of five of the six computer polls used in the Bowl Championship Series rankings.
So as much as they want to look ahead to Michigan, they will restrain themselves.
"The main reason why players come to Ohio State is because of the big games, but there's still a lot to do," Hartline said. "We have to stay at the top of our game, because we're still rising."
And besides, defensive end Jay Richardson said, "with the kind of year we're having, it's easy to get pumped up for every game."The outcry has calmed. Saturday's OSU game can be seen by all.
Sort of. The Ohio News Network will re-air Saturday's ESPN-U broadcast at 11 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday.
Not everyone is satisfied, however, including one of Tressel's daughters.
Whitney, a junior at the Rochester Institute of Technology, called her dad earlier this week to complain.
"She's (like) 'what do you mean it's not going to be on?,'" Tressel recalls her saying.
Dad's response?
"Sorry, and no, I won't buy you that subscription or whatever."
Injury update
Tailback Antonio Pittman is fine and will start Saturday, Tressel said this week. Pittman sprained his ankle during Saturday's win over Michigan State, but returned after having it taped and has not been slowed on the field.
"You never know with running backs," Tressel said. "They're like greased lighting when they've got the ball and the other 23 hours of the day, they're slow."
Starting defensive tackle David Patterson's status remains unsettled, though the senior captain hasn't yet practiced this week. Look for Patterson to make his return Oct. 28 against Minnesota as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery.
Finally on the injury front, safety Anderson Russell reportedly underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and hopes to be ready in time for spring practice.
Extra points
Linebacker James Laurinaitis was announced Thursday as one of ten semifinalists for the Butkus Award. One of three Big Ten players up for the honor given to the country's top linebacker, joining Penn State's Paul Posluszny and Michigan's David Harris, Laurinaitis leads OSU with 59 tackles and four interceptions. Andy Katzenmoyer was the last OSU player to win the award in 1997 ... Also, defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock has been named one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, given annually to the nation's top lineman or linebacker. OSU linebacker A.J. Hawk won the award last season ... Jack Nicklaus will dot the "I" in "Script Ohio" at next week's homecoming game against Minnesota, becoming the third non-band member in school history to do so. Usually reserved for fourth-year sousaphone players, the legendary golfer and OSU alum joins Woody Hayes and Bob Hope on the short list of dignitaries who have been bestowed the honor.
Hoosiers look to climb Big Ten hill
David Briggs
Forgive Indiana's players for their animated celebration with the hometown fans after Saturday's 31-28 win over No. 15 Iowa.
And throw out the "act like you've been there before" adage. Because, well, the Hoosiers haven't, at least not in the past 20 years.
Saturday's win was the Hoosiers' first over a top-20 team since 1987. And that came a week after Indiana won a Big Ten road game for the first time since 2001. A sense of hope - an extraordinary thing for a program that has long played kid brother to the school's celebrated basketball team - had pervaded Indiana football.
"Well, it looks to me like we're now contending for the Big Ten championship," IU coach Terry Hoeppner said Saturday. "Why not us?"
Reality will apparently take longer to set in. And that's fine with Ohio State coach Jim Tressel as the Hoosiers (4-3, 2-1 Big Ten) visit the top-ranked Buckeyes tomorrow.
For reality has also been suspended in the OSU camp as Tressel portrays Indiana as a "dangerous" program on the rise, a team that can splinter OSU's title hopes if they are not given due attention.
"(Indiana is) courageous. They go as hard as they can possibly go, they don't care what anybody thinks about their chances," Tressel said. "They just play and play and play."
It's the same process that will inevitably take place over the next four weeks as the Buckeyes head into dates with four of the conference's five worst teams leading up to the potentially epic Nov. 18 brush with Michigan.
For now, the players seem to have bought into Tressel's message as they continue to live life in la la land.
"They're not the Indiana of old. They're a great team," safety Brandon Mitchell said. "If they can beat Iowa, they can definitely come in here and beat us."
Never mind that the Hoosiers were dusted at home by Division 1-AA Southern Illinois and Connecticut. Or that they trailed by 52 points after three quarters in their Big Ten opener against Wisconsin. Or that Indiana hasn't had a winning season in 11 years and is 0-14 all-time against the nation's top team.
How about over on the OSU side. The Buckeyes have trounced Indiana 13 straight times by an average margin of more than three touchdowns. And they go into tomorrow's game as 31-point favorites. And...
The list doesn't end, which is why OSU isn't reading it, vowing not to fool around with what they acknowledge could be a momentous season.
