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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
Canton
OSU has Hawkeye bulls-eye
Saturday, September 30, 2006
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER[/FONT]
Coach Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes will host No. 1 Ohio State at Kinnick Stadium tonight. Iowa is 0-9-1 all-time against No. 1 teams. AP STEVE NESIUS
IOWA CITY, IOWA The last time there was a game this big in Iowa, Shoeless Joe walked out from a cornfield and Moonlight Graham saved a choking child.
You want a room here? Good luck. Every hotel from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City is full, even the bed-and-breakfast joints. Upward of 30,000 Ohio State fans ? most without tickets ? are expected to make the trip.
The last time 30,000 people drove to Iowa to watch a game without a ticket, they made a movie out of it.
Kinnick Stadium just may be the field of dreams for Iowa?s Hawkeyes tonight.
This is the last major hurdle until the Michigan game for No. 1 Ohio State. And Iowa, Midwestern charm and all, is ready to make a jump of its own tonight. The 13th-ranked Hawkeyes will host the nation?s No. 1 team for the first time since 1992.
Tickets for the sellout are going for well over $1,000 on eBay. ESPN?s College GameDay will be on campus. Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz isn?t sure if he should walk the sidelines or grab a pooper-scooper.
?These are the weeks you really enjoy,? he said. ?This is going to be, potentially, a six-ring circus, instead of a three-ring circus. We don?t get a lot of six-ring circuses.
?There?s a real buzz on campus right now, like you?d expect when the top team in the country comes to town.?
In Iowa, that usually means a Sunday morning hangover. The Hawkeyes, without a national title in 114 years of football, are 0-9-1 against No. 1 teams. The Hawkeye program, while respectable, isn?t fabled. They named the stadium after Nile Kinnick, the school?s only Heisman Trophy winner, back in 1939.
Ferentz is a little surprised this game is getting this kind of attention. He thought it might be for Big Ten positioning, not a national title.
? ... I was a little skeptical in the summer when everybody was picking Ohio State to be at the top of the heap in the country,? Ferentz said. ?Now after four games, you see why. They replaced nine starters on defense. It?s just amazing.?
The Hawkeyes will have a definite homefield advantage. The pink visitor?s locker room isn?t the only slice of atmosphere. Fans are close to the field. It is loud and rowdy, especially when they?ve had all afternoon to, um, plug in.
?We have to play our game and not get caught up in that stuff,? senior captain Quinn Pitcock said. ? ... Their fans are a lot closer to you. ... you try hard not to turn around and talk back to them. That gets them wired up.?
Last year was supposed to be Ferentz?s year. Iowa finished eighth in the final poll for the third straight year.
?We?re probably a better team than we were a year ago at this time, but we?re hardly a great team,? Ferentz said.
Perhaps Ohio State knows how Ferentz feels. OSU was losing at halftime ? at home ? to Penn State a week ago. A 28-6 win wasn?t quite as lopsided as it looked.
The offense has sputtered out of the locker room the last two weeks. Quarterback Troy Smith is coming off his worst performance of the season.
But Smith was pressured by Penn State more than any other team this year.
?A good indication to me is how clean his uniform is,? center Doug Datish said of Smith?s duress. ?If he?s all dirty, we have some problems and we need to help keep him clean.?
Maybe the ?big-game? hype is wearing on the Buckeyes. They had to go to No. 2 Texas in Week 2 and battle attention that game brought. Then Penn State was a statement game because the Nittany Lions ruined OSU?s season a year ago.
Now it?s prime time in country time.
?Having big games like this pretty much every week tests you physically and mentally,? Pitcock said. ?How can you prepare each week and get ready for a big game that drains you so much physically and emotionally? We love these challenges.?
Iowa is trying to become one of the country?s elite. It also wouldn?t mind avenging last year?s 31-6 loss in Columbus. The Buckeyes point to a 2-year-old thumping in Iowa. It was the worst loss in Coach Jim Tressel?s six seasons.
?Last time we were there, we got our butts kicked,? senior offensive lineman T.J. Downing said. ?We need to go there and get some payback.? Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]
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I think We definitley have the horses to win this one. Iowa better have 3 very good db's now that Robo has arrived
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Link
Topple or triumph? Iowa's Tate gets last shot at Buckeyes
By JON SPENCER
For The Advocate
COLUMBUS -- Tonight marks Brian Robiskie's first game inside Kinnick Stadium, home of the Iowa Hawkeyes and the infamous pink locker room, but the Ohio State receiver doesn't understand all the fuss.
