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DDN
Penn State linebackers back on top
Posluszny returns from injury to lead team that defeated OSU last year.
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
COLUMBUS ? Penn State team doctors have pleaded with linebacker Paul Posluszny to wear a knee brace after being seriously injured in the Orange Bowl last season. And they even came up with a lightweight model last week that they thought would be to his liking.
But he'd rather play without the contraption altogether. And he probably wishes facemasks and shoulder pads were optional, too.
"The doctors would like me to wear it," he said, "but I'd rather throw it away."
Penn State lost seven starters, including its entire secondary, from a defense that terrorized the Big Ten last year. But Posluszny, who edged Ohio State's A.J. Hawk for the Butkus Award, is back ? along with the rest of a linebacker corps that was ranked as the best in the nation by The Sporting News before the season.
The Nittany Lions' defense throttled the Buckeyes in a 17-10 win a year ago. And when OSU coach Jim Tressel sifts through film while preparing for the rematch Saturday, he doesn't see much change in the unit.
"One thing about Penn State, all the way back from the beginning of time, is they're going to have eight up in the box (near the line of scrimmage) if you're in the standard formation. And they're going to get a ninth guy up there once they see where the ball's going," Tressel said.
"I don't think anyone will line up and just run the football and be successful against Penn State ? us included."
Penn State linebackers back on top
Posluszny returns from injury to lead team that defeated OSU last year.
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
COLUMBUS ? Penn State team doctors have pleaded with linebacker Paul Posluszny to wear a knee brace after being seriously injured in the Orange Bowl last season. And they even came up with a lightweight model last week that they thought would be to his liking.
But he'd rather play without the contraption altogether. And he probably wishes facemasks and shoulder pads were optional, too.
"The doctors would like me to wear it," he said, "but I'd rather throw it away."
Penn State lost seven starters, including its entire secondary, from a defense that terrorized the Big Ten last year. But Posluszny, who edged Ohio State's A.J. Hawk for the Butkus Award, is back ? along with the rest of a linebacker corps that was ranked as the best in the nation by The Sporting News before the season.
The Nittany Lions' defense throttled the Buckeyes in a 17-10 win a year ago. And when OSU coach Jim Tressel sifts through film while preparing for the rematch Saturday, he doesn't see much change in the unit.
"One thing about Penn State, all the way back from the beginning of time, is they're going to have eight up in the box (near the line of scrimmage) if you're in the standard formation. And they're going to get a ninth guy up there once they see where the ball's going," Tressel said.
"I don't think anyone will line up and just run the football and be successful against Penn State ? us included."
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DDN
Backup linemen get reps
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
COLUMBUS ? Ohio State has allowed its second-string offensive line to see action at meaningful times, and senior quarterback Troy Smith is supportive of the maneuver.
The backups appeared as a unit against Texas and led the Buckeyes to their opening touchdown.
They also played a series in the first quarter against Cincinnati.
"They need to be in there and feel the crowd and feel the game-type atmosphere," Smith said, "so when they get in there (later), it's not such a shock."
Tight end Jake Ballard, a true freshman from Springboro, is part of the relief corps. But he had a rocky showing against the Bearcats, getting penalized for a false start.
"We got in the huddle, and I'm looking at Jake Ballard's eyes, and I could tell it wasn't a feeling he was used to," Smith said. "And I was the same way. Calling my first play, I was in a shambles. I was shaking. I was nervous.
"I asked him (Tuesday) if he was nervous, and he was like, 'Yeah.' I told him it's all right to be nervous ? that's pretty normal ? but we can't have that (penalty) again."
Gentry ceremony set
When Ohio State walk-on receiver Tyson Gentry was partially paralyzed after a hit in spring practice, one of the first calls to his hospital room came from Adam Taliaferro.
Taliaferro, a former Penn State player, injured his spinal cord during a game at OSU in 2000.
Taliaferro has learned to walk again, and he'll meet the wheelchair-bound Gentry during a halftime ceremony Saturday.
"The reason they're getting together (is) for Tyson Gentry to have that opportunity to learn from Adam," coach Jim Tressel said, "and the other thing is to raise the awareness of spinal cord injury research."
Boeckman out
Third-string quarterback Todd Boeckman injured his ankle during mop-up duty against UC and won't be available this week.
"It didn't even happen really in the course of a play," Tressel said. "But he was falling, and the play kind of ended, and someone fell on him."
Visor protects Smith
Troy Smith wears a Nike logo and swoosh above his facemask, but it's not because of a personal endorsement deal.
His helmet is equipped with a clear visor produced by the company, and NCAA rules allow athletes to display logos as long as they're the manufacturer's normal trademark and are placed in their traditional spots.
"I wear it because I got poked in my eye," Smith said. "That stops guys from coming through your facemask."
Tressel pulls for Clarett
Tressel stopped short of calling the Maurice Clarett saga a tragedy, but the sixth-year coach does mourn Clarett's colossal waste of talent.
"He had abilities athletically, and those didn't get fully realized," he said, "but the good news is that maybe he'll take this time and really become the best (citizen) he can possibly be."
Backup linemen get reps
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
COLUMBUS ? Ohio State has allowed its second-string offensive line to see action at meaningful times, and senior quarterback Troy Smith is supportive of the maneuver.
The backups appeared as a unit against Texas and led the Buckeyes to their opening touchdown.
They also played a series in the first quarter against Cincinnati.
"They need to be in there and feel the crowd and feel the game-type atmosphere," Smith said, "so when they get in there (later), it's not such a shock."
Tight end Jake Ballard, a true freshman from Springboro, is part of the relief corps. But he had a rocky showing against the Bearcats, getting penalized for a false start.
"We got in the huddle, and I'm looking at Jake Ballard's eyes, and I could tell it wasn't a feeling he was used to," Smith said. "And I was the same way. Calling my first play, I was in a shambles. I was shaking. I was nervous.
"I asked him (Tuesday) if he was nervous, and he was like, 'Yeah.' I told him it's all right to be nervous ? that's pretty normal ? but we can't have that (penalty) again."
Gentry ceremony set
When Ohio State walk-on receiver Tyson Gentry was partially paralyzed after a hit in spring practice, one of the first calls to his hospital room came from Adam Taliaferro.
Taliaferro, a former Penn State player, injured his spinal cord during a game at OSU in 2000.
Taliaferro has learned to walk again, and he'll meet the wheelchair-bound Gentry during a halftime ceremony Saturday.
"The reason they're getting together (is) for Tyson Gentry to have that opportunity to learn from Adam," coach Jim Tressel said, "and the other thing is to raise the awareness of spinal cord injury research."
Boeckman out
Third-string quarterback Todd Boeckman injured his ankle during mop-up duty against UC and won't be available this week.
"It didn't even happen really in the course of a play," Tressel said. "But he was falling, and the play kind of ended, and someone fell on him."
Visor protects Smith
Troy Smith wears a Nike logo and swoosh above his facemask, but it's not because of a personal endorsement deal.
His helmet is equipped with a clear visor produced by the company, and NCAA rules allow athletes to display logos as long as they're the manufacturer's normal trademark and are placed in their traditional spots.
"I wear it because I got poked in my eye," Smith said. "That stops guys from coming through your facemask."
Tressel pulls for Clarett
Tressel stopped short of calling the Maurice Clarett saga a tragedy, but the sixth-year coach does mourn Clarett's colossal waste of talent.
"He had abilities athletically, and those didn't get fully realized," he said, "but the good news is that maybe he'll take this time and really become the best (citizen) he can possibly be."
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DDN
Penn State limited OSU offense in '05
Scoring woes were the main reason the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes.
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
COLUMBUS ? Ohio State's offensive futility against Penn State last year is still a sore subject for Jim Bollman.
The team's offensive coordinator came under fire after the Buckeyes held the Nittany Lions to just 195 total yards but managed just 220 themselves in a stinging, 17-10 defeat.
They limped home with a 3-2 record, their national title hopes reduced to rubble.
When asked what steps he might take to make sure the team avoids a repeat of that anemic effort, Bollman barked: "Make sure we don't get a repeat of that? We're going to practice and get ready to play. Penn State's a great football team, a great football program. It's the first Big Ten game. If we win by one, we win by one. If it's 3-0, it's 3-0. We'll do whatever we can to win the game."
The Buckeyes certainly have been purring on offense this season, averaging 32 points and 426.7 yards. And while they've already avenged one defeat from last year by beating Texas, they get a shot this week at the other 2005 foe that caused them grief.
"I know how we felt last year, so I know we'll be ready," sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Pettrey player of week
OSU redshirt freshman kicker Aaron Pettrey was named Big Ten special teams player of the week after nailing field goals of 43 and 47 yards in his only attempts against UC.
Two players from the same Ohio high school were named the conference offensive and defensive players of the week.
Michigan sophomore receiver Mario Manningham and senior linebacker Prescott Burgess ? who played for Warren Harding ? earned nods after a win against Notre Dame. Manningham had three touchdown grabs, and Burgess returned an interception for a score and later picked off another pass.
Linebackers improving
The Buckeyes allowed just 31 rushing yards on 12 attempts by Cincinnati running backs Saturday. And after sacks were figured in, the Bearcats' net rushing total was minus-4 yards.
But OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock bristled when someone suggested that his linebacker trio was beginning to resemble last year's destructive bunch.
"Naw," Heacock said. "These guys are going to be great linebackers. One thing neat about these guys is they're really anxious to learn. They know we have a long season in front of us.
"Each game, they're getting a little better. They're getting more experience and confidence. They have a little pride and camaraderie. I think they're making progress. Maybe at the end of the year, we'll see about comparing them."
Penn State limited OSU offense in '05
Scoring woes were the main reason the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes.
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
COLUMBUS ? Ohio State's offensive futility against Penn State last year is still a sore subject for Jim Bollman.
The team's offensive coordinator came under fire after the Buckeyes held the Nittany Lions to just 195 total yards but managed just 220 themselves in a stinging, 17-10 defeat.
They limped home with a 3-2 record, their national title hopes reduced to rubble.
