Game Thread Game Four: #1 Ohio State 28, #24 Penn State 6 (9/23/06)

[gregorylee]

I think we need a 40 -50 point win over these turkeys to make up for the biggy they put on us. I think that would make me feel just grand.

...and it would make me feel rich!!!

I am pretty confident on the spread, hoping that the weather holds out.

 

[Tlangs]

I just took a huge Posluszny

 

[WoodyHayes1951]

Final score: Ohio State 41- PSU 13

I don't see PSU scoring that much more than Texas(7), Cincinnati(7) and NIU(12) especially since a ND defense with absolutely no speed gave up only 17 points to these guys.

 

[daddyphatsacs]

Man, judging by the predictions I'd think that we were playing N. Illinois.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

All eyes on this Buckeye
Nittany Lions will pay plenty of attention to OSU?s Smith

By Jeffrey Reinhart
Lancaster New Era
Published: Sep 20, 2006 1:36 PM EST
LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - Kevin Suhey has a tough job this week.
Penn State?s redshirt freshman quarterback probably won?t sniff the field when the Nittany Lions head to Columbus on Saturday for a Big Ten showdown against top-ranked Ohio State (3:30 p.m., ABC-TV).

But Suhey will play a major role in the game, because he?s the guy imitating ? well, trying to imitate ? Troy Smith, Ohio State?s multi-purpose quarterback, on the scout team during practice this week.

If Suhey does his job, Penn State has a shot against the Buckeyes. Not sure how big that shot is, but a shot is a shot.

If not, then Smith ? with weapons galore at his disposal ? could have a field day against the Lions.

?We?re looking forward to playing the No. 1 team on the road,? Penn State senior linebacker Paul Posluszny said Tuesday. ?It?s a great opportunity, and everyone is stressing how big of an opportunity this is.

?Offensively, Ohio State has the whole package, so this gives our defense a chance to prove something, and to show everyone what we?re made of.?

Ohio State (3-0) is ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press poll and USA Today Coaches poll. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 in the preseason, and backed that up with a clutch 24-7 win at Texas two weeks ago.

So how has Penn State (2-1) fared against No. 1-ranked teams?

Not horribly ? but not exactly anything to write home about.

The Lions are 4-8 against top-ranked teams, with 10 of those games coming with Joe Paterno as head coach.

The last time Penn State took on a No. 1-ranked team was in 1998, when the Lions dropped a 28-9 decision at top-ranked Ohio State.

Penn State?s last victory over a top-ranked team was in 1990, when the Lions knocked off No. 1 Notre Dame 24-21.

Two of the program?s most memorable victories came against No. 1-ranked teams ? against top-ranked Georgia in the 1983 Sugar Bowl, and against top-ranked Miami (Fla.) in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl.

If Penn State has any hopes of knocking off another top-ranked team, the Lions must curtail Smith, a Heisman Trophy hopeful who can beat you with his arm and with his feet.

?He?s improved tremendously,? Posluszny noted. ?He throws the ball well and he makes great, great decisions.?

Smith is off to a great start. He has completed 69 percent of his passes for 769 yards and seven touchdowns with no interceptions.

His favorite targets ? speedy wideouts Anthony Gonzalez (17-280, 2 TD) and Ted Ginn Jr. (14-253, 5 TDs) ? will definitely test Penn State?s secondary, which was exposed by Brady Quinn and Notre Dame two weeks ago.

Ginn has been particularly tough to cover early on. The former Big 33 MVP has been impossible to cover 1-on-1.

Asked if he has any plans for slowing down Ginn on Saturday, Paterno drew some laughter during his weekly teleconference on Tuesday.

?I?m going to have somebody put something in his food the morning of the game,? the coach said with a chuckle.

?Ted Ginn is a great athlete. But there is also a kid by the name of Gonzalez on that team.?

Gonzalez has also been a rock. He?s a possession-type wideout who always seems to find the nooks and crannies.

And Smith always seems to find a way to get the ball to his outstanding wideouts.

Someone asked Paterno if Smith reminded him of Penn State?s former quarterback, reigning Big Ten offensive MVP Michael Robinson.

Paterno said he wasn?t much into comparing and contrasting his players, but he took a stab at it.

?(Smith) probably throws the ball a little better, and they ask him to do more with the passing game than maybe we did with Michael,? the coach said. ?But they are the same kind of players.

