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Game Thread Game Eleven: #1 tOSU 54, Northwestern 10 (11/11/06)

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CPD

Breakdowns offensive to OSU offense


Wednesday, November 08, 2006Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- It was a few hours after Saturday's 17-10 win over Illinois when Ohio State receiver Anthony Gonzalez realized what had been missing during the second half of that game, when the Illini defense stuffed the Buckeyes run, held the offense to 29 yards and made a sure OSU victory a little less certain.
There was no fear - no fear from an opposing defense of what the Buckeyes might do to them.
"Prior to that game, defenses for whatever reason, and maybe teams in general, played with a slight bit of fear," Gonzalez said Tuesday. "But that Illinois team came out with no fear whatsoever and gave us everything they had, and that's why they had so much success."
Though Gonzalez said the Buckeyes weren't overconfident, maybe a myth has been shattered about Gonzalez, Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr. and Antonio Pittman. Maybe they didn't consider themselves a cut above, but the defenses that faced the nation's No. 1 team did. Everyone knows Michigan won't feel that way on Nov. 18. So, as the Buckeyes go about correcting what went wrong in that second half, they'll have to do it knowing any psychological edge may be gone.
A clear statement about the offense was made in the weekly awards Tuesday, when no award was given for an offensive player of the week or offensive lineman of the week, the first time that's happened this season.
"It wasn't motivation, it was reality," center Doug Datish said.
"No one deserved it. Everyone deserved to take a share of the blame. I don't know if there's blame for a win, but we shared it."
Who exactly should share that blame for gaining 29 yards in 30 plays in a half?
The Play-caller: Ohio State threw just eight passes in the second half, gaining just 9 passing yards, and coach Jim Tressel admitted that allowed the Illini to stack up and stop the run.
"I think the fact that we weren't running the ball consistently, we probably weren't as balanced as we could have been, because like I've said to you folks many times, whenever you start evaluations, you start them internally and then you reach out," Tressel said. "I'm not sure we were as balanced with our attack as we could have been, and we didn't execute on early downs, and then we got behind the count and we let them come storming the castle pretty good. One thing leads to another and all of a sudden your momentum has changed."
The Offensive Line: Whether they want to admit it or not, the Buckeyes missed starting left tackle Alex Boone, who sat out with a knee injury and probably won't play this week. The line had its worst performance, which was revealed in film sessions with line coach Jim Bollman.
"It was not fun," Datish said. "It was a bad experience. We had similar experience in the past, but not so much this year. It was a reality check when you think you're getting better than you are and you get shot back to earth in film session like that."
A review of the game found some physical breakdowns - right tackle Kirk Barton getting pushed into the backfield, blowing up a running play; Tim Schafer, Boone's replacement, allowing a rusher to circle around him and sack Smith from behind. But when Smith was hit as he threw on his interception, the blow came from a defensive tackle who went unblocked by a bad line call.
"I would have to say most errors, especially in pass protection, occur mentally," Tressel said. "Very seldom does a guy run over a guy and hit the quarterback. . . . I don't think it was a wearing-down factor."
The Skill Positions: Receiver Brian Hartline missed a block on a pass to Ted Ginn Jr. that went for a loss. And Smith looked like he held the ball too long on some plays as the Illini got good coverage downfield.
Though Gonzalez made sure to say the offensive effort "wasn't a complete debacle," the game did come down to an onside kick recovery by receiver Brian Robiskie. And even that play didn't go as planned, the ball bouncing past several Buckeyes.
"We were lucky Robo was back there," Gonzalez said. "He should be player of the week just for that."
 
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CPD

OHIO STATE INSIDER
COLLEGES


Wednesday, November 08, 2006
OHIO STATE INSIDER

Despite fumbles, Wells likely to see action Saturday

Columbus -- Chris Wells hasn't lost his job. Jim Tressel said his No. 2 running back should play against Northwestern on Saturday despite fumbling for the fourth time this season against Illinois.