When asked what steps he might take to make sure the team avoids a repeat of that anemic effort, Bollman barked: "Make sure we don't get a repeat of that? We're going to practice and get ready to play. Penn State's a great football team, a great football program. It's the first Big Ten game. If we win by one, we win by one. If it's 3-0, it's 3-0. We'll do whatever we can to win the game."
The Buckeyes certainly have been purring on offense this season, averaging 32 points and 426.7 yards. And while they've already avenged one defeat from last year by beating Texas, they get a shot this week at the other 2005 foe that caused them grief.
"I know how we felt last year, so I know we'll be ready," sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Pettrey player of week
OSU redshirt freshman kicker Aaron Pettrey was named Big Ten special teams player of the week after nailing field goals of 43 and 47 yards in his only attempts against UC.
Two players from the same Ohio high school were named the conference offensive and defensive players of the week.
Michigan sophomore receiver Mario Manningham and senior linebacker Prescott Burgess ? who played for Warren Harding ? earned nods after a win against Notre Dame. Manningham had three touchdown grabs, and Burgess returned an interception for a score and later picked off another pass.
Linebackers improving
The Buckeyes allowed just 31 rushing yards on 12 attempts by Cincinnati running backs Saturday. And after sacks were figured in, the Bearcats' net rushing total was minus-4 yards.
But OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock bristled when someone suggested that his linebacker trio was beginning to resemble last year's destructive bunch.
"Naw," Heacock said. "These guys are going to be great linebackers. One thing neat about these guys is they're really anxious to learn. They know we have a long season in front of us.
"Each game, they're getting a little better. They're getting more experience and confidence. They have a little pride and camaraderie. I think they're making progress. Maybe at the end of the year, we'll see about comparing them."
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ABJ
Young defense to be key for OSU
Penn State offers first test of Big Ten season
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter
COLUMBUS - Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said a defense might not discover its identity until the season ends.
Defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said even then, it might be more of an observation by the media than a conclusion of the coaching staff.
But when senior defensive end Jay Richardson looks at a unit that replaced nine starters, he thinks he already sees a trend.
``So far our identity seems to be we're a swarming defense that causes turnovers,'' Richardson said. ``With as much youth as we have, that's a great identity to have. We have a bunch of young guys who want to make plays and are running around and because of that it's causing turnovers.
``Takeaways make up for some mistakes.''
The No. 1-ranked Buckeyes will have six seniors, four sophomores and a redshirt freshman in the defensive lineup when they open Big Ten play Saturday at home against Penn State. They will need that M.O. to hold up if they hope to capture the league title, which they shared a year ago with the Nittany Lions.
After facing Northern Illinois, Texas and Cincinnati, what has been most striking about OSU's defense is its six takeaways, halfway to last year's total of 12. The Buckeyes' five interceptions, including two by sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis, are just one off last year's total.
Their plus-4 turnover margin (1.33 average, six gained, two lost) is tied for 12th in the nation, a drastic leap. Last year, OSU finished 104th out of 117 teams in turnover margin (minus-9, minus-.75 average) and was one of three teams in the bottom 20 with a winning record (joined by Texas-El Paso and Louisiana State). Texas Christian led the country in takeaways with 40.
``That's one stat we looked at from last year,'' senior defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock said.
``The more turnovers we could have the more games we could win because it would give our offense opportunity to score more points.''
Senior defensive tackle David Patterson said the coaches ``have put a big emphasis on turnovers, stripping guys or making defensive backs and linebackers know the ball is just as much ours as it is theirs when it's up in the air.''
That emphasis in practice does not seem unusual. What does is the fact that Tressel and Heacock did not change the unit's style after six of its starters were selected in the NFL Draft.
``We're going to be an aggressive, high-pressure defense,'' Tressel said. ``We're not going to sit back and hope we can stop you. We're going to attack you. Sometimes if you happen to hit the wrong place you might see a play go out, but that's not going to slow our aggression.
``Football is a game of pressure, who's putting it on whom.''
Heacock said such a mind-set came up when his seniors talked this summer.
``They wanted to be a relentless, attacking, aggressive, playmaking group,'' Heacock said. ``It's common sense when you lose nine starters, the talk (about) the defense is not going to be real great. They have an interest in proving themselves and showing their worth.''
While its overall defense (293.67 yards per game) ranks 43rd in NCAA Division I-A, OSU's scoring defense (8.7 points per game) stands 10th. But Heacock knows the seniors' goal will be tested in the next month against Penn State, Iowa and Michigan State.
``I think we've improved,'' Heacock said. ``The tackling and the pursuit's gotten better. We're playing with a little more confidence. Hopefully we've established an esprit de corps on defense and come together a little as a team. But there's not a guy in our room who doesn't know we've got a big stretch ahead of us. We've got some good offenses.''
Special bond
Former Penn State cornerback Adam Taliaferro and OSU receiver Tyson Gentry will be honored at halftime Saturday, six years to the day after Taliaferro fractured a vertebra in a game at the Horseshoe. Gentry suffered the same injury in an April scrimmage in Ohio Stadium and is confined to a wheelchair. Now walking, Taliaferro is in his second year of law school at Rutgers. The two have spoken numerous times since Gentry was hurt but have never met.
Tressel on Clarett
Tressel on former tailback Maurice Clarett's plea bargain Monday that will keep him in jail for at least 3 ? years: ``It sounded like it was a decision that he made. I like to think he'll have a plan for his growth while he's taking care of those consequences. My feelings don't change any for him. My prayer is that he takes that time and creates a plan for his life and he'll have a wonderful life.''
Buckeyes
Junior flanker Ted Ginn Jr. won the Jack Tatum hit of the week award for his block on Antonio Pittman's 48-yard touchdown run.... Sophomore Steve Rehring has taken over the starting left guard spot from Tim Schafer.... Tressel said senior split end Roy Hall is 95 percent recovered from his ankle injury after being 85 percent last week. Hall played 10 snaps against Cincinnati.... The only Buckeye not available for Penn State is sophomore quarterback Todd Boeckman (ankle).
Young defense to be key for OSU
Penn State offers first test of Big Ten season
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter
COLUMBUS - Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said a defense might not discover its identity until the season ends.
Defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said even then, it might be more of an observation by the media than a conclusion of the coaching staff.
But when senior defensive end Jay Richardson looks at a unit that replaced nine starters, he thinks he already sees a trend.
``So far our identity seems to be we're a swarming defense that causes turnovers,'' Richardson said. ``With as much youth as we have, that's a great identity to have. We have a bunch of young guys who want to make plays and are running around and because of that it's causing turnovers.
``Takeaways make up for some mistakes.''
The No. 1-ranked Buckeyes will have six seniors, four sophomores and a redshirt freshman in the defensive lineup when they open Big Ten play Saturday at home against Penn State. They will need that M.O. to hold up if they hope to capture the league title, which they shared a year ago with the Nittany Lions.
After facing Northern Illinois, Texas and Cincinnati, what has been most striking about OSU's defense is its six takeaways, halfway to last year's total of 12. The Buckeyes' five interceptions, including two by sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis, are just one off last year's total.
Their plus-4 turnover margin (1.33 average, six gained, two lost) is tied for 12th in the nation, a drastic leap. Last year, OSU finished 104th out of 117 teams in turnover margin (minus-9, minus-.75 average) and was one of three teams in the bottom 20 with a winning record (joined by Texas-El Paso and Louisiana State). Texas Christian led the country in takeaways with 40.
``That's one stat we looked at from last year,'' senior defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock said.
``The more turnovers we could have the more games we could win because it would give our offense opportunity to score more points.''
Senior defensive tackle David Patterson said the coaches ``have put a big emphasis on turnovers, stripping guys or making defensive backs and linebackers know the ball is just as much ours as it is theirs when it's up in the air.''
That emphasis in practice does not seem unusual. What does is the fact that Tressel and Heacock did not change the unit's style after six of its starters were selected in the NFL Draft.
``We're going to be an aggressive, high-pressure defense,'' Tressel said. ``We're not going to sit back and hope we can stop you. We're going to attack you. Sometimes if you happen to hit the wrong place you might see a play go out, but that's not going to slow our aggression.
``Football is a game of pressure, who's putting it on whom.''
Heacock said such a mind-set came up when his seniors talked this summer.
``They wanted to be a relentless, attacking, aggressive, playmaking group,'' Heacock said. ``It's common sense when you lose nine starters, the talk (about) the defense is not going to be real great. They have an interest in proving themselves and showing their worth.''
While its overall defense (293.67 yards per game) ranks 43rd in NCAA Division I-A, OSU's scoring defense (8.7 points per game) stands 10th. But Heacock knows the seniors' goal will be tested in the next month against Penn State, Iowa and Michigan State.
``I think we've improved,'' Heacock said. ``The tackling and the pursuit's gotten better. We're playing with a little more confidence. Hopefully we've established an esprit de corps on defense and come together a little as a team. But there's not a guy in our room who doesn't know we've got a big stretch ahead of us. We've got some good offenses.''
Special bond
Former Penn State cornerback Adam Taliaferro and OSU receiver Tyson Gentry will be honored at halftime Saturday, six years to the day after Taliaferro fractured a vertebra in a game at the Horseshoe. Gentry suffered the same injury in an April scrimmage in Ohio Stadium and is confined to a wheelchair. Now walking, Taliaferro is in his second year of law school at Rutgers. The two have spoken numerous times since Gentry was hurt but have never met.
Tressel on Clarett
Tressel on former tailback Maurice Clarett's plea bargain Monday that will keep him in jail for at least 3 ? years: ``It sounded like it was a decision that he made. I like to think he'll have a plan for his growth while he's taking care of those consequences. My feelings don't change any for him. My prayer is that he takes that time and creates a plan for his life and he'll have a wonderful life.''
Buckeyes
Junior flanker Ted Ginn Jr. won the Jack Tatum hit of the week award for his block on Antonio Pittman's 48-yard touchdown run.... Sophomore Steve Rehring has taken over the starting left guard spot from Tim Schafer.... Tressel said senior split end Roy Hall is 95 percent recovered from his ankle injury after being 85 percent last week. Hall played 10 snaps against Cincinnati.... The only Buckeye not available for Penn State is sophomore quarterback Todd Boeckman (ankle).