?(Smith) has the same kind of leadership qualities that Michael had. He is very poised ? calm, and kids respond to him. I think he is the leader of the Ohio State football team right now, as I think Michael was with us. They are very similar.?

When Smith isn?t winging darts or running the option, shifty vet Antonio Pittman (340 yards, 3 TDs) can run between the tackles and get to the boundary.

?They have a great quarterback and the tailback is a big-league player,? Paterno said. ?What do you? You go in there and pray. You got a good prayer to St. Jude for hopeless causes??

Paterno was kidding. Or was he?

?They are No. 1, so it?s a great opportunity for us,? said Penn State senior running back Tony Hunt, who rushed for 143 yards and a TD in last Saturday?s 37-3 win over Youngstown State.

?And honestly,? he said, ?I was an Ohio State fan growing up, but this makes me not like them as much now.?

If Ohio State?s defense ? led by stud sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis ? continually pancakes Hunt, or doesn?t give QB Anthony Morelli enough time to throw, he might like the Buckeyes even less come Saturday evening.

?I just want our kids to play with some poise, concentrate, play every play hard and see what happens,? Paterno said. ?Beyond that ... there is no magical combination. We?re going out there to play a superior football team ? one of the better football teams we?ve played in probably the last five or six years.?

NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND: ESPN?s wildly popular College Gameday show will broadcast live from Ohio Stadium on Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon with host Chris Fowler and analysts Lee Corso ? he?ll be the guy waving the pencil ? and Kirk Herbstreit, an Ohio State grad who will undoubtedly pick the Buckeyes.
ON THE TUBE: Next Saturday?s game against Northwestern will be broadcast on ABC-TV at 3:30 p.m.
THE LINE: Ohio State by 16.
THE PICK: Penn State will put up a good fight ? Hunt finally looks up to speed and look for Posluszny to be more involved ? but Ohio State has too many horses. Buckeyes win, 31-13.

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Paterno still going strong at 79

Penn State coach has seen it all, won most of it


By Doug Harris
Staff Writer

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, who turns 80 in December, signed a contract extension in 2004 that will keep him on the sidelines through the 2008 season. And he has given every indication that he intends to fulfill that commitment.
Here are some notable numbers in Paterno's career:
5 ? Unbeaten seasons, two of which yielded national championships (1982 and '86)
8 ? Presidents who have been in office since he became Penn State's head coach in 1966
14 ? Career interceptions as a defensive back at Brown University (Class of 1950)
19 ? Penn State teams under Paterno that have won at least 10 games
32 ? Bowl appearances, a record, as are his 21 postseason wins
356 ? Career wins in 41 seasons, five behind all-time leader Bobby Bowden of Florida State
775 ? Coaching changes in NCAA Division I since he was hired, an average of six per school
40,911 ? Number of fans in Beaver Stadium for his first win, a 15-7 decision over Maryland (Penn State drew average crowds of about 105,000 last year)

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Ginn eager to break a punt return for a score


By Doug Harris
Staff Writer

Thursday, September 21, 2006

COLUMBUS ? Ohio State foes have kept Ted Ginn Jr. from shaking loose on punt returns, but he believes he could be on the cusp of breaking one.
His longest return in eight attempts this season has been 22 yards.
"Guys are kicking away from me a little bit, and it's hard to go from getting every punt to getting one or two a game," he said. "You've got to get a feel for what they're doing. And on those two punts, they might do something different each time. It's kind of tricky.
"But you've just got to be patient and be poised, and you'll get one."
The junior receiver holds the OSU career record for punt-return TDs with five. And he has five scoring catches this season ? one more than last year ? although he didn't see double coverage until the Cincinnati game last week.
"They think they have athletes who can cover me one-on-one, and that's what I want," he said.
Although he's already positioned himself to be a high NFL draft pick, the 6-foot, 175-pounder said he's still undecided about whether to turn pro.
"That's not even on my mind," he said. "I'm just playing the game for my seniors. I'm trying to play tough and fast. And I'll let whatever happens, happen."
Ex-teammates collide
Penn State starting cornerback Tony Davis and OSU center and co-captain Doug Datish are former Warren Howland High School teammates, and they needle each other in the offseason about their college rivalry.
"We worked a camp together in the summer at our high school and bantered a little bit," Datish said. "If I was still playing tackle, I'd probably get a chance to hit him. I'm playing center now, but I'll still be looking for him."
ND embarrasses Lions
Linebacker Paul Posluszny knew the retooled Penn State defense would get scrutinized during a national TV appearance at Notre Dame two weeks ago, and he doesn't like the conclusions that were probably drawn.
The Nittany Lions, who are replacing seven starting defenders, gave up nearly 400 total yards in a 41-17 defeat.
"That's not the way Penn State plays defense," Posluszny said.
The Butkus Award-winner and the rest of the unit are looking to make amends before another hostile crowd at OSU.
"This is a chance to prove ourselves and find out what we're made of," Posluszny said.
"It's going to be very difficult. But when it comes down to it, it's just a football game. We're going to play on the same-sized field. They're going to have a loud crowd, but it's something we're used to."