"Every game we go out like we're playing for a championship," Mitchell said. "This part of the season, you lose and you're out of it."
"With teams like this, you never know what team you are going to get," wideout Brian Hartline said. "These are the dangerous teams and we always think of the threat they may bring."
To be sure, Indiana deserves some credit.
Their quarterback, for one, improbably looks to be the real deal. Recruited by bigger programs as a wide receiver or defensive back, Kellen Lewis had his mind set that he was sticking with his high school position.
It's safe to say Hoeppner's faith in Lewis has been rewarded.
"When he got here," Hoeppner said, "I remember watching him throw on the first day and went, 'Yeah, we did good. Good for us.'"
And it was good for the Hoosiers on Saturday as Lewis tossed for 255 yards and three touchdowns in carrying IU to the upset and garnering USA Today national player of the week honors.
Mitchell compared Lewis to Troy Smith in his early stages of 2004. Whatever he lacks in polish is offset by the frequent flashes of brilliance.
"He's a great player. A big play guy who kind of reminds me how Troy worked when he first got in there," Mitchell said. "When Troy went in, he was just making things happen, whether it be with his feet or his arm ... Anytime you have a quarterback making plays and the team is rallying around him, that's a dangerous team that can win at anytime."
And if IU's recent play is any indication, the team also looks to be rallying around their coach. Their resurgence has coincided with Hoeppner's return to the sidelines three weeks ago after the coach underwent his second brain surgery in the past nine months.
"I think they're playing with the toughness and the passion of their coach. He's a special guy," Tressel said. "You have to admire the job the coach Hoeppner is doing over there, and we know when they come over to the Horseshoe, it's a huge ballgame for them."
Enough with the heartwarming tales. After all, IU is ninth in the conference in total defense and tenth in offense and will almost certainly have those plans of a Big Ten title thrashed.
But the Buckeyes maintain it won't come easily. And there is still plenty of work to be done and computers to sway - OSU isn't at the top of five of the six computer polls used in the Bowl Championship Series rankings.
So as much as they want to look ahead to Michigan, they will restrain themselves.
"The main reason why players come to Ohio State is because of the big games, but there's still a lot to do," Hartline said. "We have to stay at the top of our game, because we're still rising."
And besides, defensive end Jay Richardson said, "with the kind of year we're having, it's easy to get pumped up for every game."The outcry has calmed. Saturday's OSU game can be seen by all.
Sort of. The Ohio News Network will re-air Saturday's ESPN-U broadcast at 11 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday.
Not everyone is satisfied, however, including one of Tressel's daughters.
Whitney, a junior at the Rochester Institute of Technology, called her dad earlier this week to complain.
"She's (like) 'what do you mean it's not going to be on?,'" Tressel recalls her saying.
Dad's response?
"Sorry, and no, I won't buy you that subscription or whatever."
Injury update
Tailback Antonio Pittman is fine and will start Saturday, Tressel said this week. Pittman sprained his ankle during Saturday's win over Michigan State, but returned after having it taped and has not been slowed on the field.
"You never know with running backs," Tressel said. "They're like greased lighting when they've got the ball and the other 23 hours of the day, they're slow."
Starting defensive tackle David Patterson's status remains unsettled, though the senior captain hasn't yet practiced this week. Look for Patterson to make his return Oct. 28 against Minnesota as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery.
Finally on the injury front, safety Anderson Russell reportedly underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and hopes to be ready in time for spring practice.
Extra points
Linebacker James Laurinaitis was announced Thursday as one of ten semifinalists for the Butkus Award. One of three Big Ten players up for the honor given to the country's top linebacker, joining Penn State's Paul Posluszny and Michigan's David Harris, Laurinaitis leads OSU with 59 tackles and four interceptions. Andy Katzenmoyer was the last OSU player to win the award in 1997 ... Also, defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock has been named one of 12 semifinalists for the Lombardi Award, given annually to the nation's top lineman or linebacker. OSU linebacker A.J. Hawk won the award last season ... Jack Nicklaus will dot the "I" in "Script Ohio" at next week's homecoming game against Minnesota, becoming the third non-band member in school history to do so. Usually reserved for fourth-year sousaphone players, the legendary golfer and OSU alum joins Woody Hayes and Bob Hope on the short list of dignitaries who have been bestowed the honor.
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Lewis finds his form
Frosh QB has good genetics ? and plenty of good receivers, too
By Pete DiPrimio
[email protected]
By The Associated Press
Indiana freshman quarterback Kellen Lewis has led the Hoosiers to three comeback wins this season.