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CPD
[FONT=arial,sans-serif]Downing wants fans to crank it up
6:38 p.m.
COLUMBUS - Buckeye offensive lineman T.J. Downing wants Ohio Stadium on Saturday to feel like Beaver Stadium a year ago.
So he?s asking Ohio State fans to support a plan to wear scarlet (not that they don?t do that anyway) to match Penn State?s ?White Out? from a year ago, when the PSU crowd helped knock the Buckeyes off stride in a 17-10 Nittany Lion win.
So he wants it loud.
?It affected us last year. It got in our heads, and we didn?t play the game we usually do,? Downing said. ?I would like to issue a personal challenge to our fans to repay them. Pay them back for what they did to us. Their fans single-handedly took us out of the game, and maybe our fans can do the same thing. They need to be loud, louder than they?ve ever been before.
?Distract them. Whatever you wear - pink, purple, red, whatever - distract them.?
- Doug Lesmerises, [email protected][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif]Downing wants fans to crank it up
6:38 p.m.
COLUMBUS - Buckeye offensive lineman T.J. Downing wants Ohio Stadium on Saturday to feel like Beaver Stadium a year ago.
So he?s asking Ohio State fans to support a plan to wear scarlet (not that they don?t do that anyway) to match Penn State?s ?White Out? from a year ago, when the PSU crowd helped knock the Buckeyes off stride in a 17-10 Nittany Lion win.
So he wants it loud.
?It affected us last year. It got in our heads, and we didn?t play the game we usually do,? Downing said. ?I would like to issue a personal challenge to our fans to repay them. Pay them back for what they did to us. Their fans single-handedly took us out of the game, and maybe our fans can do the same thing. They need to be loud, louder than they?ve ever been before.
?Distract them. Whatever you wear - pink, purple, red, whatever - distract them.?
- Doug Lesmerises, [email protected][/FONT]
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CPD
[FONT=arial,sans-serif]
[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif]Saturday's spotlight on injured Gentry
3:14 p.m.
COLUMBUS - Injured Buckeye Tyson Gentry will be introduced to the crowd during halftime of Saturday?s game with Penn State. He will be joined by former Penn State player Adam Taliaferro, who has been down Gentry?s road.
Gentry remains in a wheelchair after fracturing a vertebra during a spring scrimmage. Taliaferro suffered a similar injury playing at Ohio Stadium in 2000 and was walking four months later.
The two players have spoken several times on the phone but have yet to meet.
?The reason they?re getting together, I think it?s going to be wonderful for Tyson Gentry to have that opportunity to learn from Adam,? Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said at his weekly luncheon today, ?and the other thing is to raise the awareness of spinal cord injury research.?
CLARETT CHANGE?: Tressel said that his feelings for Maurice Clarett have not changed, even after the former Buckeye star was sentenced to at least 3 1/2 years in prison following a guilty plea on Monday.
?Knowing Maurice like I do, I like to think that he?ll have a plan for his growth while he?s taking care of those consequences,? Tressel said. ?Like any situation that arises, if you?ll take it and use it to grow, it?s amazing what it can do for you. So my prayer is that he takes that time and creates a plan for his life and that he?ll have a wonderful life.
?From an athletic standpoint, he didn?t reach his potential. But the good news is that maybe he?ll take this time and really become the best he can possibly be.?
REHRING IN: Sophomore offensive lineman Steve Rehring was elevated to the top of the depth chart at left guard, past senior Tim Schafer, though both are still expected to play Saturday. They had been splitting time, though Schafer was the starter.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Rehring moved up after being named Ohio State?s offensive lineman of the week for his play against Cincinnati. Running back Antonio Pittman was the offensive player of the week; defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock was the defensive player; and kicker Aaron Pettrey was honored on special teams.
Linebacker James Laurinaitis was the attack force player of the week; and receiver Ted Ginn Jr. won the hit of the week for his finishing block on Pittman?s touchdown run.
?Teddy?s probably more proud of that than any play since he?s been at Ohio State,? Tressel said.
The scout team players of the week were Akron junior walk-on De?Angelo Haslam on special teams, freshman lineman Andrew Moses on offense and freshman defensive back Chimdi Chekwa on defense.
INJURIES: Third-string quarterback Todd Boeckman is expected to miss the Penn State game after hurting his ankle late in Saturday?s game. Tressel said receiver Roy Hall was at about 85 percent with his ankle injury last week and should play at about 95 percent this week. [/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif]Saturday's spotlight on injured Gentry
3:14 p.m.
COLUMBUS - Injured Buckeye Tyson Gentry will be introduced to the crowd during halftime of Saturday?s game with Penn State. He will be joined by former Penn State player Adam Taliaferro, who has been down Gentry?s road.
Gentry remains in a wheelchair after fracturing a vertebra during a spring scrimmage. Taliaferro suffered a similar injury playing at Ohio Stadium in 2000 and was walking four months later.
The two players have spoken several times on the phone but have yet to meet.
?The reason they?re getting together, I think it?s going to be wonderful for Tyson Gentry to have that opportunity to learn from Adam,? Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said at his weekly luncheon today, ?and the other thing is to raise the awareness of spinal cord injury research.?
CLARETT CHANGE?: Tressel said that his feelings for Maurice Clarett have not changed, even after the former Buckeye star was sentenced to at least 3 1/2 years in prison following a guilty plea on Monday.
?Knowing Maurice like I do, I like to think that he?ll have a plan for his growth while he?s taking care of those consequences,? Tressel said. ?Like any situation that arises, if you?ll take it and use it to grow, it?s amazing what it can do for you. So my prayer is that he takes that time and creates a plan for his life and that he?ll have a wonderful life.
?From an athletic standpoint, he didn?t reach his potential. But the good news is that maybe he?ll take this time and really become the best he can possibly be.?
REHRING IN: Sophomore offensive lineman Steve Rehring was elevated to the top of the depth chart at left guard, past senior Tim Schafer, though both are still expected to play Saturday. They had been splitting time, though Schafer was the starter.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Rehring moved up after being named Ohio State?s offensive lineman of the week for his play against Cincinnati. Running back Antonio Pittman was the offensive player of the week; defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock was the defensive player; and kicker Aaron Pettrey was honored on special teams.
Linebacker James Laurinaitis was the attack force player of the week; and receiver Ted Ginn Jr. won the hit of the week for his finishing block on Pittman?s touchdown run.
?Teddy?s probably more proud of that than any play since he?s been at Ohio State,? Tressel said.
The scout team players of the week were Akron junior walk-on De?Angelo Haslam on special teams, freshman lineman Andrew Moses on offense and freshman defensive back Chimdi Chekwa on defense.
INJURIES: Third-string quarterback Todd Boeckman is expected to miss the Penn State game after hurting his ankle late in Saturday?s game. Tressel said receiver Roy Hall was at about 85 percent with his ankle injury last week and should play at about 95 percent this week. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Paterno still the same guy 30 years later[/FONT]
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER [/FONT]
PENN STATE AT OHIO STATE
3:30 p.m. Saturday
Ohio Stadium, Columbus
TV Channel 5
COLUMBUS There aren?t many people who still call Ohio State?s 53-year-old head coach Jimmy Tressel.
Then again, Joe Paterno isn?t most people.
The legendary Penn State coach called Tressel ?Jimmy? a couple of times Tuesday. They first met in 1974, back when Tressel was ?Jimmy.?
Now, he?s the head coach of the No. 1-ranked team in the country with a tester-game Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Penn State, Big Ten co-champs with the Buckeyes last year, hopes to derail Ohio State?s national title hopes the same way it did in Happy Valley a year ago.
Tressel has modeled himself after the legendary 79-year-old Penn State coach. While at Youngstown State, Tressel visited with Paterno and his staff to learn. Now they?re colleagues coaching at two of the Big Ten?s power schools.
?Nothing changes with Joe,? Tressel said. ?He?s who he is. He?s an open-arms guy. ... Joe Paterno is the same guy as he was when I met him in 1974. He loves the game of football, loves education, loves to compete and just because you become his rival, he doesn?t treat you any different.?
Paterno kept his sense of humor Tuesday during a conference call with reporters. How does he plan to stop speedy Ted Ginn Jr.? Troy Smith? Antonio Pittman?
?I?m going to have someone put something in (Ginn?s) food the morning of the game,? Paterno said to laughter. ?Ted Ginn is a great athlete, but there is a kid by the name of (Anthony) Gonzalez on that team. There is a kid we tried like the dickens to get, whose father is a great coach, (Brian) Robiskie.
?They have a great quarterback. The tight end is a big-league player. The tailback is a big-league player. What do you do? You go in there and pray. You got a good prayer to St. Jude for hopeless causes or something??
Ohio State?s co-captains said Paterno?s presence this week adds to the game. However, center Doug Datish said Tressel is a legendary himself.
?I?m from the Youngstown area, and Coach Tressel is a legend there,? said Datish, a Howland High School graduate. ?You ever been to Youngstown when he?s around? Believe me, it doesn?t get much more legendary.?
Since Tressel has been coaching, the only constant is Paterno. This is his 41st season as Penn State head coach. He?s the second all-time winning coach in Division I-A.
Tressel didn?t say if he sees himself coaching at Ohio State at age 79.
?I keep telling myself I?m a young coach,? Tressel said. ?Joe Paterno is a guy, in my football lifetime, he?s always been there. To me, there?s no age to that. He?s just there. He?s had great programs, not just guys he?s sent to the NFL, but the guys he?s sent into the world. He?s make an impact, and it doesn?t have much to do with age.?
Paterno had an impact on the Buckeyes last year, when the Nittany Lions won, 17-10. They stopped Smith. They held Ginn in check. Ohio State?s offense did little that night.
That Saturday night game in State College changed Penn State?s season. It elevated the Nittany Lions back to national prominence after a couple of lean seasons. Had Paterno not lost to Michigan on the game?s last play, Penn State would have played for a national title.