"If he practices well, he'll be in good stead to go in and carry the ball like any other time," Tressel said Tuesday, "but you have to demonstrate [it]."
Tressel knows he's taking a risk with Wells no matter what he does at this point. The Ohio State coach said his freshman running back has improved several parts of his game this year -- blocking, catching and running -- but not the area that matters most to Tressel. "How concerned am I? You know, tremendously concerned," Tressel said. "I'd like to think that he'll, one day, get that under control, and I'm hoping it's this day.
"Unfortunately, just like a quarterback who can add a lot to the team -- if they throw it to the other guys, what's the risk-versus-reward component there? So, I'm hoping that he'll be a big, positive part of what we do these next two weeks through the regular season and on into the bowl game."
At this moment, Wells remains the backup to Antonio Pittman, even though he was benched after his second-quarter fumble Saturday. Tressel said No. 3 back Mo Wells is healthy, yet he didn't carry the ball at all Saturday, so it's clear that if there's no Chris Wells, Pittman's on his own. And there's not much more Tressel can do.
"About the only thing coaches can do is have someone sit down and think about it," said Tressel, "but to me, there's a certain length of time that makes sense. He had a chance to think about it through the second half of the game, but I don't know if there's anything drill-wise beyond what we do."
Tressel balked at the idea of using the Northwestern game as a test run to see whether Wells will play against Michigan on Nov. 18.
"It's too late in the year for auditions," Tressel said. "This is the real deal."

Injury update:
Tressel said starting left tackle Alex Boone, who did not play Saturday, probably will sit out again with a knee injury, though center Doug Datish said Boone played a limited role in practice Tuesday. Backup cornerback Kurt Coleman, injured late against Illinois, is questionable for Northwestern. Backup receiver Ray Small, who did not travel after suffering a concussion against Minnesota, will return to practice on today and should play.
Two more Ohio State players made the cuts for national awards Tuesday.
Defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock was named as one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award, won last season by Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk. Joining Pitcock in the final four are Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny, Michigan defensive end LaMarr Woodley and Texas offensive guard Justin Blalock.
Cornerback Antonio Smith, a former walk-on, was a surprise semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, given to the nation's best defensive back. Among those joining Smith in that 11-player group are Michigan's Leon Hall and Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski.
The Lombardi winner will be announced Dec. 6. The Thorpe winner will be named Dec. 7.
Cleveland OSU banquet set:
The Ohio State Alumni Club of Greater Cleveland will host its 55th football appreciation banquet on Nov. 21. Tickets are $100 for the event, which will start at 6 p.m. at Windows on the River. Guests will include Tressel and current and former players and coaches from Ohio State and the Browns. Proceeds go toward the group's scholarship fund. To purchase tickets, contact Peggy Sobul at (216) 368-3247 or at mls27case.edu.
 
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Canton

OSU: Tressel still gets questions on RB
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

OHIO STATE AT NORTHWESTERN 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Ryan Stadium, Evanston, Ill.
TV ABC (Channel 5)

COLUMBUS It's Northwestern week at Ohio State.
It doesn't have the same ring as Michigan week, but in Jim Tressel's mind, it's just as important.
But it might as well be Tyrell Sutton week.
This is the week when the Buckeyes' head coach gets to hear gripes about the one that got away. But Sutton, an Akron Hoban High School product, didn't get away. Ohio State never had him, and by the looks of the OSU depth chart, squeezing in the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Sutton might be difficult.
Antonio Pittman is on track for another 1,000-yard season, and freshman Chris Wells has shown enough to warrant the hype with which he came to Ohio State. Sutton will get another chance to try to prove to Tressel that OSU missed the boat on him as a running back.
Northwestern will host the Buckeyes on Saturday afternoon at 3:30.
"We have a tremendous challenge," Tressel said. "Tyrell Sutton ... I hear every day about that great running back from Ohio who's at Northwestern."
Compared to a year ago, Sutton has had a quiet season. He has 833 rushing yards and just four touchdowns.
But he is coming off one of his best efforts, gaining 168 yards in an upset win at Iowa last week.
Three weeks ago, he had 172 against Michigan State. Those are his only 100-yard games this season.
Last year against the Buckeyes, Sutton finished with 93 yards on 14 carries.
Aside from the problems Sutton creates, Ohio State has other issues. The Buckeyes are coming off their first scare. They were an onside kick and an Illinois touchdown away from being tied in a 17-10 win in Champaign last week.
Perhaps, Tressel said, there is a silver lining to playing a close game. Prior to that, OSU won games by more than three touchdowns on average.
"Having a tough schedule is a blessing," Tressel said. "We knew going in that Illinois is a tough team. They're getting better and better every week. Look at their track record. They had a good chance to beat Wisconsin. ... Now we have another tough one against a team playing its best football."
The Wildcats went to Iowa and left with a 21-7 win. It was their first Big Ten victory, and just their third win under first-year Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald.
Northwestern had more rushing (225) and more passing (218) yards than the Buckeyes did against Iowa.
"Truth and reality is the best teaching tool," Tressel said. "You just need to put on the Northwestern-Iowa film. We were just at Iowa two months ago, so we know how tough it is to go in there and compete with the Hawkeyes.
"Northwestern's defense held Iowa to less yards than we held them to, and Northwestern's offense had more yards than we did. That's reality."
COUPLE OF CLOSE CALLS
This is the last game before the Buckeyes and Michigan - providing both win this week - meet in an unprecedented battle of Nos. 1 vs. 2.
Interestingly enough, the country's top two programs both had close calls last week. Michigan survived a scare from Mid-American Conference foe Ball State.
"... We made critical errors in that game," Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr said. "Any time you make critical errors, it forces you to refocus on the things you know will cause you to lose. ... That game presented a number of opportunities for us to learn."
Tressel said OSU's problem last week was simply not finishing. The offense was shut out in the second half. Also, Alex Boone missed the game with an injury. OSU offensive line had holes on the left side where Boone normally plays. Tim Schafer started, and is listed as the starter this week. Boone is questionable.
"I don't know if it was a wake-up call or a reality call," Tressel said. "When you travel to someone's stadium in the Big Ten, you'd better be prepared to play 60 minutes. We played 40 minutes. That's not long enough.
"I don't know if there's one reason for it. Somewhere in the formula, you have to factor in Illinois and what they did. Then you begin talking what we didn't do. There are a lot of ingredients, and I don't know if we had the right ingredients in the last 20 minutes."
 