BLOOMINGTON ? Welcome to Kellen Lewis? glory days. Will they pass him by in a wink of a young girl?s eye?
That?s up to him.
In the past few days, the Indiana University freshman quarterback was named Big Ten Co-offensive Player of the Week, an All-America Player of the Week finalist and USA Today?s Player of the Week.
See what happens when you complete 19 of 25 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns in an upset win over then-No. 15 Iowa?
Lewis has led the Hoosiers to three comeback victories this season, and if he?s not yet in Joe Montana?s league, well, you have to start somewhere.
?He?s very poised and plays well under pressure,? offensive lineman Charlie Emerson says. ?He looks like he?s having a lot of fun out there.?
Why not? Suddenly a guy who couldn?t complete 50 percent of his passes before last weekend is evoking Antwaan Randle El comparisons.
?It?s a double-edged sword for defenses,? Emerson says. ?Is he going to throw down the field, or is he going to take off and use his speed??
Credit good genetics (his father, Kiser, is a former Florida A&M All-America linebacker who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints; his mother, Saprina, was an All-America hurdler at Texas A&M) and a work ethic usually seen in upperclassmen (he put in 20 hours of film study before the Iowa game).
?He?s reduced the mistakes,? coach Terry Hoeppner says. ?The game has slowed down for him. It?s the understanding of the offense and what the other guys are doing.?
Of course, it helps when those other guys include good receivers.
?Me and the receivers got together,? Lewis says, ?and said, ?We know we?re talented, we know we can beat any secondary in the nation; let?s get together and do it.??
And so they did.
?Each day, he?s getting better, getting smarter, making better decisions,? receiver James Hardy says. ?He?s starting (to prepare) earlier in the week, and that carries over until Saturday.?
♦♦♦
Lewis did not doubt. He would not change. He was a quarterback. He would BE a quarterback.
Others doubted. Florida and Florida State saw him as a receiver or a cornerback, and yes, he could be very good at both. He is swift and athletic and can catch anything thrown his way.
But those attributes could be applied to a quarterback. More and more, this is the era of super-athlete as passer. Look at Troy Smith. Look at Vince Young. They can run and pass and put maximum pressure on defenses.
?I?m a quarterback,? Lewis says. ?That?s what I wanted to play.?
So Lewis came to Indiana where he could be a quarterback, although not without a break or two. IU, too, saw him as a receiver after a high school senior season in Jacksonville, Fla., in which he ran for more than 1,000 yards in an option offense despite a shaky line. But he had thrown for more than 2,000 yards as a junior in a passing offense.
The February signing period passed, and Lewis was set to go to a Virginia prep school. But then the Hoosiers lost two quarterbacks (Grant Gregory and Mike Vlahogeorge left the program) and had just Blake Powers and Graeme McFarland on the roster. They needed another, and Hoeppner made Lewis an offer he couldn?t refuse. After the first practice, despite the rawness of Lewis? game, Hoeppner saw the future.
?I went, ?Yeah, we did good. Good for us.??
Lewis spent his first season as a redshirt. He began this season as a backup. Powers was the starter in the Peyton Manning mold (a tall, strong pocket-passer) and had the single-season touchdown passing record to justify that.
But Powers was apparently injured in the first game, although exactly how or what remains one of the mysteries of Indiana confidentiality. No matter. Lewis came in with the Hoosiers trailing Ball State 17-0 in the second game and led them to a 24-23 victory.
?I was in a no-pressure situation,? he says. ?We were down, so throw in the freshman.?
He started the next three games, all losses, and spent most of the time running for his life while wondering how long he?d have the job.
?That was pressure,? he says. ?The coaches benched a guy who broke the passing record last year and put (me) in.?
But then a funny thing happened. The line began to block; Lewis began to thrive; Hardy began to dominate. Quicker than you can say, ?Let?s play No. 13,? Lewis rallied IU past Illinois and Iowa. Two more wins, and IU (4-3) is bowl-eligible.
?We turned it on after that,? Lewis says. ?We got some numbers on the board, and before we knew it, we had confidence.?
Now the Hoosiers play at No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday, and reason suggests it will be ugly. The Buckeyes (7-0) are too talented, too deep and, after seeing the Iowa tape, too motivated to take IU lightly, which is why they?re 34-point favorites.
But this isn?t about reason. It?s about confidence and dreams and belief. Glory days are still here, and nobody?s winking just yet.