The loss served as a motivating factor for Ohio State. They were 3-2 after that game. The Buckeyes haven?t lost since, and at 10 games have the nation?s second-longest win streak.
Last year?s loss will serve as nothing more than motivation.
?Will that (loss) help us or hurt us in this game? That won?t block anybody, and that won?t tackle anybody,? Tressel said. ?Our guys know how tough Penn State is.?
Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]
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[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Paterno still the same guy 30 years later[/FONT]
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER [/FONT]
PENN STATE AT OHIO STATE
3:30 p.m. Saturday
Ohio Stadium, Columbus
TV Channel 5
COLUMBUS There aren?t many people who still call Ohio State?s 53-year-old head coach Jimmy Tressel.
Then again, Joe Paterno isn?t most people.
The legendary Penn State coach called Tressel ?Jimmy? a couple of times Tuesday. They first met in 1974, back when Tressel was ?Jimmy.?
Now, he?s the head coach of the No. 1-ranked team in the country with a tester-game Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Penn State, Big Ten co-champs with the Buckeyes last year, hopes to derail Ohio State?s national title hopes the same way it did in Happy Valley a year ago.
Tressel has modeled himself after the legendary 79-year-old Penn State coach. While at Youngstown State, Tressel visited with Paterno and his staff to learn. Now they?re colleagues coaching at two of the Big Ten?s power schools.
?Nothing changes with Joe,? Tressel said. ?He?s who he is. He?s an open-arms guy. ... Joe Paterno is the same guy as he was when I met him in 1974. He loves the game of football, loves education, loves to compete and just because you become his rival, he doesn?t treat you any different.?
Paterno kept his sense of humor Tuesday during a conference call with reporters. How does he plan to stop speedy Ted Ginn Jr.? Troy Smith? Antonio Pittman?
?I?m going to have someone put something in (Ginn?s) food the morning of the game,? Paterno said to laughter. ?Ted Ginn is a great athlete, but there is a kid by the name of (Anthony) Gonzalez on that team. There is a kid we tried like the dickens to get, whose father is a great coach, (Brian) Robiskie.
?They have a great quarterback. The tight end is a big-league player. The tailback is a big-league player. What do you do? You go in there and pray. You got a good prayer to St. Jude for hopeless causes or something??
Ohio State?s co-captains said Paterno?s presence this week adds to the game. However, center Doug Datish said Tressel is a legendary himself.
?I?m from the Youngstown area, and Coach Tressel is a legend there,? said Datish, a Howland High School graduate. ?You ever been to Youngstown when he?s around? Believe me, it doesn?t get much more legendary.?
Since Tressel has been coaching, the only constant is Paterno. This is his 41st season as Penn State head coach. He?s the second all-time winning coach in Division I-A.
Tressel didn?t say if he sees himself coaching at Ohio State at age 79.
?I keep telling myself I?m a young coach,? Tressel said. ?Joe Paterno is a guy, in my football lifetime, he?s always been there. To me, there?s no age to that. He?s just there. He?s had great programs, not just guys he?s sent to the NFL, but the guys he?s sent into the world. He?s make an impact, and it doesn?t have much to do with age.?
Paterno had an impact on the Buckeyes last year, when the Nittany Lions won, 17-10. They stopped Smith. They held Ginn in check. Ohio State?s offense did little that night.
That Saturday night game in State College changed Penn State?s season. It elevated the Nittany Lions back to national prominence after a couple of lean seasons. Had Paterno not lost to Michigan on the game?s last play, Penn State would have played for a national title.
The loss served as a motivating factor for Ohio State. They were 3-2 after that game. The Buckeyes haven?t lost since, and at 10 games have the nation?s second-longest win streak.
Last year?s loss will serve as nothing more than motivation.
?Will that (loss) help us or hurt us in this game? That won?t block anybody, and that won?t tackle anybody,? Tressel said. ?Our guys know how tough Penn State is.?
Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]
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Canton
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]OHIO STATE REPORT[/FONT]
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]TODD PORTER[/FONT]
OHIO STATE REPORT
TRESSEL ON MO Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel?s advice to former Buckeye RB Maurice Clarett, who agreed to a plea bargain sentence of 3 1/2 years in prison is to find himself during that time. ?I?d like to think he?ll have a plan for his growth while he?s taking care of those consequences,? Tressel said. ?My feelings don?t change for him any. ... Like any situation that arises, if you take it and use it to grow, it?s amazing what it can do for you. My prayer is he takes that time and creates a plan for his life, and that he?ll have a wonderful life.?
HOWDY HOWIE Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Howie Long will be on the Ohio State campus today. Long is in town to meet Tressel, watch OSU?s practice and tour the campus. His son, Kyle Long, is a 6-foot-7, 275-pound offensive lineman at St. Anne?s Belfield in Virginia. He is one of the country?s top recruits and is considering Ohio State. Kyle Long will attend the Penn State game along with several other blue-chip recruits.
SPECIAL MOMENT Tyson Gentry, a walk-on punter and wide receiver who is in a wheelchair after a brutal hit in OSU?s spring practice, will meet former Penn State player Adam Taliaferro. Gentry broke the C4 vertabra in his neck and has no lower-body movement. Taliaferro broke the vertabra in a game against Ohio State in 2000. He walked four months later. Gentry and Taliaferro have spoken by phone, but never met. ?I think it?s going to be wonderful for Tyson to have the opportunity to learn from Adam,? Tressel said. ?The other thing is to raise awareness of spinal cord injury research. That?s part of what we?d like to do because it?s real.? Gentry and Taliaferro will be introduced at halftime.
DEPTH CHART The offensive depth chart has changed. Fifth-year senior Tim Schafer (6-5, 290) has been moved from his starting position at LG in favor of sophomore Steve Rehring (6-8, 329). Schafer is now the backup LT behind Alex Boone, who is coming off his worst game of the season. Kyle Mitchum is listed as the No. 2 LG. ?Alex Boone is fine,? Tressel said, dismissing a reporter?s inquiry about his health.
BUCKEYES Antonio Pittman and Quinn Pitcock were the offensive and defensive players of the game as selected by the coaching staff. WR Ted Ginn Jr. earned the Jack Tatum Hit of the Week Award when he peeled a Cincinnati defender inside the 10 on Pittman?s long TD run. ... Ohio State is exploring putting in a new field in the middle of the season. The grass at Ohio Stadium has become chewed up. New sod could be laid next week and take hold before the Bowling Green game. ... ESPN College GameDay will broadcast live from the Ohio State campus Saturday. Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and OSU grad Kirk Herbstreit are the analysts.
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]OHIO STATE REPORT[/FONT]
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]TODD PORTER[/FONT]
OHIO STATE REPORT
TRESSEL ON MO Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel?s advice to former Buckeye RB Maurice Clarett, who agreed to a plea bargain sentence of 3 1/2 years in prison is to find himself during that time. ?I?d like to think he?ll have a plan for his growth while he?s taking care of those consequences,? Tressel said. ?My feelings don?t change for him any. ... Like any situation that arises, if you take it and use it to grow, it?s amazing what it can do for you. My prayer is he takes that time and creates a plan for his life, and that he?ll have a wonderful life.?
HOWDY HOWIE Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Howie Long will be on the Ohio State campus today. Long is in town to meet Tressel, watch OSU?s practice and tour the campus. His son, Kyle Long, is a 6-foot-7, 275-pound offensive lineman at St. Anne?s Belfield in Virginia. He is one of the country?s top recruits and is considering Ohio State. Kyle Long will attend the Penn State game along with several other blue-chip recruits.
SPECIAL MOMENT Tyson Gentry, a walk-on punter and wide receiver who is in a wheelchair after a brutal hit in OSU?s spring practice, will meet former Penn State player Adam Taliaferro. Gentry broke the C4 vertabra in his neck and has no lower-body movement. Taliaferro broke the vertabra in a game against Ohio State in 2000. He walked four months later. Gentry and Taliaferro have spoken by phone, but never met. ?I think it?s going to be wonderful for Tyson to have the opportunity to learn from Adam,? Tressel said. ?The other thing is to raise awareness of spinal cord injury research. That?s part of what we?d like to do because it?s real.? Gentry and Taliaferro will be introduced at halftime.
DEPTH CHART The offensive depth chart has changed. Fifth-year senior Tim Schafer (6-5, 290) has been moved from his starting position at LG in favor of sophomore Steve Rehring (6-8, 329). Schafer is now the backup LT behind Alex Boone, who is coming off his worst game of the season. Kyle Mitchum is listed as the No. 2 LG. ?Alex Boone is fine,? Tressel said, dismissing a reporter?s inquiry about his health.
BUCKEYES Antonio Pittman and Quinn Pitcock were the offensive and defensive players of the game as selected by the coaching staff. WR Ted Ginn Jr. earned the Jack Tatum Hit of the Week Award when he peeled a Cincinnati defender inside the 10 on Pittman?s long TD run. ... Ohio State is exploring putting in a new field in the middle of the season. The grass at Ohio Stadium has become chewed up. New sod could be laid next week and take hold before the Bowling Green game. ... ESPN College GameDay will broadcast live from the Ohio State campus Saturday. Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and OSU grad Kirk Herbstreit are the analysts.
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BrutusBobcat
Icon and Entertainer
Tressel respects Paterno way too much to put a serious hammering on his team, but if he wanted to, he could on Saturday. This one won't be close, and we'll be seeing the dogs called off by the late third quarter.
Penn State's O can't move the ball against a stiff breeze, and if Brady Quinn can light up that D, you know that Troy will take a flamethrower to it. The kitties will be getting a swift kick back down the stairs to mediocrity this weekend.
Penn State's O can't move the ball against a stiff breeze, and if Brady Quinn can light up that D, you know that Troy will take a flamethrower to it. The kitties will be getting a swift kick back down the stairs to mediocrity this weekend.
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OSU seeks improvement
The top-ranked team in college football isn't satisfied with what they've done so far.
COLUMBUS (AP) ? No. 1 Ohio State can't go any higher in the rankings and could not have won any more than the three games it has played.