"In high school, when we went on the road, we had to dress in the girls locker room," he said, "and some of those were pink."
Supposedly, former Iowa coach Hayden Fry chose pastel paint for the opponent's dressing quarters to imbue visitors with a feeling of passivity. Instead, it brought out mostly hostility in the Buckeyes.
Ohio State owned Kinnick from 1986 to 2000, going 6-0-1 in Iowa City while averaging 36 points in those six wins.There was no reason to believe 2004 would be any different. The day began with defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock wearing a matching pink shirt and tie to the stadium, his way of thumbing his nose at Iowa's gamesmanship. The day ended with Ohio State all black and blue, on the wrong end of a 33-7 knockout.
The Buckeyes avenged that loss in easy fashion last year, but painful memories of '04 linger as they try to preserve their No. 1 ranking in the nationally-televised showdown of 4-0 programs.
"We took (the blowout) personally," tailback Antonio Pittman said. "We weren't a bad team; we were all right that year. For us to get beat like that, it's something we won't tolerate.
"We didn't move the ball; we didn't score until the fourth quarter. Up front and as running backs, we didn't do well enough on protection because our quarterback (Justin Zwick) got hurt. Stuff like that can't happen."
The silver lining that day was the mop-up performance of Zwick's replacement, Troy Smith. He took over the controls the following week and has since led the Buckeyes to a 17-2 record as a starter.
The question tonight is whether Smith, a Big Ten MVP in the making, can outplay counterpart Drew Tate, the league's offensive MVP two years ago.
Will we see the Drew Tate who threw for 331 yards and accounted for four touchdowns against the Buckeyes in '04, or the Drew Tate who couldn't find the end zone last year and spiked the ball in frustration after the last of OSU's five sacks?
"I'm older now and more mature," Tate said.
His supporting cast, however, is suspect. A patchwork offensive line has had trouble opening holes for Albert Young, a 1,000-yard back last season. And the 13th-ranked Hawkeyes haven't mustered much of a downfield attack. Their leading receivers are Young and tight end Scott Chandler.
But as long as they have Tate, they have a chance. In 14 career starts at home he has completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,405 yards and 32 touchdowns. He has thrown for two or more scores in 12 of those 14 games, including three or more in both home games this season.
"I think he's a dangerous player, somebody you always have to keep an eye on because he can scramble and keep a play alive," OSU cornerback Antonio Smith said. "He can throw the ball extremely well ... he's just a great player."
Topple or triumph? Iowa's Tate gets last shot at Buckeyes
By JON SPENCER
For The Advocate
COLUMBUS -- Tonight marks Brian Robiskie's first game inside Kinnick Stadium, home of the Iowa Hawkeyes and the infamous pink locker room, but the Ohio State receiver doesn't understand all the fuss.
"In high school, when we went on the road, we had to dress in the girls locker room," he said, "and some of those were pink."
Supposedly, former Iowa coach Hayden Fry chose pastel paint for the opponent's dressing quarters to imbue visitors with a feeling of passivity. Instead, it brought out mostly hostility in the Buckeyes.
Ohio State owned Kinnick from 1986 to 2000, going 6-0-1 in Iowa City while averaging 36 points in those six wins.There was no reason to believe 2004 would be any different. The day began with defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock wearing a matching pink shirt and tie to the stadium, his way of thumbing his nose at Iowa's gamesmanship. The day ended with Ohio State all black and blue, on the wrong end of a 33-7 knockout.
The Buckeyes avenged that loss in easy fashion last year, but painful memories of '04 linger as they try to preserve their No. 1 ranking in the nationally-televised showdown of 4-0 programs.
"We took (the blowout) personally," tailback Antonio Pittman said. "We weren't a bad team; we were all right that year. For us to get beat like that, it's something we won't tolerate.
"We didn't move the ball; we didn't score until the fourth quarter. Up front and as running backs, we didn't do well enough on protection because our quarterback (Justin Zwick) got hurt. Stuff like that can't happen."