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

OSU staffer sees Paterno in Tressel

Football operations director was graduate assistant during Paterno's first year.


By Doug Harris
Staff Writer

Thursday, September 21, 2006

COLUMBUS ? Bob Tucker wasn't sure if Joe Paterno would be able to out-coach anyone during his first season at Penn State. But Tucker was fairly certain that nobody would out-work him.
Ohio State's director of football operations served as a graduate assistant for the Nittany Lions during Paterno's rookie year. And Tucker's first impression of the neophyte coach was a favorable one.
"There was a bank of football offices in the rec building across from the racquetball courts, and the graduate assistants had to teach courses back then," said Tucker, 63. "I can remember in the summer teaching a handball course at 7 in the morning, and he'd already be in his office dressed in a shirt and tie.
"A lot of coaches are figureheads. They manage everything from afar. But Joe rolled up his sleeves and was involved in the offense, defense and kicking game."
The Nittany Lions would register the first of their five unbeaten seasons under Paterno in his third year, but his opening campaign was a rocky one. They finished 5-5, although the schedule was brutal.
"Bubba Smith and (No. 1) Michigan State beat us," Tucker said. "And Syracuse had Larry Csonka and Floyd Little. You didn't know very much about them then. I thought, 'What a rag-tag bunch of guys. Their uniforms are kind of shoddy, and they look a little slow.' But, man, they kicked our butts down the field."
But Tucker could have predicted Paterno would eventually succeed, if for no other reason than his ability to handle people. Although he has an extensive football background himself ? serving on Earle Bruce's staffs at Ohio State and Iowa State before a 12-year stint as head coach at Wooster ? Tucker never thought he'd meet anyone else in the business with Paterno's personable traits until being hired by Jim Tressel at Youngstown State in 1997 and following him to OSU four years later.
"It was like coaching for Jim Tressel at a younger age," Tucker said of that 1966 season. "(Paterno) was a brilliant guy, great with people and super well-organized.
"The thing that was so Tressel-like was he could remember everybody. He'd see a high school coach, and maybe he'd met the guy's wife 10 years ago. But he'd say, 'How's Suzie?' And he'd ask about his kids. That's Jim Tressel."
Tucker and Paterno lost touch over the years, but they were reunited when the Buckeyes visited State College in 2001.
Although Tucker had been just a lowly grad assistant with far fewer duties than the GA's of today, Paterno's face brightened when they greeted each other again. "It was like he had seen me yesterday, and it had been almost 40 years," Tucker said.
"To me, he and Jim Tressel have so many things in common ... it's magical."

 

[osugrad21]

CPD

Linked by pain, Taliaferro, Gentry share strength, too



Thursday, September 21, 2006 Doug Lesmerises

Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- Saturday will mark the six-year anniversary of the day Penn State football player Adam Taliaferro broke his neck against the Buckeyes. Taliaferro will be back inside Ohio Stadium again in two days, not to remember his accident, but to lend support to a new friend.
Taliaferro, who walked four months after his injury and is now enrolled in Rutgers Law School, is flying into town to meet Ohio State's Tyson Gentry, the Buckeye player still wheel- chair-bound after breaking a vertebra in his neck during a spring scrimmage. The two will take the field together near the end of halftime.
Gentry said he gained more weight recently after having to go back to the hospital in August. He's also taking several classes this fall. Gentry has returned to Ohio Stadium already, watching the first two games as a fan.
"It was definitely a little chilling to hear the crowd," he said of the season-opener, "and to be back where everything used to be routine. Now it's just a whole new approach, being in the wheelchair and everything.
"Being out there with Adam, because both of our injuries happened on the same field, that holds some significance as well."
The two first talked in the days after Gentry was hurt, while he was still in intensive care. Taliaferro, 25, read about Gentry and called after Ohio State coach Jim Tressel spoke with Penn State coach Joe Paterno.
"I was thinking back to when I was in the situation and trying to put myself in his shoes," Taliaferro said. "I was kind of nervous because I didn't know how he would sound, because it was really early in his injury. When I heard his voice, he sounded like he was feeling strong and I had a good feeling about him."
They've talked several times since, and Taliaferro's father, Andre, has visited Gentry. Friday night, Taliaferro will meet with one of the nurses that cared for him at Ohio State Medical Center, and Saturday he'll have breakfast with the Gentrys. Then it's to the field, and the memories of the injuries that brought them together.
Williams and Ginn:
Penn State sophomore Derrick Williams and Ohio State junior Ted Ginn Jr. are often compared for their speed and versatility as receivers and returners who can also line up in the backfield.
Williams, who has 16 carries for 54 yards, seven catches for 79 yards and has also returned six punts and four kickoffs, does know the competition a bit. They met at a Nike summer football camp at Penn State before Ginn's senior year at Glenville and ran against each other in track at the Penn Relays. "I'm not sure who's faster," Williams said. "We never raced each other one on one."