Yet the Buckeyes aren't satisfied with what they've done so far and believe they have lots of room for improvement heading into Saturday's Big Ten opener at home against Penn State.
"We're probably not as consistent across the board," coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday when asked to pinpoint a problem.
But then he added, "There's nothing that jumps out at me and says, 'Oh, man, we have regressed in this area.' We are progressing in many areas."
Unfocused early
The Buckeyes seemed to be unfocused early in last week's 37-7 victory over Cincinnati, which wasn't a surprise since they were coming off a stunning 24-7 victory over defending national champion Texas and were already gearing up mentally for this week's showdown with the Nittany Lions.
"Dave Patterson, one of our captains, demonstrated the whole week that he thought we were not ready," quarterback Troy Smith said. "I'm not saying he was Nostradamus, but to a certain extent he was right. We came out sluggish and we came out slow."
The numbers support the contention that the Buckeyes (3-0) are far from a finished product.
They are ranked in the top 10 among Division I-A schools in only one major statistical category (although it's an important one) ? scoring defense at 8.7 points per game.
Stats mediocre
The Buckyes are 59th in rushing offense (139 yards per game), tied for 13th in passing (287 ypg), 18th in total offense (427 ypg) and tied for 30th in scoring (32 ppg).
"I think the last game maybe we could have broken some runs up the gut a little better, like we had the first two games," center Doug Datish said. "And maybe we need to protect Troy better.
On defense, they're 50th against the rush (106 ypg), tied for 55th against the pass (187 ypg) and 43rd in total defense (294 ypg) of the 119 I-A programs.
"Our defense hasn't arrived yet," linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Funny, but one area that hasn't been up to snuff is kick returns ? even though with Ted Ginn Jr. back there, it is considered one of the strongest parts of the team.
Ginn is averaging 7.6 yards per punt return ? almost half of his career average (15.9). Same goes for kickoff returns, where he is averaging 14.3 yards compared with his career mark (28.6).
Ginn improves
Tressel chooses to look at Ginn's development as a receiver, where he already has 14 catches for 253 yards and five touchdowns ? matching his output at the position last year.
"Teddy continues to grow into understanding of how they're trying to play him," Tressel said, while mentioning that Ginn must frequently be a decoy to draw double coverage that opens up other receivers.
Maybe it's still too soon to judge the Buckeyes' progress. Besides, Smith said it's more important to be a well-oiled machine in November than it is in September.
"If we peak too early as an offense, then the people in the stadium are wondering, 'What are we here for?' " Smith said. "It's cool to see a gradual increase, whether it would be rushing, passing, returning kicks, defensively ? the whole way around. A big thing for us is to peak at the right time and not too early."
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 The top-ranked team in college football isn't satisfied with what they've done so far.
COLUMBUS (AP) ? No. 1 Ohio State can't go any higher in the rankings and could not have won any more than the three games it has played.
Yet the Buckeyes aren't satisfied with what they've done so far and believe they have lots of room for improvement heading into Saturday's Big Ten opener at home against Penn State.
"We're probably not as consistent across the board," coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday when asked to pinpoint a problem.
But then he added, "There's nothing that jumps out at me and says, 'Oh, man, we have regressed in this area.' We are progressing in many areas."
Unfocused early
The Buckeyes seemed to be unfocused early in last week's 37-7 victory over Cincinnati, which wasn't a surprise since they were coming off a stunning 24-7 victory over defending national champion Texas and were already gearing up mentally for this week's showdown with the Nittany Lions.
"Dave Patterson, one of our captains, demonstrated the whole week that he thought we were not ready," quarterback Troy Smith said. "I'm not saying he was Nostradamus, but to a certain extent he was right. We came out sluggish and we came out slow."
The numbers support the contention that the Buckeyes (3-0) are far from a finished product.
They are ranked in the top 10 among Division I-A schools in only one major statistical category (although it's an important one) ? scoring defense at 8.7 points per game.
Stats mediocre
The Buckyes are 59th in rushing offense (139 yards per game), tied for 13th in passing (287 ypg), 18th in total offense (427 ypg) and tied for 30th in scoring (32 ppg).
"I think the last game maybe we could have broken some runs up the gut a little better, like we had the first two games," center Doug Datish said. "And maybe we need to protect Troy better.
On defense, they're 50th against the rush (106 ypg), tied for 55th against the pass (187 ypg) and 43rd in total defense (294 ypg) of the 119 I-A programs.
"Our defense hasn't arrived yet," linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Funny, but one area that hasn't been up to snuff is kick returns ? even though with Ted Ginn Jr. back there, it is considered one of the strongest parts of the team.
Ginn is averaging 7.6 yards per punt return ? almost half of his career average (15.9). Same goes for kickoff returns, where he is averaging 14.3 yards compared with his career mark (28.6).
Ginn improves
Tressel chooses to look at Ginn's development as a receiver, where he already has 14 catches for 253 yards and five touchdowns ? matching his output at the position last year.
"Teddy continues to grow into understanding of how they're trying to play him," Tressel said, while mentioning that Ginn must frequently be a decoy to draw double coverage that opens up other receivers.
Maybe it's still too soon to judge the Buckeyes' progress. Besides, Smith said it's more important to be a well-oiled machine in November than it is in September.
"If we peak too early as an offense, then the people in the stadium are wondering, 'What are we here for?' " Smith said. "It's cool to see a gradual increase, whether it would be rushing, passing, returning kicks, defensively ? the whole way around. A big thing for us is to peak at the right time and not too early."
[SIZE=-1]Wednesday, September 20, 2006[/SIZE]
No. 1 Ohio State can't go any higher in the rankings and could not have won any more than the three games it has...
OSU seeks improvement
The top-ranked team in college football isn't satisfied with what they've done so far.
COLUMBUS (AP) ? No. 1 Ohio State can't go any higher in the rankings and could not have won any more than the three games it has played.
Yet the Buckeyes aren't satisfied with what they've done so far and believe they have lots of room for improvement heading into Saturday's Big Ten opener at home against Penn State.
"We're probably not as consistent across the board," coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday when asked to pinpoint a problem.
But then he added, "There's nothing that jumps out at me and says, 'Oh, man, we have regressed in this area.' We are progressing in many areas."
Unfocused early
The Buckeyes seemed to be unfocused early in last week's 37-7 victory over Cincinnati, which wasn't a surprise since they were coming off a stunning 24-7 victory over defending national champion Texas and were already gearing up mentally for this week's showdown with the Nittany Lions.
"Dave Patterson, one of our captains, demonstrated the whole week that he thought we were not ready," quarterback Troy Smith said. "I'm not saying he was Nostradamus, but to a certain extent he was right. We came out sluggish and we came out slow."
The numbers support the contention that the Buckeyes (3-0) are far from a finished product.
They are ranked in the top 10 among Division I-A schools in only one major statistical category (although it's an important one) ? scoring defense at 8.7 points per game.
Stats mediocre
The Buckyes are 59th in rushing offense (139 yards per game), tied for 13th in passing (287 ypg), 18th in total offense (427 ypg) and tied for 30th in scoring (32 ppg).
"I think the last game maybe we could have broken some runs up the gut a little better, like we had the first two games," center Doug Datish said. "And maybe we need to protect Troy better.
On defense, they're 50th against the rush (106 ypg), tied for 55th against the pass (187 ypg) and 43rd in total defense (294 ypg) of the 119 I-A programs.
"Our defense hasn't arrived yet," linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Funny, but one area that hasn't been up to snuff is kick returns ? even though with Ted Ginn Jr. back there, it is considered one of the strongest parts of the team.
Ginn is averaging 7.6 yards per punt return ? almost half of his career average (15.9). Same goes for kickoff returns, where he is averaging 14.3 yards compared with his career mark (28.6).
Ginn improves
Tressel chooses to look at Ginn's development as a receiver, where he already has 14 catches for 253 yards and five touchdowns ? matching his output at the position last year.
"Teddy continues to grow into understanding of how they're trying to play him," Tressel said, while mentioning that Ginn must frequently be a decoy to draw double coverage that opens up other receivers.
Maybe it's still too soon to judge the Buckeyes' progress. Besides, Smith said it's more important to be a well-oiled machine in November than it is in September.
"If we peak too early as an offense, then the people in the stadium are wondering, 'What are we here for?' " Smith said. "It's cool to see a gradual increase, whether it would be rushing, passing, returning kicks, defensively ? the whole way around. A big thing for us is to peak at the right time and not too early."
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 The top-ranked team in college football isn't satisfied with what they've done so far.
COLUMBUS (AP) ? No. 1 Ohio State can't go any higher in the rankings and could not have won any more than the three games it has played.
Yet the Buckeyes aren't satisfied with what they've done so far and believe they have lots of room for improvement heading into Saturday's Big Ten opener at home against Penn State.
"We're probably not as consistent across the board," coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday when asked to pinpoint a problem.
But then he added, "There's nothing that jumps out at me and says, 'Oh, man, we have regressed in this area.' We are progressing in many areas."
Unfocused early
The Buckeyes seemed to be unfocused early in last week's 37-7 victory over Cincinnati, which wasn't a surprise since they were coming off a stunning 24-7 victory over defending national champion Texas and were already gearing up mentally for this week's showdown with the Nittany Lions.
"Dave Patterson, one of our captains, demonstrated the whole week that he thought we were not ready," quarterback Troy Smith said. "I'm not saying he was Nostradamus, but to a certain extent he was right. We came out sluggish and we came out slow."
The numbers support the contention that the Buckeyes (3-0) are far from a finished product.
They are ranked in the top 10 among Division I-A schools in only one major statistical category (although it's an important one) ? scoring defense at 8.7 points per game.
Stats mediocre
The Buckyes are 59th in rushing offense (139 yards per game), tied for 13th in passing (287 ypg), 18th in total offense (427 ypg) and tied for 30th in scoring (32 ppg).
"I think the last game maybe we could have broken some runs up the gut a little better, like we had the first two games," center Doug Datish said. "And maybe we need to protect Troy better.
On defense, they're 50th against the rush (106 ypg), tied for 55th against the pass (187 ypg) and 43rd in total defense (294 ypg) of the 119 I-A programs.