Lewis finds his form
Frosh QB has good genetics ? and plenty of good receivers, too
By Pete DiPrimio
[email protected]
By The Associated Press
Indiana freshman quarterback Kellen Lewis has led the Hoosiers to three comeback wins this season.
BLOOMINGTON ? Welcome to Kellen Lewis? glory days. Will they pass him by in a wink of a young girl?s eye?
That?s up to him.
In the past few days, the Indiana University freshman quarterback was named Big Ten Co-offensive Player of the Week, an All-America Player of the Week finalist and USA Today?s Player of the Week.
See what happens when you complete 19 of 25 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns in an upset win over then-No. 15 Iowa?
Lewis has led the Hoosiers to three comeback victories this season, and if he?s not yet in Joe Montana?s league, well, you have to start somewhere.
?He?s very poised and plays well under pressure,? offensive lineman Charlie Emerson says. ?He looks like he?s having a lot of fun out there.?
Why not? Suddenly a guy who couldn?t complete 50 percent of his passes before last weekend is evoking Antwaan Randle El comparisons.
?It?s a double-edged sword for defenses,? Emerson says. ?Is he going to throw down the field, or is he going to take off and use his speed??
Credit good genetics (his father, Kiser, is a former Florida A&M All-America linebacker who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints; his mother, Saprina, was an All-America hurdler at Texas A&M) and a work ethic usually seen in upperclassmen (he put in 20 hours of film study before the Iowa game).
?He?s reduced the mistakes,? coach Terry Hoeppner says. ?The game has slowed down for him. It?s the understanding of the offense and what the other guys are doing.?
Of course, it helps when those other guys include good receivers.
?Me and the receivers got together,? Lewis says, ?and said, ?We know we?re talented, we know we can beat any secondary in the nation; let?s get together and do it.??
And so they did.
?Each day, he?s getting better, getting smarter, making better decisions,? receiver James Hardy says. ?He?s starting (to prepare) earlier in the week, and that carries over until Saturday.?
♦♦♦
Lewis did not doubt. He would not change. He was a quarterback. He would BE a quarterback.
Others doubted. Florida and Florida State saw him as a receiver or a cornerback, and yes, he could be very good at both. He is swift and athletic and can catch anything thrown his way.
But those attributes could be applied to a quarterback. More and more, this is the era of super-athlete as passer. Look at Troy Smith. Look at Vince Young. They can run and pass and put maximum pressure on defenses.
?I?m a quarterback,? Lewis says. ?That?s what I wanted to play.?
So Lewis came to Indiana where he could be a quarterback, although not without a break or two. IU, too, saw him as a receiver after a high school senior season in Jacksonville, Fla., in which he ran for more than 1,000 yards in an option offense despite a shaky line. But he had thrown for more than 2,000 yards as a junior in a passing offense.
The February signing period passed, and Lewis was set to go to a Virginia prep school. But then the Hoosiers lost two quarterbacks (Grant Gregory and Mike Vlahogeorge left the program) and had just Blake Powers and Graeme McFarland on the roster. They needed another, and Hoeppner made Lewis an offer he couldn?t refuse. After the first practice, despite the rawness of Lewis? game, Hoeppner saw the future.
?I went, ?Yeah, we did good. Good for us.??
Lewis spent his first season as a redshirt. He began this season as a backup. Powers was the starter in the Peyton Manning mold (a tall, strong pocket-passer) and had the single-season touchdown passing record to justify that.
But Powers was apparently injured in the first game, although exactly how or what remains one of the mysteries of Indiana confidentiality. No matter. Lewis came in with the Hoosiers trailing Ball State 17-0 in the second game and led them to a 24-23 victory.
?I was in a no-pressure situation,? he says. ?We were down, so throw in the freshman.?
He started the next three games, all losses, and spent most of the time running for his life while wondering how long he?d have the job.
?That was pressure,? he says. ?The coaches benched a guy who broke the passing record last year and put (me) in.?
But then a funny thing happened. The line began to block; Lewis began to thrive; Hardy began to dominate. Quicker than you can say, ?Let?s play No. 13,? Lewis rallied IU past Illinois and Iowa. Two more wins, and IU (4-3) is bowl-eligible.
?We turned it on after that,? Lewis says. ?We got some numbers on the board, and before we knew it, we had confidence.?