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Canton

OSU REPORT
Wednesday, November 8, 2006


PITCOCK IS SEMIFINALIST Ohio State defensive lineman Quinn Pitcock is one of three Big Ten defenders named among the four finalists for the 37th Rotary Lombardi Award. Joining Pitcock are Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny, Michigan defensive end LaMarr Woodley and Texas offensive lineman Justin Blalock. The award, which will be presented Dec. 6, goes annually to the college football lineman who, in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the discipline of legendary coach Vince Lombardi. SMITH ON THORPE LIST OSU senior Antonio Smith is one of 11 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's top defensive back. The list will be narrowed to three Nov. 20, with the award being presented Dec. 7.
BUCKEYE BUZZ Chris Wells is on double-secret probation after yet another costly lost fumble against Illinois on Saturday. Coach Jim Tressel was asked whether Saturday's game at Northwestern was more or less a final audition for the big freshman tailback. "Audition? No. It's too late in the year for auditions," Tressel said. "This is the real deal."
HE'LL BE BACK WR Anthony Gonzalez said he cannot foresee any way that he would leave Ohio State a year early to jump to the NFL. "The NFL isn't going anywhere. As far as I know, it's doing well financially. So it'll be there when the time comes," he said. Gonzalez said he did not think he could bypass many of the highlights of being a senior, including the chance to be a captain.
 