"Our defense hasn't arrived yet," linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Funny, but one area that hasn't been up to snuff is kick returns ? even though with Ted Ginn Jr. back there, it is considered one of the strongest parts of the team.
Ginn is averaging 7.6 yards per punt return ? almost half of his career average (15.9). Same goes for kickoff returns, where he is averaging 14.3 yards compared with his career mark (28.6).
Ginn improves
Tressel chooses to look at Ginn's development as a receiver, where he already has 14 catches for 253 yards and five touchdowns ? matching his output at the position last year.
"Teddy continues to grow into understanding of how they're trying to play him," Tressel said, while mentioning that Ginn must frequently be a decoy to draw double coverage that opens up other receivers.
Maybe it's still too soon to judge the Buckeyes' progress. Besides, Smith said it's more important to be a well-oiled machine in November than it is in September.
"If we peak too early as an offense, then the people in the stadium are wondering, 'What are we here for?' " Smith said. "It's cool to see a gradual increase, whether it would be rushing, passing, returning kicks, defensively ? the whole way around. A big thing for us is to peak at the right time and not too early."
[SIZE=-1]Wednesday, September 20, 2006[/SIZE]
No. 1 Ohio State can't go any higher in the rankings and could not have won any more than the three games it has...
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Paterno impressed by No. 1 ranked Buckeyes
The Nittany Lions coach says his team needs a big improvement this week.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? Just thinking about Ohio State's offensive weapons is enough to make Penn State coach Joe Paterno talk about seeking divine intervention.
The top-ranked Buckeyes (3-0) have a pair of Heisman hopefuls in mobile quarterback Troy Smith and receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. Focus on stopping them, and wideout Anthony Gonzalez might beat you. Or tailback Antonio Pittman.
"What do you do? You go in there and pray," Paterno said. "You got a good prayer to St. Jude for hopeless causes or something?"
The Buckeyes' offense has rolled up 426.7 yards per game so far this season, and are potent through the air and on the ground.
OSU defense
But there are other reasons for No. 24 Penn State to worry in their Big Ten opener, namely a Buckeye defense giving up just 8.7 points a game.
That 1-2 punch likely means less room for error for the Nittany Lions (2-1), who have been hampered by mistakes at times so far this season. Ohio State may pounce on any missed early opportunities by Penn State.
Against Youngstown State last week, the Lions didn't get on the board until midway through the second quarter after their first two drives stalled inside the 40, and another ended with a missed 30-yard field goal.
A couple of long kick returns by Derrick Williams were negated by illegal block penalties.
Senior tailback Tony Hunt, who ran for 143 yards and a score last week, said he had enjoyed playing against Ohio State in the past and was looking forward to the game.
"It's a big challenge for us as a team, and a big opportunity for us to prove some things," Hunt said.
Hunt improving
Soothing Paterno's concerns might be the improvement of Hunt and the offensive line, which helped the team gain 389 rushing yards, although that was against the Division I-AA Penguins. That piggybacked off a solid ground performance two weeks ago against Notre Dame.
Getting the run going against Ohio State may help open the passing game for the Lions' fleet of speedy receivers and quarterback Anthony Morelli, making his fourth college start.
Penn State's offensive line has allowed just two sacks so far.
"I think they'll get challenged this week," Paterno said. "[Ohio State] has a lot of quickness and a couple well-conceived blitz games."
Young lineup
Paterno relies on some youngsters in his lineup, though some of them, like Williams, wideout Deon Butler and cornerback Justin King, all played as freshmen, including the 17-10 win over the Buckeyes last October at Beaver Stadium.
Paterno's youngsters also have the humbling big-game experience of getting routed at No. 2 Notre Dame two weeks ago.
"I don't know how much benefit you get out of getting your ears kicked in, except for the fact that you learn that you can't turn the ball over," Paterno said. "You just try to build on the fact that if we just have patience, hang onto the ball and don't make dumb mistakes, we will be competitive."
Paterno impressed by No. 1 ranked Buckeyes
The Nittany Lions coach says his team needs a big improvement this week.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? Just thinking about Ohio State's offensive weapons is enough to make Penn State coach Joe Paterno talk about seeking divine intervention.
The top-ranked Buckeyes (3-0) have a pair of Heisman hopefuls in mobile quarterback Troy Smith and receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. Focus on stopping them, and wideout Anthony Gonzalez might beat you. Or tailback Antonio Pittman.
"What do you do? You go in there and pray," Paterno said. "You got a good prayer to St. Jude for hopeless causes or something?"
The Buckeyes' offense has rolled up 426.7 yards per game so far this season, and are potent through the air and on the ground.
OSU defense
But there are other reasons for No. 24 Penn State to worry in their Big Ten opener, namely a Buckeye defense giving up just 8.7 points a game.
That 1-2 punch likely means less room for error for the Nittany Lions (2-1), who have been hampered by mistakes at times so far this season. Ohio State may pounce on any missed early opportunities by Penn State.
Against Youngstown State last week, the Lions didn't get on the board until midway through the second quarter after their first two drives stalled inside the 40, and another ended with a missed 30-yard field goal.
A couple of long kick returns by Derrick Williams were negated by illegal block penalties.
Senior tailback Tony Hunt, who ran for 143 yards and a score last week, said he had enjoyed playing against Ohio State in the past and was looking forward to the game.
"It's a big challenge for us as a team, and a big opportunity for us to prove some things," Hunt said.
Hunt improving
Soothing Paterno's concerns might be the improvement of Hunt and the offensive line, which helped the team gain 389 rushing yards, although that was against the Division I-AA Penguins. That piggybacked off a solid ground performance two weeks ago against Notre Dame.
Getting the run going against Ohio State may help open the passing game for the Lions' fleet of speedy receivers and quarterback Anthony Morelli, making his fourth college start.
Penn State's offensive line has allowed just two sacks so far.
"I think they'll get challenged this week," Paterno said. "[Ohio State] has a lot of quickness and a couple well-conceived blitz games."
Young lineup
Paterno relies on some youngsters in his lineup, though some of them, like Williams, wideout Deon Butler and cornerback Justin King, all played as freshmen, including the 17-10 win over the Buckeyes last October at Beaver Stadium.
Paterno's youngsters also have the humbling big-game experience of getting routed at No. 2 Notre Dame two weeks ago.
"I don't know how much benefit you get out of getting your ears kicked in, except for the fact that you learn that you can't turn the ball over," Paterno said. "You just try to build on the fact that if we just have patience, hang onto the ball and don't make dumb mistakes, we will be competitive."
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Smith's not out for revenge
JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer
09/20/2006
http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1699&dept_id=46370&newsid=17220537
COLUMBUS -- In his career as a starting quarterback, there have been two teams that have ever beaten Troy Smith: Purdue and Penn State.
Since the Boilermakers aren't on the schedule this year, that leaves the focus on the Nittany Lions, who just happen to be Ohio State's opponent on Saturday. Penn State beat Ohio State last year in Happy Valley, 17-10, after Smith had his worst game as a quarterback.
He was 13-of-25 passing for 139 yards and he threw the interception that changed the momentum of the game when the Lions' Calvin Lowry returned it to the goal line.
Smith was punished by Penn State's defense, getting sacked five times and hit countless others. Altogether, it was probably one of the longest nights he's endured. But he says it doesn't give him any extra motivation this week.
''I try not to think of it in terms of revenge,'' he said. ''I try not to think of things like that.''
He has other things to focus on, like a fairly impressive streak of pass attempts without an interception. Smith hasn't been picked off since last November against Northwestern, a string of 152 consecutive pass attempts that spans five games.
Since that night in Beaver Stadium, Smith has thrown just two interceptions over his last 10 games. In traits of a starting quarterback, not turning the ball over is high on coach Jim Tressel's priority list.
''I think the first thing that a quarterback needs to do to begin a streak like that is to first believe how important it is for us to take care of the football,'' Tressel said. ''And Troy is very careful about our football. He knows that the impact of us losing our football on the whole team is significant. So it starts with a belief in its importance.
''And then it comes down to a knowledge of what we're doing and what they're doing. And where I think he's really grown is we play against all different schemes of defenses, and he studies them hard.''
Smith was confused by Penn State's defense in part because of his lack of film preparation that year. He has certainly rectified that and now he perhaps watches film more than anyone else on the team.
What he sees this year is a Penn State defense similar to the one that carried the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten co-championship last season, with a few minor adjustments. Linebacker Paul Posluszny is back because a knee injury in the Orange Bowl prevented him from going pro.
He did not have any surgery, instead using rehab and time to heal. But ''Poz'' has shown signs of not quite being 100 percent, though both he and coach Joe Paterno refute it.
When Posluszny seemed to be dragging the leg in a 41-17 loss to Notre Dame two weeks ago, Paterno said he was simply tired because the coaches had asked too much out of the defense.
''He's fine,'' Paterno said.
Posluszny and Dan Connor anchor a set of linebackers so deep, Tim Shaw, who started in the middle last year, has been moved to defensive end to make way for sophomore Sean Lee.
The result has been effective. Penn State enters Saturday's game ranked 11th in the country at stopping the run, allowing just over 63 yards a game. Notre Dame cracked 100 against Penn State, but Akron and I-AA Youngstown State were both held under 50.
''They're always going to have one more hat in the box than you have blockers, that's just the nature of the way they've played,'' Tressel said. ''I don't think anyone will line up and just run the football and be successful against Penn State -- us included.''
That puts the onus back on Smith to perform, which is nothing new. Every time Ohio State has counted on him, he has delivered.
Given Brady Quinn's poor showing against Michigan over the weekend, Smith would seem to be an early leader in the Heisman Trophy race. But he won't get baited into any Heisman talk in September.
''I didn't have a great afternoon (Saturday),'' he said. ''I can't talk about someone else's game.''
Instead he'll retreat to the film room, study why Penn State is the only defense that ever gave him trouble and try to find new ways to beat it on Saturday.