Now the Hoosiers play at No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday, and reason suggests it will be ugly. The Buckeyes (7-0) are too talented, too deep and, after seeing the Iowa tape, too motivated to take IU lightly, which is why they?re 34-point favorites.
But this isn?t about reason. It?s about confidence and dreams and belief. Glory days are still here, and nobody?s winking just yet.
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The Bucks can't blow this, can they?
By JON SPENCER
For The Advocate
If only we could wander into the "Beyond" of Bed, Bath & Beyond like the Adam Sandler character in the movie "Click," come away with the mother of all universal remotes and fast forward through the next four weeks of dreck to that Nov. 18 date with destiny.
Yeah, if only.
Instead, we plod ahead, subjected to a month-long stretch of pre-Michigan football so soft that Charmin feels like sandpaper by comparison.
Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois and Northwestern aren't a murderers' row, unless we're talking about teams turning a gun on themselves. The Feeble Four are a collective 3-10 in Big Ten play -- and two of those wins belong to the Hoosiers, losers to a 1-AA outfit.Not since 1998, when OSU tore through Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern and Indiana by an aggregate score of 159-32, has the schedule lined up four sticks of cotton candy like this on the Buckeyes' dessert tray.
Rather than focus on the fodder, this time would be better spent figuring out how top-ranked Ohio State could actually screw this up. Turns out, the possibilities are endless.
Because of space limitations, listed here are the most likely scenarios:
Head coach Jim Tressel wakes up and realizes he's John L. Smith.
Quarterback Troy Smith wakes up and realizes he's Akili Smith.
Cornerback Antonio Smith wakes up and realizes he's Antonio Smith, a fifth-year walk-on and first-time starter at one of the more demanding positions on the team. (How's he doing it?)
A homesick James Laurinaitis defects to the other locker room during halftime of next week's game against Minnesota.
Grill master Kirk Barton invites his fellow offensive linemen over for a cookout and they all come down with mad cow disease.
Former Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight spends Saturday's game on the Ohio State sidelines booing and hissing the school that fired him, but ends up being more of a distraction to his alma mater.
Buoyed by the extra oxygen pumping through his body, Anthony Gonzalez leaves his high-altitude tent behind to spend the next four weeks climbing Mount Everest.
Chief Illiniwek bonds with T.J. Downing and convinces the Mohawk-wearing offensive guard to turn over his playbook to Illinois coach -- and ex-OSU assistant -- Ron Zook.
Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells win the MegaMillions lottery and go home to Akron -- for good -- to chill with LeBron.
Vernon Gholston and Alex Boone can't resist the lure of instant cash and sign with super agent U.R. Free, thereby forfeiting their eligibility.
Locked in academic combat with Stanford, Northwestern kidnaps Gonzalez, Laurinaitis, Brian Robiskie and Marcus Freeman, claiming these straight-A students were headed to Evanston for a real education before they got lost.
Troy Smith insists he's working undercover for a campus watchdog group when he gets nabbed taking an illegal $500 payment from a sleazy booster.
Laurinaitis, clowning around during a pretend-WWE bout with buddies, tears his ACL squeezing into his dad's pro rasslin' tights.What's that? The odds are better of Indiana winning Saturday? Now that's pure fantasy.
The Bucks can't blow this, can they?
By JON SPENCER
For The Advocate
If only we could wander into the "Beyond" of Bed, Bath & Beyond like the Adam Sandler character in the movie "Click," come away with the mother of all universal remotes and fast forward through the next four weeks of dreck to that Nov. 18 date with destiny.
Yeah, if only.
Instead, we plod ahead, subjected to a month-long stretch of pre-Michigan football so soft that Charmin feels like sandpaper by comparison.
Indiana, Minnesota, Illinois and Northwestern aren't a murderers' row, unless we're talking about teams turning a gun on themselves. The Feeble Four are a collective 3-10 in Big Ten play -- and two of those wins belong to the Hoosiers, losers to a 1-AA outfit.Not since 1998, when OSU tore through Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern and Indiana by an aggregate score of 159-32, has the schedule lined up four sticks of cotton candy like this on the Buckeyes' dessert tray.
Rather than focus on the fodder, this time would be better spent figuring out how top-ranked Ohio State could actually screw this up. Turns out, the possibilities are endless.
Because of space limitations, listed here are the most likely scenarios:
Head coach Jim Tressel wakes up and realizes he's John L. Smith.
Quarterback Troy Smith wakes up and realizes he's Akili Smith.
Cornerback Antonio Smith wakes up and realizes he's Antonio Smith, a fifth-year walk-on and first-time starter at one of the more demanding positions on the team. (How's he doing it?)