The silver lining that day was the mop-up performance of Zwick's replacement, Troy Smith. He took over the controls the following week and has since led the Buckeyes to a 17-2 record as a starter.
The question tonight is whether Smith, a Big Ten MVP in the making, can outplay counterpart Drew Tate, the league's offensive MVP two years ago.
Will we see the Drew Tate who threw for 331 yards and accounted for four touchdowns against the Buckeyes in '04, or the Drew Tate who couldn't find the end zone last year and spiked the ball in frustration after the last of OSU's five sacks?
"I'm older now and more mature," Tate said.
His supporting cast, however, is suspect. A patchwork offensive line has had trouble opening holes for Albert Young, a 1,000-yard back last season. And the 13th-ranked Hawkeyes haven't mustered much of a downfield attack. Their leading receivers are Young and tight end Scott Chandler.
But as long as they have Tate, they have a chance. In 14 career starts at home he has completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,405 yards and 32 touchdowns. He has thrown for two or more scores in 12 of those 14 games, including three or more in both home games this season.
"I think he's a dangerous player, somebody you always have to keep an eye on because he can scramble and keep a play alive," OSU cornerback Antonio Smith said. "He can throw the ball extremely well ... he's just a great player."
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Chicago Trib
INSTANT MESSAGE
INSTANT MESSAGE
Stealth mission
Under-the-radar Iowa has No. 1 Ohio State in its sights
Tribune college football reporter Teddy Greenstein has an interesting view on the outcome of the Ohio State-Iowa
By Teddy Greenstein
Tribune college football reporter
Published September 30, 2006
Under coach Kirk Ferentz, Iowa football has been the Little Program that Could.
Despite having to recruit in a state known for producing corn rather than quarterbacks, Iowa has put together a glittering resume. Since 2002, the Hawkeyes have appeared in four January bowl games, won two Big ten titles and produced a .778 winning percentage.
And yet it's only normal to want more. And to ask this question: Is Iowa football good or great? Is it among the excellent--or the elite?
The Hawkeyes never have won a national championship, never have beaten a No. 1 team. Casual fans know about the pink visitors' locker room, but do they know that since 2002, Iowa is 26-7 in the Big Ten? That's exactly on par with Ohio State and Michigan.
Iowa can take the mighty leap Saturday night when top-ranked Ohio State comes to town. Ferentz expects to see a "six-ring circus" break out at Kinnick Stadium, the toughest venue in the Big Ten because of its manic crowds and narrow sidelines. The effect is deafening.
And the result? Ohio State turnovers. And an Iowa victory, 16-14.
INSTANT MESSAGE
INSTANT MESSAGE
Stealth mission
Under-the-radar Iowa has No. 1 Ohio State in its sights
Tribune college football reporter Teddy Greenstein has an interesting view on the outcome of the Ohio State-Iowa
By Teddy Greenstein
Tribune college football reporter
Published September 30, 2006
Under coach Kirk Ferentz, Iowa football has been the Little Program that Could.
Despite having to recruit in a state known for producing corn rather than quarterbacks, Iowa has put together a glittering resume. Since 2002, the Hawkeyes have appeared in four January bowl games, won two Big ten titles and produced a .778 winning percentage.
And yet it's only normal to want more. And to ask this question: Is Iowa football good or great? Is it among the excellent--or the elite?
The Hawkeyes never have won a national championship, never have beaten a No. 1 team. Casual fans know about the pink visitors' locker room, but do they know that since 2002, Iowa is 26-7 in the Big Ten? That's exactly on par with Ohio State and Michigan.
Iowa can take the mighty leap Saturday night when top-ranked Ohio State comes to town. Ferentz expects to see a "six-ring circus" break out at Kinnick Stadium, the toughest venue in the Big Ten because of its manic crowds and narrow sidelines. The effect is deafening.
And the result? Ohio State turnovers. And an Iowa victory, 16-14.
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Cincy
Turnovers have fueled retooled Buckeyes 'D'
BY RUSTY MILLER | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS - As the final countdown began to Ohio State's season opener, almost every publication, talk-show host and Web site poster had the same opinion: great offense, questionable defense.