''There are still things that come up that boggle me, that sometimes confuse me,'' he said. ''Those are the things I work on. When I have troubles and problems through the course of film study and preparation, I study them hard, so hopefully when game time comes, I can be even keel and cool throughout the whole game.''
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Smith's not out for revenge
JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer
09/20/2006
http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1699&dept_id=46370&newsid=17220537
COLUMBUS -- In his career as a starting quarterback, there have been two teams that have ever beaten Troy Smith: Purdue and Penn State.
Since the Boilermakers aren't on the schedule this year, that leaves the focus on the Nittany Lions, who just happen to be Ohio State's opponent on Saturday. Penn State beat Ohio State last year in Happy Valley, 17-10, after Smith had his worst game as a quarterback.
He was 13-of-25 passing for 139 yards and he threw the interception that changed the momentum of the game when the Lions' Calvin Lowry returned it to the goal line.
Smith was punished by Penn State's defense, getting sacked five times and hit countless others. Altogether, it was probably one of the longest nights he's endured. But he says it doesn't give him any extra motivation this week.
''I try not to think of it in terms of revenge,'' he said. ''I try not to think of things like that.''
He has other things to focus on, like a fairly impressive streak of pass attempts without an interception. Smith hasn't been picked off since last November against Northwestern, a string of 152 consecutive pass attempts that spans five games.
Since that night in Beaver Stadium, Smith has thrown just two interceptions over his last 10 games. In traits of a starting quarterback, not turning the ball over is high on coach Jim Tressel's priority list.
''I think the first thing that a quarterback needs to do to begin a streak like that is to first believe how important it is for us to take care of the football,'' Tressel said. ''And Troy is very careful about our football. He knows that the impact of us losing our football on the whole team is significant. So it starts with a belief in its importance.
''And then it comes down to a knowledge of what we're doing and what they're doing. And where I think he's really grown is we play against all different schemes of defenses, and he studies them hard.''
Smith was confused by Penn State's defense in part because of his lack of film preparation that year. He has certainly rectified that and now he perhaps watches film more than anyone else on the team.
What he sees this year is a Penn State defense similar to the one that carried the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten co-championship last season, with a few minor adjustments. Linebacker Paul Posluszny is back because a knee injury in the Orange Bowl prevented him from going pro.
He did not have any surgery, instead using rehab and time to heal. But ''Poz'' has shown signs of not quite being 100 percent, though both he and coach Joe Paterno refute it.
When Posluszny seemed to be dragging the leg in a 41-17 loss to Notre Dame two weeks ago, Paterno said he was simply tired because the coaches had asked too much out of the defense.
''He's fine,'' Paterno said.
Posluszny and Dan Connor anchor a set of linebackers so deep, Tim Shaw, who started in the middle last year, has been moved to defensive end to make way for sophomore Sean Lee.
The result has been effective. Penn State enters Saturday's game ranked 11th in the country at stopping the run, allowing just over 63 yards a game. Notre Dame cracked 100 against Penn State, but Akron and I-AA Youngstown State were both held under 50.
''They're always going to have one more hat in the box than you have blockers, that's just the nature of the way they've played,'' Tressel said. ''I don't think anyone will line up and just run the football and be successful against Penn State -- us included.''
That puts the onus back on Smith to perform, which is nothing new. Every time Ohio State has counted on him, he has delivered.
Given Brady Quinn's poor showing against Michigan over the weekend, Smith would seem to be an early leader in the Heisman Trophy race. But he won't get baited into any Heisman talk in September.
''I didn't have a great afternoon (Saturday),'' he said. ''I can't talk about someone else's game.''
Instead he'll retreat to the film room, study why Penn State is the only defense that ever gave him trouble and try to find new ways to beat it on Saturday.
''There are still things that come up that boggle me, that sometimes confuse me,'' he said. ''Those are the things I work on. When I have troubles and problems through the course of film study and preparation, I study them hard, so hopefully when game time comes, I can be even keel and cool throughout the whole game.''
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[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Not quite anger, not quite amnesia about OSU loss to Penn State[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]BY JIM NAVEAU - Sep. 20, 2006[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]COLUMBUS ? The grounds crew was hard at work in Ohio Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, watering and grooming the turf to try to fill in an alarming number of thin spots that have popped up recently on the playing field.
Over at coach Jim Tressel?s weekly news conference earlier in the day, planting things and whether they grew was also the topic of the moment.
Tressel and several of his players faced the question of whether the seeds of a possible victory against Penn State could have taken root a year ago when the Nittany Lions beat OSU 17-10 in State College, Pa.
That loss, which dropped Ohio State to 3-2 at that point in the season, ended the Buckeyes? chances of playing for a national championship. OSU responded to the loss by winning its last seven games to finish 10-2.
So, will the memory of that disappointment motivate No. 1 Ohio State (3-0) when it faces No. 24 Penn State (2-1) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Ohio Stadium in the Big Ten opener for both teams?
Tressel and the players mostly downplayed the payback angle. It?s a new year, they said.
?Will that help us or hurt us in this ball game? I don?t know,? Tressel said. ?That won?t block anybody, that won?t tackle anybody.
?Our guys know how tough Penn State is. Whether it was because of experiences like last year or two years ago or three years ago, they know they?d better be at their best to compete with them,? he said.
Center Doug Datish said, ?I?m not sure if it carries over from week to week even. We?re completely different teams with a completely different makeup from last year. But it?s a nice starting point.
?You don?t really need that as motivation, at least I don?t. I?m not a big avenging-a-loss guy. I want to win every game regardless of whether they beat us a hundred times in a row or we beat them a hundred times in a row,? he said.
Defensive lineman David Patterson said he hadn?t given last year?s game much thought. But he didn?t eliminate the possibility it would be used for motivation at some time this week.
?Coach Tressel always finds ways to motivate us,? he said, with a smile.
Penn State and Ohio State shared the Big Ten title in 2005. A win over Penn State would give Ohio State victories this season over both teams it lost to last year.
BOECKMAN INJURED: Sophomore quarterback Todd Boeckman, of St. Henry, will probably be out of action this week because of ankle sprain he suffered in the fourth quarter of a 37-7 win over Cincinnati last Saturday.
Boeckman was hurt on the first series he played in the game.
?He rolled his ankle. Someone fell on him as he was falling and it didn't even happen really in the course of a play. He was falling and the play kind of ended and someone fell on him,? Tressel said.
CLARETT REACTION: Tressel?s reaction to Monday?s plea deal that will send former OSU running back Maurice Clarett to prison for at least 3 ? years was that he hopes Clarett turns his life in a positive direction and that if there is tragedy in the situation, it goes beyond athletics.
?The little bit I heard about it sounded like it was a decision that he made, and knowing Maurice like I do, I?d like to think that he'll have a plan for his growth while he's taking care of those consequences. And my feelings don't change any for him,? Tressel said.
?I would say this, like any situation that arises, if you'll take it and use it to grow, it's amazing what it can do for you. So my prayer is that he takes that time and creates a plan for his life and that he'll have a wonderful life.?
Asked if Clarett?s fall from Heisman Trophy hopeful to convicted felon was an athletic tragedy, Tressel said, ?From an athletic standpoint, he didn't reach his potential. But I very seldom use the words athletics and tragedy together. Maybe an injury might be tragic.
?He had abilities athletically and those didn't get fully realized, but the good news is that maybe he'll take this time and really become the best he can possibly be.?
Quarterback Troy Smith said, ?I?m praying for him all the time. It?s an unfortunate situation. But there is not much my teammates and I can do. Every man chooses his path. It might not be a good one but he has to live with the situation.
GENTRY TO MEET TALIAFERRO: Maybe Tyson Gentry was on Tressel?s mind when he tied injuries and tragedies together.
The OSU wide receiver, who suffered paralysis after a spring practice injury, will meet former Penn State player Adam Taliaferro, who recovered from a severe neck injury that left him with temporary paralysis during a game at Ohio State in 2000, on Saturday.
?I think is going to be wonderful for Tyson Gentry to have that opportunity to learn from Adam. And the other thing is to raise the awareness of spinal cord injury research. That's part of what we'd like to do because it's real. Some of the great research is being done at places like this. If we can help raise awareness, that's a good thing,? Tressel said.
OFFENSIVE LINE CHANGE: Sophomore Steve Rehring has replaced Tim Schafer as the starting left guard on Ohio State?s depth chart. Schafer, who started the first three games, is listed as a backup to Alex Boone at left tackle.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Not quite anger, not quite amnesia about OSU loss to Penn State[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]BY JIM NAVEAU - Sep. 20, 2006[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]COLUMBUS ? The grounds crew was hard at work in Ohio Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, watering and grooming the turf to try to fill in an alarming number of thin spots that have popped up recently on the playing field.
Over at coach Jim Tressel?s weekly news conference earlier in the day, planting things and whether they grew was also the topic of the moment.
Tressel and several of his players faced the question of whether the seeds of a possible victory against Penn State could have taken root a year ago when the Nittany Lions beat OSU 17-10 in State College, Pa.
That loss, which dropped Ohio State to 3-2 at that point in the season, ended the Buckeyes? chances of playing for a national championship. OSU responded to the loss by winning its last seven games to finish 10-2.
So, will the memory of that disappointment motivate No. 1 Ohio State (3-0) when it faces No. 24 Penn State (2-1) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Ohio Stadium in the Big Ten opener for both teams?
Tressel and the players mostly downplayed the payback angle. It?s a new year, they said.
?Will that help us or hurt us in this ball game? I don?t know,? Tressel said. ?That won?t block anybody, that won?t tackle anybody.
?Our guys know how tough Penn State is. Whether it was because of experiences like last year or two years ago or three years ago, they know they?d better be at their best to compete with them,? he said.
Center Doug Datish said, ?I?m not sure if it carries over from week to week even. We?re completely different teams with a completely different makeup from last year. But it?s a nice starting point.
?You don?t really need that as motivation, at least I don?t. I?m not a big avenging-a-loss guy. I want to win every game regardless of whether they beat us a hundred times in a row or we beat them a hundred times in a row,? he said.