 

[osugrad21]

Canton Rep

[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Paterno keeps eye on OSU?s Smith[/FONT]
Thursday, September 21, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER[/FONT]

COLUMBUS - It doesn?t take a master?s degree in Xs and Os to find the strength of Penn State?s defense. Or the weakness.
Run the football and suffer.
Throw the ball and maybe beat the Nittany Lions.
If Troy Smith is throwing the football Saturday at Ohio Stadium, maybe chalk up another step toward the Heisman Trophy.
Smith is coming off his most down-to-earth effort this season. He threw for 202 yards against Cincinnati. But it was ?Separation Saturday? in college football and Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn took a step or two behind Smith.
?I don?t think I?m in any position to say anyone was separated last week because I didn?t have a very good week,? Smith said.
Still, he completed 21-of-30 passes. And he is facing a Penn State defense that gave up nearly 300 yards in the air in a loss to Quinn and the Irish.
Ohio State and Penn State meet for the 22nd time Saturday as Big Ten play opens.
?One thing about Penn State, all the way back from the beginning of time, is they?re going to have eight in the box if you?re in the standard formation,? Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel said. ?They?re going to get a ninth guy up there once they see where the ball?s going. If you spread them out, they?re still going to have one more hat in the box than you have blockers. That?s the nature of the way they play it.?
So expect a big afternoon from Smith.
Penn State is coming off a 37-3 win over Division I-AA Youngstown State, but a week prior, the Nittany Lion defenders were left a tad crispy by Quinn. He threw for 287 yards, completing 25-of-36 passes.
Penn State has nine of its 12 sacks against Akron and Youngstown State and All-American linebacker Paul Posluszny, recovering from a devastating knee injury last season, is looking for his first sack.
Joe Paterno is sounding more like Lou Holtz this week, leaving the impression he just hopes the game is close.
The higher ranked team has won 14 of the last 15 games in this series.
?I am worried about a kid by the name of Smith, who is one of the better football players we have played against since I have been at Penn State. He has a cast of characters that look pretty darn good,? Paterno said.
?People say you have to put pressure on him. Yeah, sure. You try to catch him.?
Smith has a streak of 151 consecutive passes without an interception. It?s a streak that dates back to the last play of the first half of the Northwestern game in 2005.
In his career, Smith has thrown just seven interceptions and 31 touchdowns, including seven this season.
?The first thing 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, and Troy is very careful about our football,? Tressel said. ?He knows the impact of us losing our football on the whole team is significant.
?Then it comes down to a knowledge of what we?re doing, and what they?re doing. Where I think he?s really grown is we play against all different schemes of defenses, and he studies them hard.?
Smith faced three very different schemes in Northern Illinois, Texas and Cincinnati. Saturday?s opponent, No. 24 Penn State, isn?t like any of those three.
Smith threw an interception in last season?s loss to the Nittany Lions.
?Troy will know the difference by the time he has that ball in his hands,? Tressel said. ?Of course, he knows more and more about what we?re doing, and there has to be a little good fortune when you have a streak of any kind.?
Penn State picked off four passes in wins against Akron and Youngstown State, but did not have an interception against Quinn. It?s pass defense is the 77th-ranked in the country.
That is a matchup that gives Paterno fits when he tries to sleep. He watched Michael Robinson led the Nittany Lions to the Orange Bowl last year. They are similar QBs.
?I think Troy Smith has become a very, very fine quarterback,? Paterno said. ?... He is very poised, calm and kids respond to him.?