Four games later, with OSU's showdown with No. 13 Iowa coming up tonight, it seems all of those defensive questions have been answered by the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Their defense, despite nine new starters, is allowing an average of just eight points a game, seventh-best in the nation.
"I had really high expectations for this defense coming in this year," tackle David Patterson said. "... I knew we had the talent."
During preseason workouts in August, tailback Antonio Pittman was worried about the Buckeyes' offense because it was having so much difficulty moving the ball. Turns out, it had a lot more to do with solid play by the defense than it did with the guys in his huddle.
"We really couldn't move the ball on the defense in camp, honestly speaking," Pittman said. "I knew they were going to be ready from that point on."
Most of the numbers don't tell the whole story. The Buckeyes rank just 32nd among the 119 Division I-A programs against the pass (allowing an average of 167 yards per game), are tied for 53rd against the run (115 ypg) and are 37th in total defense (383 ypg).
One key area where the Buckeyes have been a surprise is in producing turnovers. They've picked off eight passes - tied for second in the country, one fewer than Western Michigan - and also have recovered one fumble.
Last season's Ohio State defense, considered one of the best in the country, had only seven interceptions in the regular season.
"We're doing a better job of getting turnovers this year," Patterson said. "The D-line is getting some pressure and the linebackers are playing great coverage and the DBs are stingy and selfish. They have the mentality back there that if the ball's in the air it's ours and they need to go get it."
Malcolm Jenkins, one of the new starters at cornerback, said he knew there wouldn't be a falloff when all the starting linebackers and secondary players were gone after last season.
"We're playing really, really well and I'm proud of how the whole defense is playing," he said. "We're not surprised because of how hard we worked in the offseason and preseason camp. It's starting to pay off."
Quarterback Troy Smith, who faces the starting defense almost every day in practice, was confident the Buckeyes wouldn't skip a beat on the other side of the ball. He even thinks that it is the defense, and not the vaunted and volatile offense, that is the backbone of the team.
"The defense is going to (prop) us up for the rest of the season," he said.
Turnovers have fueled retooled Buckeyes 'D'
BY RUSTY MILLER | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS - As the final countdown began to Ohio State's season opener, almost every publication, talk-show host and Web site poster had the same opinion: great offense, questionable defense.
Four games later, with OSU's showdown with No. 13 Iowa coming up tonight, it seems all of those defensive questions have been answered by the top-ranked Buckeyes.
Their defense, despite nine new starters, is allowing an average of just eight points a game, seventh-best in the nation.
"I had really high expectations for this defense coming in this year," tackle David Patterson said. "... I knew we had the talent."
During preseason workouts in August, tailback Antonio Pittman was worried about the Buckeyes' offense because it was having so much difficulty moving the ball. Turns out, it had a lot more to do with solid play by the defense than it did with the guys in his huddle.
"We really couldn't move the ball on the defense in camp, honestly speaking," Pittman said. "I knew they were going to be ready from that point on."
Most of the numbers don't tell the whole story. The Buckeyes rank just 32nd among the 119 Division I-A programs against the pass (allowing an average of 167 yards per game), are tied for 53rd against the run (115 ypg) and are 37th in total defense (383 ypg).
One key area where the Buckeyes have been a surprise is in producing turnovers. They've picked off eight passes - tied for second in the country, one fewer than Western Michigan - and also have recovered one fumble.
Last season's Ohio State defense, considered one of the best in the country, had only seven interceptions in the regular season.
"We're doing a better job of getting turnovers this year," Patterson said. "The D-line is getting some pressure and the linebackers are playing great coverage and the DBs are stingy and selfish. They have the mentality back there that if the ball's in the air it's ours and they need to go get it."
Malcolm Jenkins, one of the new starters at cornerback, said he knew there wouldn't be a falloff when all the starting linebackers and secondary players were gone after last season.
"We're playing really, really well and I'm proud of how the whole defense is playing," he said. "We're not surprised because of how hard we worked in the offseason and preseason camp. It's starting to pay off."
Quarterback Troy Smith, who faces the starting defense almost every day in practice, was confident the Buckeyes wouldn't skip a beat on the other side of the ball. He even thinks that it is the defense, and not the vaunted and volatile offense, that is the backbone of the team.
"The defense is going to (prop) us up for the rest of the season," he said.
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