Defensive lineman David Patterson said he hadn?t given last year?s game much thought. But he didn?t eliminate the possibility it would be used for motivation at some time this week.
?Coach Tressel always finds ways to motivate us,? he said, with a smile.
Penn State and Ohio State shared the Big Ten title in 2005. A win over Penn State would give Ohio State victories this season over both teams it lost to last year.
BOECKMAN INJURED: Sophomore quarterback Todd Boeckman, of St. Henry, will probably be out of action this week because of ankle sprain he suffered in the fourth quarter of a 37-7 win over Cincinnati last Saturday.
Boeckman was hurt on the first series he played in the game.
?He rolled his ankle. Someone fell on him as he was falling and it didn't even happen really in the course of a play. He was falling and the play kind of ended and someone fell on him,? Tressel said.
CLARETT REACTION: Tressel?s reaction to Monday?s plea deal that will send former OSU running back Maurice Clarett to prison for at least 3 ? years was that he hopes Clarett turns his life in a positive direction and that if there is tragedy in the situation, it goes beyond athletics.
?The little bit I heard about it sounded like it was a decision that he made, and knowing Maurice like I do, I?d like to think that he'll have a plan for his growth while he's taking care of those consequences. And my feelings don't change any for him,? Tressel said.
?I would say this, like any situation that arises, if you'll take it and use it to grow, it's amazing what it can do for you. So my prayer is that he takes that time and creates a plan for his life and that he'll have a wonderful life.?
Asked if Clarett?s fall from Heisman Trophy hopeful to convicted felon was an athletic tragedy, Tressel said, ?From an athletic standpoint, he didn't reach his potential. But I very seldom use the words athletics and tragedy together. Maybe an injury might be tragic.
?He had abilities athletically and those didn't get fully realized, but the good news is that maybe he'll take this time and really become the best he can possibly be.?
Quarterback Troy Smith said, ?I?m praying for him all the time. It?s an unfortunate situation. But there is not much my teammates and I can do. Every man chooses his path. It might not be a good one but he has to live with the situation.
GENTRY TO MEET TALIAFERRO: Maybe Tyson Gentry was on Tressel?s mind when he tied injuries and tragedies together.
The OSU wide receiver, who suffered paralysis after a spring practice injury, will meet former Penn State player Adam Taliaferro, who recovered from a severe neck injury that left him with temporary paralysis during a game at Ohio State in 2000, on Saturday.
?I think is going to be wonderful for Tyson Gentry to have that opportunity to learn from Adam. And the other thing is to raise the awareness of spinal cord injury research. That's part of what we'd like to do because it's real. Some of the great research is being done at places like this. If we can help raise awareness, that's a good thing,? Tressel said.
OFFENSIVE LINE CHANGE: Sophomore Steve Rehring has replaced Tim Schafer as the starting left guard on Ohio State?s depth chart. Schafer, who started the first three games, is listed as a backup to Alex Boone at left tackle.
[/FONT]
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UNIVERSITY PARK ? There may be some comparisons between former Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson and current Ohio State star Troy Smith, but there?s also one major difference.
The versatile Smith may not be as talented running the ball as Robinson, but his right arm is much deadlier.
??He definitely throws the ball well and makes a lot of good decisions,?? PSU linebacker Paul Posluszny said.
Smith, considered by many to be the Heisman Trophy frontrunner after Brady Quinn?s bad game against Michigan, has completed 69.1 percent of his passes (56-for-81) through the top-ranked Buckeyes? first three games. That?s after a 62.1 percent accuracy rating a year ago.
By comparison, Robinson completed only 52.1 percent of his throws for Penn State in 2005.
??He probably throws the ball a little bit better, and they ask him to do more with the passing game than maybe we did with Michael,?? PSU coach Joe Paterno said Tuesday.
Paterno later gave Smith high praise, calling him ??one of the better football players we have played against since I have been at Penn State.??
Smith is off to a blistering start, throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions while averaging 256 yards passing per game. He threw for 269 yards and two TDs in Ohio State?s 24-7 win over No. 2 Texas in week two.
The Lions? defense didn?t fare well against Notre Dame?s Quinn two weeks ago, giving up 287 yards passing and three touchdowns. It will have to do better than that Saturday to have a chance against Ohio State.
??Since the last time we played [Smith], I think he?s improved tremendously,?? Posluszny said. ??If you look at how he finished last year and what he?s been able to do this year, he?s been doing a great job.
??It?s going to be a huge challenge for us, and it?s going to be fun playing against him.??
The Lions shouldn?t be surprised by Smith given his similar style of play to Robinson.
??They?re both mobile quarterbacks who have the ability to throw,?? Posluszny said. ??There?s definitely some differences between them, but any time you have a mobile quarterback like that who can run the option and also throws the ball downfield, it?s always very tough to prepare for them.??
SUBHD: Mr. Versatility
Penn State has tried taking advantage of Derrick Williams? skills by playing him all over the field ? at wideout, running back and quarterback.
Williams has caught seven passes for 79 yards and one TD, run 15 times for 54 yards and a score and was crunched on his lone pass attempt. He?s also returned six punts and four kickoffs.
Paterno said he?s not trying to pattern Williams after any former Lion player.
??We just want to try to give Derrick a chance to do some of the things he does best,?? Paterno said. ??I think he has done well. Obviously, things won?t come as easy for him as they did last year when a lot of people didn?t realize how good he was.
??We have got to spot him a little bit more because we are asking him to do so many things.??
SUBHD: Forget the Titans
Penn State running back Tony Hunt attended T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., which was made famous by the movie ??Remember the Titans.??
Hunt, however, doesn?t care for the film, which depicts Williams? 1971 state championship team.
??I don?t watch the movie a lot at all,?? Hunt said. ??The team actually went and watched it the day before our homecoming game [and] got beat real bad. We weren?t that good; people made fun of us. It was pretty much like a joke. We got teased more so than anything about it, so I don?t really like it too much.??
SUBHD: What might have been
Paterno recalled a story about traveling with Ohio State coach Jim Tressel?s father and meeting Jim at age 12 or 13. He later kept in touch with him once he started his coaching career.
??When Jimmy was at Youngstown, he and I talked a lot,?? Paterno said. ??In fact, one time I debated trying to get him to come here as an assistant coach. He was extremely well organized, a fine young man and a, I think, a good motivator in his own way.??
SUBHD: Injury update
Defensive end Jim Shaw (ankle) didn?t practice Monday but returned to the field Tuesday.
??We have our fingers crossed, and I am hopeful he will be able to go [Saturday],?? Paterno said.
UNIVERSITY PARK ? There may be some comparisons between former Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson and current Ohio State star Troy Smith, but there?s also one major difference.
The versatile Smith may not be as talented running the ball as Robinson, but his right arm is much deadlier.
??He definitely throws the ball well and makes a lot of good decisions,?? PSU linebacker Paul Posluszny said.
Smith, considered by many to be the Heisman Trophy frontrunner after Brady Quinn?s bad game against Michigan, has completed 69.1 percent of his passes (56-for-81) through the top-ranked Buckeyes? first three games. That?s after a 62.1 percent accuracy rating a year ago.
By comparison, Robinson completed only 52.1 percent of his throws for Penn State in 2005.
??He probably throws the ball a little bit better, and they ask him to do more with the passing game than maybe we did with Michael,?? PSU coach Joe Paterno said Tuesday.
Paterno later gave Smith high praise, calling him ??one of the better football players we have played against since I have been at Penn State.??
Smith is off to a blistering start, throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions while averaging 256 yards passing per game. He threw for 269 yards and two TDs in Ohio State?s 24-7 win over No. 2 Texas in week two.
The Lions? defense didn?t fare well against Notre Dame?s Quinn two weeks ago, giving up 287 yards passing and three touchdowns. It will have to do better than that Saturday to have a chance against Ohio State.
??Since the last time we played [Smith], I think he?s improved tremendously,?? Posluszny said. ??If you look at how he finished last year and what he?s been able to do this year, he?s been doing a great job.
??It?s going to be a huge challenge for us, and it?s going to be fun playing against him.??
The Lions shouldn?t be surprised by Smith given his similar style of play to Robinson.
??They?re both mobile quarterbacks who have the ability to throw,?? Posluszny said. ??There?s definitely some differences between them, but any time you have a mobile quarterback like that who can run the option and also throws the ball downfield, it?s always very tough to prepare for them.??
SUBHD: Mr. Versatility
Penn State has tried taking advantage of Derrick Williams? skills by playing him all over the field ? at wideout, running back and quarterback.
Williams has caught seven passes for 79 yards and one TD, run 15 times for 54 yards and a score and was crunched on his lone pass attempt. He?s also returned six punts and four kickoffs.
Paterno said he?s not trying to pattern Williams after any former Lion player.
??We just want to try to give Derrick a chance to do some of the things he does best,?? Paterno said. ??I think he has done well. Obviously, things won?t come as easy for him as they did last year when a lot of people didn?t realize how good he was.
??We have got to spot him a little bit more because we are asking him to do so many things.??
SUBHD: Forget the Titans
Penn State running back Tony Hunt attended T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., which was made famous by the movie ??Remember the Titans.??
Hunt, however, doesn?t care for the film, which depicts Williams? 1971 state championship team.
??I don?t watch the movie a lot at all,?? Hunt said. ??The team actually went and watched it the day before our homecoming game [and] got beat real bad. We weren?t that good; people made fun of us. It was pretty much like a joke. We got teased more so than anything about it, so I don?t really like it too much.??
SUBHD: What might have been
Paterno recalled a story about traveling with Ohio State coach Jim Tressel?s father and meeting Jim at age 12 or 13. He later kept in touch with him once he started his coaching career.
??When Jimmy was at Youngstown, he and I talked a lot,?? Paterno said. ??In fact, one time I debated trying to get him to come here as an assistant coach. He was extremely well organized, a fine young man and a, I think, a good motivator in his own way.??
SUBHD: Injury update
Defensive end Jim Shaw (ankle) didn?t practice Monday but returned to the field Tuesday.
??We have our fingers crossed, and I am hopeful he will be able to go [Saturday],?? Paterno said.
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