BUCKEYES WR Roy Hall was 85 percent last week as he played while recovering from an ankle sprain. ?He played maybe 10 snaps,? Tressel said. ?He?s probably up to 95 percent now.? ... Tressel said he took a page from Joe Paterno?s book and has donated money back to OSU?s fundraising campaigns over the years. ?If you?re paying attention to the right thing, you see that in people you?d like to study from. I saw that type of thing from my father, from Joe Paterno, John Wooden and Earle Bruce. Joe has always been front and center for loving education.? ... OSU is asking fans to wear scarlet shirts to Saturday?s game in an effort to one-up Penn State?s impressive white-out last year on national TV. ... The game will be broadcast on ABC to more than 80 percent of the country, including Alaska and Hawaii.
Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]\\PENN STATE
AT OHIO STATE
Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Ohio
Stadium, Columbus
TV
Channel 5

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Close calls fuel OSU, Penn State in rivalry

By Rusty Miller

Associated Press

On the list of the Big Ten?s top rivalries, Penn State-Ohio State could be considered an afterthought.
That would be a mistake.
Heading into Saturday?s game between the defending league co-champs in Columbus, Ohio, No. 24 Penn State holds an 11-10 series lead over No. 1 Ohio State. The margin in most of those games has been a lot thinner than Joe Paterno?s bifocals.
?We?ve had some great games,? Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said. ?It?s so natural from a rivalry standpoint. Two of the great programs, historically, in the nation. There?s no question, it?s going to be an every-year thing forever.?
Six of the last 11 meetings have been decided by a touchdown or less, many in the waning minutes. Here?s a look at four memorable ones:
?No. 16 Penn State 17, No. 6 Ohio State 10. The most recent meeting, last season, played before a crowd of almost 110,000 at Beaver Stadium, served notice that it was a mistake to think the Nittany Lions were toothless after back-to-back losing seasons.
?No. 4 Ohio State 13, No. 18 Penn State 7. A 40-yard interception return by Chris Gamble helps the Buckeyes remain perfect in their 2002 national championship season.
?No. 2 Penn State 31, No. 7 Ohio State 27. Buckeyes lead by 10 behind QB Joe Germaine?s 378 passing yards in this 1997 showdown but a former Mr. Football in Ohio (Curtis Enis) breaks hearts back home with a fourth-quarter TD run.
?No. 5 Ohio State 28, No. 12 Penn State 25. Heisman winner Eddie George scores with 1:42 left in the ?95 game to keep Ohio State unbeaten.
?It?s not on the level with the Michigan game but it?s up there,? Buckeyes linebacker James Laurinaitis said.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Nittany Lions get shot at trying to stop Buckeyes QB