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Tressel avoids wake-up call label[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]BY JIM NAVEAU - Nov. 8, 2006[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]COLUMBUS ? Ohio State?s 17-10 win over Illinois last Saturday brought out the film critic in coach Jim Tressel on Tuesday when he previewed the No. 1 Buckeyes? game against Northwestern on Saturday.
He gave the first half against Illinois two thumbs up and the second half got two thumbs down.
?If you turn off the film (against Illinois) off at halftime, it doesn?t look much different from the four or five games before it,? Tressel said. ?I don?t think we finished like you need to finish. Our first 40 minutes were solid and our last 20 minutes were less than that.?
Ohio State?s offense was the biggest disappointment. It gained a season-low 224 yards overall and had only 29 yards in the second half.
OSU?s play calling also has drawn some criticism. After building a 17-0 halftime lead, the Buckeyes threw only one pass on first down in the second half, for a 3-yard loss to tailback Antonio Pittman. There were 10 pass plays called and 22 runs in the final two quarters.
?We probably weren?t as balanced as we could have been,? Tressel said about the play selection.
While some players talked about the game being a much-needed test or a wake-up call after the victory, Tressel avoided that label.
?I?ve always believed that reality is the best teacher. I don?t know if there is such a thing as a magical wake-up call. I don?t know if it would be a wake-up call or a reality call,? he said.
Junior wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez agreed with his coach.
?It was more survival than anything else at the end. But that being said, we did survive,? he said. ?We?re a pretty confident and experienced group, so I don?t think one bad game is going to change that significantly.?
Ohio State (10-0, 6-0 Big Ten) will play at Northwestern (3-7, 1-5 Big Ten) on Saturday (ABC-TV, 3:36 p.m.)
The Wildcats are coming off a 21-7 upset of Iowa last Saturday. Other than that, they haven?t had a lot of high points this season. Their other two wins are over Miami (Ohio) and Eastern Michigan. They?ve lost to New Hampshire and Nevada in non-league games.
Two weeks ago, they set an NCAA Division I record for the biggest lead lost in a game when Michigan State scored 38 unanswered points in 22 minutes to win 41-38 after Northwestern had taken a 38-3 lead.
But they have shown improvement. After the Michigan State game, Northwestern held Michigan to a 17-3 win, then beat Iowa.
?We?ve really been playing pretty well for the last month,? Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said on the Big Ten teleconference on Tuesday.
The Wildcats? improvement coincides with the insertion of C.J. Bacher as the starting quarterback, beginning with the Michigan State game. Bacher has passed for more than 200 yards in each of his three starts and Northwestern? s offense is averaging 73 yards more per game than it did before he became the starter.
Tailback Tyrell Sutton has had two big games with Bacher at QB. Sutton ran for 168 yards last Saturday against Iowa and had 172 yards rushing in the Michigan State game.
NOTES:
AWARDS: Senior cornerback Antonio Smith, in his first year as a starter, was named one of the 11 semifinalists for the Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation?s best defensive back.
Defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock has been named one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award, given to the best lineman in the country every year. The other finalists are Michigan?s LaMarr Woodley, Penn State?s Paul Posluszny and Texas? Justin Blalock.
Linebacker James Laurinaitis has already been announced as one of the semifinalists for the Butkus Award, given to the country?s top linebacker. The finalists for that honor will be announced later this week.
INJURY UPDATE: Offensive tackle Alex Boone will probably miss a second straight game because of a knee injury.
?He?s probably questionable for this week,? Tressel said.
Freshman wide receiver Ray Small will return after suffering a concussion against Minnesota.
?We should be at pretty much full strength except for Alex,? Tressel said.
[/FONT]
 
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Chicago Sun

November 8, 2006

NU- a reality show for Tressel


Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said he won't need any motivational ploys to keep his top-ranked Buckeyes from looking past their game Saturday at Northwestern to their Nov. 18 showdown with No. 2 Michigan.





"The truth and reality is the best teaching [tool]," Tressel said. "The truth of the matter is we just need to put on the Northwestern-Iowa game.
"We were just at Iowa two months ago, and we know how difficult it is to go there and compete. The Northwestern defense held Iowa's offense to less yards than we held them to. Northwestern had more offense than we had against Iowa. That's reality."
Ohio State defeated Iowa 38-17 on Sept. 30. Tressel's team had steamrolled opponents all season before getting by Illinois 17-10 last week -- the Buckeyes' narrowest margin of victory.
Northwestern defeated Iowa 21-7 on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium to give coach Pat Fitzgerald his first Big Ten win. Tressel said sophomore quarterback C.J. Bacher brings a different style to the NU offense than Andrew Brewer, whom Bacher replaced before the Michigan State game Oct. 21. Tressel also said Buckeyes fans won't let him forget about Ohio native Tyrell Sutton, who is coming off a 168-yard rushing performance at Iowa.
"I hear every day about that great running back from Ohio who's at Northwestern," Tressel said.
? ? Senior safety Bryan Heinz, who has missed the entire season with a foot injury, returned to practice Tuesday and might play Saturday. Heinz also might opt to petition the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility.
Neil Hayes
 
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Morning Journal

Bucks didn't have fear factor vs. Illini
By:JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer
11/08/2006


http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1699&dept_id=46370&newsid=17436720

Whatever the reason, Gonzalez noticed a difference in how Illinois approached the Buckeyes last week and how everyone else has this year. Simply put, Illinois wasn't afraid.
"That was the first team I feel like played with no fear," Gonzalez said. "Prior to that game, I think defenses, for whatever reason, and maybe teams in general, have played with a slight bit of fear. But that Illinois team came out with absolutely no fear whatsoever and gave us everything that they had. That's why they had so much success on Saturday night."