A homesick James Laurinaitis defects to the other locker room during halftime of next week's game against Minnesota.
Grill master Kirk Barton invites his fellow offensive linemen over for a cookout and they all come down with mad cow disease.
Former Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight spends Saturday's game on the Ohio State sidelines booing and hissing the school that fired him, but ends up being more of a distraction to his alma mater.
Buoyed by the extra oxygen pumping through his body, Anthony Gonzalez leaves his high-altitude tent behind to spend the next four weeks climbing Mount Everest.
Chief Illiniwek bonds with T.J. Downing and convinces the Mohawk-wearing offensive guard to turn over his playbook to Illinois coach -- and ex-OSU assistant -- Ron Zook.
Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells win the MegaMillions lottery and go home to Akron -- for good -- to chill with LeBron.
Vernon Gholston and Alex Boone can't resist the lure of instant cash and sign with super agent U.R. Free, thereby forfeiting their eligibility.
Locked in academic combat with Stanford, Northwestern kidnaps Gonzalez, Laurinaitis, Brian Robiskie and Marcus Freeman, claiming these straight-A students were headed to Evanston for a real education before they got lost.
Troy Smith insists he's working undercover for a campus watchdog group when he gets nabbed taking an illegal $500 payment from a sleazy booster.
Laurinaitis, clowning around during a pretend-WWE bout with buddies, tears his ACL squeezing into his dad's pro rasslin' tights.What's that? The odds are better of Indiana winning Saturday? Now that's pure fantasy.
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Keys to victory in Week 8
Buckeyes
1. Hoosier daddy?
Jim Tressel is always telling his Buckeyes, "Remember who you are." Ohio State, for one, is Indiana's worst nightmare. The Hoosiers haven't stayed within 10 points in this series since 1993. They've lost 13 straight to the Buckeyes, who are 44-2-2 in their last 48 meetings. Ohio State needs to remember that when it takes the field Saturday. Then again, for those who fear complacency, amnesia might be better.
2. Saddle up and ride No. 25The Buckeyes are thinking of launching a mail campaign for Troy Smith, not that he needs the U.S. Postal Service's help to win the Heisman. A guy OSU should promote more is Antonio Pittman. A catalyst so many times this season, he's been basically forgotten the last two weeks, with only 13 carries against BG and 18 against Michigan State. If he's going to make first-team All-Big Ten, he needs to giddyup because Wisconsin's P.J. Hill is already over 1,000 yards and Michigan's Mike Hart is close. Indiana is last in Big Ten rushing defense, so this is the perfect week for OSU to show Pittman some love.
Hoosiers
1. Feed off momentum
Last week's win over No. 15 Iowa was Indiana's first over a top 15 team since 1987 when it beat then-No. 9 Ohio State 31-10. The Hoosiers have won back-to-back Big Ten games for the first time in five years. They've been over .500 this late in the season only one other time since 1994, their last winning season. They've got momentum, but for how long? They've had to rally from twin-digit deficits for their last three wins. Another slow start will spell disaster.
2. Borrow a page from OSU
Redshirt freshman quarterback Kellen Lewis has been described as a greener Troy Smith. He's got a strong arm and escapability working for him, and the Hoosiers must do everything in their power to exploit his passing and running skills. He's already shown poise beyond his years by orchestrating three comeback victories. But can Lewis do it against a team the caliber of OSU in one of the more intimidating venues in the country? Better question: Can he do it against a defense that sees Troy Smith every day in practice?
Keys to victory in Week 8
Buckeyes
1. Hoosier daddy?
Jim Tressel is always telling his Buckeyes, "Remember who you are." Ohio State, for one, is Indiana's worst nightmare. The Hoosiers haven't stayed within 10 points in this series since 1993. They've lost 13 straight to the Buckeyes, who are 44-2-2 in their last 48 meetings. Ohio State needs to remember that when it takes the field Saturday. Then again, for those who fear complacency, amnesia might be better.
2. Saddle up and ride No. 25The Buckeyes are thinking of launching a mail campaign for Troy Smith, not that he needs the U.S. Postal Service's help to win the Heisman. A guy OSU should promote more is Antonio Pittman. A catalyst so many times this season, he's been basically forgotten the last two weeks, with only 13 carries against BG and 18 against Michigan State. If he's going to make first-team All-Big Ten, he needs to giddyup because Wisconsin's P.J. Hill is already over 1,000 yards and Michigan's Mike Hart is close. Indiana is last in Big Ten rushing defense, so this is the perfect week for OSU to show Pittman some love.
Hoosiers
1. Feed off momentum
Last week's win over No. 15 Iowa was Indiana's first over a top 15 team since 1987 when it beat then-No. 9 Ohio State 31-10. The Hoosiers have won back-to-back Big Ten games for the first time in five years. They've been over .500 this late in the season only one other time since 1994, their last winning season. They've got momentum, but for how long? They've had to rally from twin-digit deficits for their last three wins. Another slow start will spell disaster.
2. Borrow a page from OSU
Redshirt freshman quarterback Kellen Lewis has been described as a greener Troy Smith. He's got a strong arm and escapability working for him, and the Hoosiers must do everything in their power to exploit his passing and running skills. He's already shown poise beyond his years by orchestrating three comeback victories. But can Lewis do it against a team the caliber of OSU in one of the more intimidating venues in the country? Better question: Can he do it against a defense that sees Troy Smith every day in practice?
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Buckeyes don't want to be remembered for a loss
RUSTY MILLER
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - As much as No. 1 Ohio State is driven to keep winning, the Buckeyes are also motivated to keep from losing.
"This is for the rest of our life, this season," offensive tackle Kirk Barton said as the Buckeyes prepared for Saturday's game against Indiana. "A season like this, if you drop one, that's what your season is going to be defined as."
Barton has a ready reference. Several members of the 1998 Buckeyes have visited practice over the past few weeks. They tell a sad tale about the one that got away, a blown big lead against Michigan State that resulted in a crippling 28-24 loss.
Those Buckeyes went on to complete an 11-1 season and finished No. 2 in the rankings - yet are haunted by the one game they didn't win.
"If you drop one, you remember it forever. Just like the '98 team," Barton said. "They dropped that game to Michigan State and that's what they're known for. No one knows that they beat Michigan and beat Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl. Everyone knows that they lost to Michigan State."
So Ohio State (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten) finds itself trying to avoid a slip as much as trying to add to its win total when it takes on the rejuvenated Hoosiers (4-3, 2-1).
"Handling success is just as important if not more important than handling adversity because when you've got people telling you how good you are and how you've earned it, to us we really haven't earned it," defensive end Jay Richardson said. "We're still not what we want to be as a team. We have our meetings and we always tell the guys, 'Don't believe the hype. Don't believe what all the people are saying. Because nothing means anything besides proving it on Saturday.'"
The Buckeyes have won their last 14 games, the longest streak in the nation. They've also reeled off 10 consecutive Big Ten wins and nine straight at home. They're starting a stretch of four games against teams they will be heavily favored to beat leading up to a showdown with rival Michigan on Nov. 18.
Indiana also feels it has something to prove on Saturday. The Hoosiers have counteracted a three-game home losing skid with back-to-back conference wins at Illinois and at home against Iowa, both on fourth-quarter rallies.
They are 2-0 on the road this year. The last time they won their first three road games was in 1967, also the last time they won at least a share of the Big Ten title and made their only trip to the Rose Bowl.
The Hoosiers think they're ready for their close-up.
"We're excited. We're glad they're ranked No. 1," safety Will Meyers said. "We know all eyes are going to be on us to see how we respond."
The win over Iowa was Indiana's first against a team ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll since winning at Ohio State in 1987.
Indiana's big-play wide receiver, James Hardy, thinks the Hoosiers can repeat that epic victory.
"Ohio State is Ohio State, but for the most part I just look at it as another game," said Hardy, who caught three TD passes against Iowa, all from redshirt freshman quarterback Kellen Lewis. "We just need to make sure we're cool, calm and poised, ready to give them a fight."
To do that, the Hoosiers must avoid coughing up the ball. They've lost eight fumbles and thrown five interceptions this year. Those numbers don't bode well when going against an Ohio State defense which is tied for second in the nation in turnover margin, intercepting 15 passes and recovering two opposing fumbles while turning the ball over just five times in seven games.
"We've got to secure the football. We need to have the ball," IU coach Terry Hoeppner said. "It's challenging enough playing in the Big Ten without handicapping yourselves and giving the other guys opportunities they shouldn't get."
The Buckeyes say they're not peeking at Michigan while they're preparing for Indiana.
"The biggest thing is they go hard," Barton said of the Hoosiers. "They play hard all the time. And if you screw something up they're going to get you for a loss or a sack. They're always hustling."