Coach Jim Tressel admitted yesterday that the play-calling wasn't as balanced as he would've liked during Saturday's 17-10 win over Illinois. In truth, the Buckeyes couldn't move the ball running or throwing.

On seven possessions in the second half, they handed the ball to Antonio Pittman six times to begin the drive. The one time they threw the ball, it was a pass to Pittman that lost 3 yards.

Despite all the running calls, Ohio State averaged just 2.4 yards per carry. Pittman carried a career-high 32 times, but gained just 58 yards in what was easily the most disappointing half of the season offensively. Faced with a number of third-and-long situations, Ohio State's offensive line couldn't hold off Illinois.

"I'm not sure we were as balanced with our attack as we could have been and we didn't execute on early downs," Tressel said. "Then we got behind the count and we let them come storming the castle pretty good. One thing leads to another and all of a sudden your momentum has changed."

Tressel was pleased with how the offense performed for the first 40 minutes, but all of that changed over the last 20.

Troy Smith threw for 9 yards in the second half, he was hit more than he has been all year, he was sacked three times and hurried six others.

"I don't want to infer that we didn't play well at all there, because if you turn the film off at halftime, it doesn't look much different than any of the four or five games prior to it," Tressel said. "Turn it back on, we didn't do the things you need to do."

As the second half unfolded, it would've been an ideal time to run Chris Wells at the Illini defense to try and soften up the interior. But that wasn't an option following Wells' third fumble in four games and fourth fumble of the season.

While fumbling isn't new to Wells, serving a penalty for it is. Saturday was the first time Wells was benched for one of his fumbles.

Tressel said provided he has a good week of practice, he'll return as the backup when Ohio State travels to Northwestern this weekend. But the question remains whether or not Tressel can trust Wells to hold onto the ball against Michigan, which leads the Big Ten with 11 fumble recoveries.

"I'd like to think that he'll, one day, get that under control and I'm hoping it's this day," Tressel said. "I still believe today that if we're going to become a very good team, then he's going to have to be part of it."

Whether or not anything was exposed at Illinois, when the Buckeyes' offense was held to a season-low in points and yards, won't be known until this week. Northwestern has struggled defensively for much of the year, but it held Michigan to 17 points two weeks ago and beat Iowa on the road last week, 21-7. In the five weeks prior to that, the Wildcats were allowing 35 points a game.

Gonzalez, for one, doesn't expect anyone else to fear the top-ranked Buckeyes the rest of the way.

"I don't know what fear does for anyone," he said. "I don't know why you would fear anything. I don't anticipate Northwestern fearing us, I don't anticipate Michigan fearing us and I don't anticipate whoever we play in the bowl game fearing us. There's no point.

"To be perfectly honest, I didn't anticipate anyone prior to these teams doing the same thing. For some reason, I didn't feel teams were playing hard against us. Maybe that had to do with fear, but that was clearly not the case with Illinois and won't be with Northwestern or Michigan."
 
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Dispatch

OSU seeks answers for slump on offense
Line play singled out; Tressel second-guesses play-calling vs. Illinois