Like the Hoosiers, Ohio State has been sharper on the road than at home - something the Buckeyes hope to correct on Saturday.
"If you look at our last couple of home games ... I don't think we've really given the fans the type of effort that we felt like we can give them," safety Brandon Mitchell said.
Buckeyes don't want to be remembered for a loss
RUSTY MILLER
Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio - As much as No. 1 Ohio State is driven to keep winning, the Buckeyes are also motivated to keep from losing.
"This is for the rest of our life, this season," offensive tackle Kirk Barton said as the Buckeyes prepared for Saturday's game against Indiana. "A season like this, if you drop one, that's what your season is going to be defined as."
Barton has a ready reference. Several members of the 1998 Buckeyes have visited practice over the past few weeks. They tell a sad tale about the one that got away, a blown big lead against Michigan State that resulted in a crippling 28-24 loss.
Those Buckeyes went on to complete an 11-1 season and finished No. 2 in the rankings - yet are haunted by the one game they didn't win.
"If you drop one, you remember it forever. Just like the '98 team," Barton said. "They dropped that game to Michigan State and that's what they're known for. No one knows that they beat Michigan and beat Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl. Everyone knows that they lost to Michigan State."
So Ohio State (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten) finds itself trying to avoid a slip as much as trying to add to its win total when it takes on the rejuvenated Hoosiers (4-3, 2-1).
"Handling success is just as important if not more important than handling adversity because when you've got people telling you how good you are and how you've earned it, to us we really haven't earned it," defensive end Jay Richardson said. "We're still not what we want to be as a team. We have our meetings and we always tell the guys, 'Don't believe the hype. Don't believe what all the people are saying. Because nothing means anything besides proving it on Saturday.'"
The Buckeyes have won their last 14 games, the longest streak in the nation. They've also reeled off 10 consecutive Big Ten wins and nine straight at home. They're starting a stretch of four games against teams they will be heavily favored to beat leading up to a showdown with rival Michigan on Nov. 18.
Indiana also feels it has something to prove on Saturday. The Hoosiers have counteracted a three-game home losing skid with back-to-back conference wins at Illinois and at home against Iowa, both on fourth-quarter rallies.
They are 2-0 on the road this year. The last time they won their first three road games was in 1967, also the last time they won at least a share of the Big Ten title and made their only trip to the Rose Bowl.
The Hoosiers think they're ready for their close-up.
"We're excited. We're glad they're ranked No. 1," safety Will Meyers said. "We know all eyes are going to be on us to see how we respond."
The win over Iowa was Indiana's first against a team ranked in the top 15 of the Associated Press poll since winning at Ohio State in 1987.
Indiana's big-play wide receiver, James Hardy, thinks the Hoosiers can repeat that epic victory.
"Ohio State is Ohio State, but for the most part I just look at it as another game," said Hardy, who caught three TD passes against Iowa, all from redshirt freshman quarterback Kellen Lewis. "We just need to make sure we're cool, calm and poised, ready to give them a fight."
To do that, the Hoosiers must avoid coughing up the ball. They've lost eight fumbles and thrown five interceptions this year. Those numbers don't bode well when going against an Ohio State defense which is tied for second in the nation in turnover margin, intercepting 15 passes and recovering two opposing fumbles while turning the ball over just five times in seven games.
"We've got to secure the football. We need to have the ball," IU coach Terry Hoeppner said. "It's challenging enough playing in the Big Ten without handicapping yourselves and giving the other guys opportunities they shouldn't get."
The Buckeyes say they're not peeking at Michigan while they're preparing for Indiana.
"The biggest thing is they go hard," Barton said of the Hoosiers. "They play hard all the time. And if you screw something up they're going to get you for a loss or a sack. They're always hustling."
Like the Hoosiers, Ohio State has been sharper on the road than at home - something the Buckeyes hope to correct on Saturday.
"If you look at our last couple of home games ... I don't think we've really given the fans the type of effort that we felt like we can give them," safety Brandon Mitchell said.
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Darn. That 31 points is looking like a mountain now. I didn't know we wuz up against that Elk legacy! :tongue2:
217 Centerville 2A = 42.89 7 2 31.48( 302) 0 0 | 0 0 | 41.54 209 | 41.44 214
Is this them, all the way back up to #217 in the Indiana high school Sagarin's?!
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tones3778
Senior
Steve19;639131; said:
No, he is from Centerville, OH. (Hawk, Herbstreit, etc.)
http://www.elksfootball.com/
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