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




The Ohio State offensive line got a tip of the cap this week from assistant coach Jim Bollman. And that?s not a good thing.
In the days after a 17-10 win at Illinois, Bollman was unhappy with how the unit performed. The Buckeyes gained a season-low 224 yards, including 29 in the second half.
"It was not fun; it was a bad experience," center Doug Datish said of the unit?s meeting. "There?s hardly any swearing, but if he has a hat on, you?ve got to look out for the hat, because it could come at you any minute."
Before anyone thinks the blame all rested on the players, coach Jim Tressel second-guessed his performance, as well. And the coaching staff did not award an offensive player of the week or an offensive lineman of the week for the first time this season.
One reason for the struggles might have been the loss of starting left tackle Alex Boone because of a knee injury. Tressel said Boone probably is another week from playing, likely meaning he will miss the game this week at Northwestern.
Tim Schafer started in Boone?s place last week. Schafer had spent most of the season rotating with Steve Rehring at left guard.
"We?ve rotated enough guys in on the line this year that it?s not a huge factor," Datish said of missing Boone, "but in the same sense, with the offensive line, it?s more of a flow thing and a cohesion thing. And any time you take a part out of there, I guess it messes it up a little bit.
"But we?ve got enough good players to fill in and do a good job for us. I think ?Schaf? went in there and did a pretty good job for us."
Asked how much of a factor missing Boone was, Tressel said, "Probably one-fifth. I don?t mean to be a smart aleck, but it?s not like he was the only guy on the line. And it?s not like Tim Schafer didn?t do a solid job. Tim Schafer graded out very similar to the rest of the group."
It?s clear that since Saturday, Tressel has spent time re-examining his second-half strategy. Leading 17-0 at the half, Ohio State ran the ball 22 times and attempted eight passes in the second half.
Immediately after the game, he talked about how his team was still in command in the third quarter and he felt good because the Buckeyes would have the wind at their backs in the fourth.
It sounded like a defense for turning conservative and playing the field-position game.
By yesterday, though, he sounded a different tune.
"I?m not sure we were as balanced with our attack as we should have been," Tressel said. "Whenever you start evaluations, you start them internally and then you reach out."
He was asked if he was talking about play-calling.
"Yeah, probably play selection," he said.
It wasn?t as lopsided as it looked, though. On Ohio State?s first 25 plays of the half, after which only 4:50 remained in the game, Tressel called 14 runs and 11 passes.
Officially, it looked worse because quarterback Troy Smith scrambled on one called pass and was sacked twice. Those turn into runs on the scoresheet. Plus, one pass play resulted in an interference call on Illinois, negating the play.
Still, Tressel?s willingness to openly question his own playcalling impressed receiver Anthony Gonzalez.
"This is a team, and that includes the coaches," Gonzalez said. "I didn?t second-guess anything, but if he is, that?s just part of being a team. Everybody has to look at himself and kind of dig down and find out what he can do to better the cause."
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Dispatch

OHIO STATE NOTEBOOK
Pitcock, Smith awards finalists
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
20061108-Pc-C4-0700.jpg

The Ohio State defense has been reaping individual benefits from its group effort this season. More evidence was provided yesterday when lineman Quinn Pitcock was named one of four finalists for the Lombardi Award and cornerback Antonio Smith was named one of 11 finalists for the Thorpe Award.
Later in the week, there?s a chance that linebacker James Laurinaitis could be named a finalist for the Butkus Award.
"It?s a little bit of a shock that you?ve been pointed out that way, because we?re not out there thinking about that, not at all," said Pitcock, a senior defensive tackle who leads the team with seven sacks. "We?re just out there trying to win games.
"We?ve always believed that when the team wins and has great success, that?s when all the individual awards will come. You can?t come into a season saying, ?I?m going to try to win this award.? You?ll mess up and your team will lose."
Big Ten players dominate the list of finalists. Pitcock, Penn State linebacker Paul Posluszny and Michigan defensive end Lamarr Woodley join Texas offensive tackle Justin Blalock.
The award goes to the most outstanding offensive or defensive lineman or linebacker. Five Ohio State players have won it: Jim Stillwagon (1970), John Hicks (1973), Chris Spielman (1987), Orlando Pace (1995 and ?96), and A.J. Hawk (2005).
Smith was surprised to learn about the Thorpe. He was watching video of Northwestern, OSU?s opponent this week, when a friend called him after hearing it on the radio.
"I haven?t really looked at any awards or things like that," Smith said. "I?m just trying to win a couple more ballgames. And for that to happen, I?m just thankful. It?s an honor."
Smith is a fifth-year senior and former walk-on who was fighting for a starting job three months ago.
The only other Big Ten player on the Thorpe list with Smith is Leon Hall of Michigan. The award goes to the most outstanding defensive back.
Antoine Winfield (1998) is the only previous winner from the Buckeyes.
Troy Smith in front

The Heisman Trophy is an all-comers award when the year begins, but now with four weeks remaining in the season, quarterback Troy Smith continues to be considered the front-runner. The Scripps-Howard poll this week confirmed that: Smith is No. 1, with nine of 10 first-place votes. In second place is Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, formerly of Dublin Coffman, who received the other first-place vote.
Small progress

Coach Jim Tressel said freshman backup receiver Ray Small will return this week, two weeks after being knocked out momentarily by a hit in the Minnesota game.
"As of Wednesday, he?s allowed to go full-go," Tressel said.
Passing

Tad Weed, 73, the kicker for the 1954 Ohio State national championship team, died yesterday in Riverside Hospital from a blood disorder, a friend of the family said. Weed, 145 pounds his senior season of ?54, made 24 of 26 extra point attempts and one field goal in a 10-0 title run that included a 20-7 win over Southern California in the Rose Bowl.
Weed, a Grandview native who lived in the Columbus area, had dealt with a nerve disorder in recent years that robbed him of the use of his legs. But he was a fixture at the ?54 team?s reunions, the last of which occurred in 2004.
 
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Dispatch

NORTHWESTERN
Trying to finish strong
Wildcats taking on Buckeyes after pulling upset at Iowa
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Rob Oller
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
20061108-Pc-C4-0600.jpg
Northwestern players celebrate after beating Iowa 21-7 on Saturday, one of the few high points in a long, difficult season.
The swelling is down, which is a nice way of saying the bumps on Northwestern?s noggin no longer resemble a mountain range.
It has been a long, hard season for the Wildcats, who coped with the death of their 52-year-old coach, Randy Walker, to a heart attack June 29, lost to Division I-AA New Hampshire on Sept. 9 and were on the "oh no" end of the largest comeback in Division I-A history Oct. 21.
Not much went right surrounding those three dates, either. Northwestern lost to Nevada by 10, Penn State by 26, Wisconsin by 32 and Purdue by 21 before welcoming in Michigan State for homecoming.
The Wildcats led 38-3 in the third quarter before volunteering to be on the giving end of organ donation. In the game?s final 25 minutes, Northwestern lost 41-38.
"It was painful to know that you were part of history on the wrong end," sophomore tailback Tyrell Sutton said.
The reward for blowing it? A date with Michigan.
There are moral victories and there are morel victories. The first includes the Wildcats? 17-3 loss to the No. 2 Wolverines two weeks ago, in which Northwestern got within a touchdown in the second half.
The second constitutes the type of win that mushrooms into something larger than any single success. It can positively affect a season, or even seasons to come.
When Northwestern went to Iowa on Saturday and spanked the Hawkeyes 21-7, it showed the Wildcats that what first-year coach Pat Fitzgerald had been telling them ? "improve every week" ? was more than a rallying cry. It was reality.
If the Wildcats show more improvement Saturday against No. 1 Ohio State, they believe anything can happen.
"We?ve talked a lot about playing our best football at the end of the season, and we did that every year under coach Walker," said Fitzgerald, who at 31 became the youngest coach in Division I-A when the school elevated him from assistant to head coach after Walker?s death.
"And now we have an opportunity to shake up everything in the country."
The Wildcats (3-7) know something about being shaken. First came Walker?s devastating death, then Northwestern opened the season at Miami University, Walker?s alma mater and where he had been coach.
Throw in six straight losses after a win over Eastern Michigan and this was a program traumatized to the core.
"It?s been a roller coaster ? but more importantly the last couple of weeks have been good," said Adam Kadela, a junior linebacker from Dublin who played at Coffman. "We improved. After (Michigan State), we could have let the season go in the tank and looked to next year, but instead we looked to get better each week. And it has showed."
The Wildcats finish the season against Illinois. They?d love to have four wins by then, but even a loss to Ohio State won?t kill a season that supposedly died after Michigan State.
"We won?t make a bowl game this year, but we can set a tone for next year and become an example for younger kids, so they know what it?s like to finish a season by playing hard," senior offensive lineman Ryan Keenan said. "Even with our record, no one is giving up."
Down ? at times very down ? but not out.
 
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I hate saying this, but it feels like anything but a blowout at NW will be a letdown. It's funny because tsun has been sliding by the last couple opponents, making themselves appear vulnerable. We have a single bad half, and questions are raised about our dominance. The media is definitely touting this match-up, and that only adds fuel to the fire.

I know a W is a W, but I'd like to see the bucks win by at least 3 touchdowns. That is, in both of their final two games.
:osu:
 
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Let troy pick up 200 yds and 2 tds in the first half with the RBs adding two more, open the half with a Ginn ret td, and then let Zwick throw for a couple more. Convincing win, and a chance for Zwick to shine.

That formula also works for both games :)
 
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BuckeyeGanoosh said:
I hate saying this, but it feels like anything but a blowout at NW will be a letdown. It's funny because tsun has been sliding by the last couple opponents, making themselves appear vulnerable. We have a single bad half, and questions are raised about our dominance. The media is definitely touting this match-up, and that only adds fuel to the fire.

I know a W is a W, but I'd like to see the bucks win by at least 3 touchdowns. That is, in both of their final two games.
:osu:
Click to expand...
I don't think this is the same NW team that lost to New Hampshire.
 
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