By Genaro C. Armas

Associated Press

Associated Press
Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith is running less and throwing better this season, having completed 69 percent of his passes in the top-ranked Buckeyes? first three games.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. ? Texas couldn?t stop him. Northern Illinois and Cincinnati were mere speed bumps.
Now Penn State gets a crack at trying to contain Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith on Saturday, a tough task that the top-ranked Buckeyes? first three opponents couldn?t handle.
?People say you have to put pressure on him and you have to do this and that,? Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. ?Yeah, sure, try to catch him.?
Smith has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns, completing 69 percent of his passes for No. 1 Ohio State (3-0). The senior has yet to throw an interception.
It helps Smith to have a lot of talented options, such as speedy wideout and fellow Heisman hopeful Ted Ginn Jr., receiver Anthony Gonzalez and running back Antonio Pittman.
That puts the 24th-ranked Nittany Lions (2-1) in a quandary familiar to the Buckeyes? other foes this season.
?You put pressure on him and you are running around trying to make sure Ginn, Gonzalez and the other kid aren?t running wild on you,? Paterno said. ?You plug away and plug away. I think our defensive line is working at it. We are going to have to play a lot of people because they are going to get tired.?
If there?s any solace for Paterno, Penn State has had some success in bottling up Smith. Nearly a year ago at a rocking Beaver Stadium, Smith was 13 of 25 for 139 yards and an interception and ran for 15 yards on 19 carries in Penn State?s nail-biting 17-10 win over Ohio State that eliminated any national title hopes for the Buckeyes.
Smith did run for Ohio State?s only score then and was involved in two other big plays. Unfortunately for him, he was on the wrong end each time ? sacked by Tamba Hali with about a minute and a half left and chased down by Paul Posluszny for a 10-yard loss with about five minutes to go.
Things have changed. Penn State lost seven starters from that impressive defense. Ohio State hasn?t lost a game since then.
Smith said he has watched last year?s Penn State game a couple of times.
?I don?t want to say that Penn State was a turning point,? Smith said. ?I would like to say that we gradually increased and got better as a team. That was just a step along the way.?
He?s more sure of himself now and hits the film room to try to fix any potential problems.
?It?s a totally different comfort level than last year,? Smith said.
He?s running less, with just 12 attempts for minus-14 yards in his first three games. By comparison, he ran 11 times for 66 yards in the Fiesta Bowl last season against Notre Dame.
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said Smith hasn?t run as much this season in part because the offense has been effective without his scrambling abilities and in part to better protect the quarterback.
?What do you do to stop us? I guess first of all you?ve got to stop Troy Smith,? guard T.J. Downing said. ?But to stop Troy, you?ve got to get through the offensive line. ... It?s a big question mark for the defensive coordinator for Penn State and for the rest of their team.?
Penn State linebacker Dan Connor said the key to stopping Smith last season was keeping him in the pocket, but he has noticed a difference this year.
?He definitely looks real good in the passing game, looking people off, defensive backs and linebackers,? said Connor, who has a team-high 30 tackles. ?He definitely looks more polished as a passer.?
Still, the Lions are aware of Smith?s ability to break a defense down on the run. They know firsthand how disruptive an athletic quarterback can be since they had to practice against one every week last season when Michael Robinson guided Penn State.
Texas can relate. The Longhorns? defense also had the experience of practicing against an athletic quarterback last season, Vince Young. Smith torched them anyway two weeks ago for 269 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-7 win.
Which would make stopping Smith even more impressive for a Nittany Lions defense still jelling after incorporating the fresh faces into the starting lineup, including three sophomores in the secondary. Penn State has been taut against the run, giving up just 63 yards a game, but more porous against the pass (205 yards a game).
The Lions have had some success getting to the quarterback, with 12 sacks in their first three games.
?Anytime you have a mobile quarterback like that who can run the option and also throws the ball downfield really well, it?s always very tough to prepare for them,? Posluszny said.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Nittany Lions again up against a tough one

Two weeks ago, Penn State journeyed to the Midwest to defend a quarterback who was the Heisman Trophy favorite. In two days, Penn State is back out there again, and again dealing with the Heisman Trophy favorite.
The slightly shifting fortunes of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn and Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith over those two weeks doesn't change this basic fact: The Nittany Lions are up against it, again.
In South Bend, the questions were about why Penn State didn't blitz more often early in the game against Quinn. The belief this time, when Ohio State hosts the Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon, is that pressure alone isn't enough against a quarterback who makes big plays in the pocket or on the run, wowing scouts with his accuracy and impressing everybody with his leadership.
While Notre Dame had future NFL wide receivers, Smith has maybe the fastest weapon around in Ted Ginn Jr. Or as Ohio State's media guide hypes it: "Arguably the most exciting player in college football."
The star pairing on the nation's top-ranked team have a relationship that goes much deeper than great arm and fast legs.
"They just have these looks they can give each other because they know each other so well," Ohio State center Doug Datish said of Smith and Ginn, high school teammates who have known each other since they were barely in elementary school, growing up in Cleveland.
Ginn's first memory of Smith, going back about 14 years: "We were in church. We snuck out to go to McDonald's. It started there."
Eventually, Ted Ginn Sr. became a coach and genuine father figure in Smith's life.
"He's meant pretty much everything," Smith said yesterday on a media conference call, talking about Ted Ginn Sr., who coached him as a high school senior. "He's made decisions when I was young that helped me turn into a man, so that I can make my own decisions now."
Smith, a year older than Ted Jr., will be out of eligibility after this season, while Ginn has one season remaining. The expectation is that both will enter the NFL draft. Right now, Smith is the clear Heisman favorite, after Quinn, the preseason pick, struggled and Notre Dame went down to Michigan. But if both Ohio State players end up in the same draft, expect Ginn to go first.
"At his workouts, Ted is going to put up big, big numbers," said Dan Shonka, a former Eagles scout who now runs Ourlads draft guide.
Of course, Ginn has always attracted attention, even in this state. He ran twice in the Penn Relays, was part of a 4x100-winning relay team in 2004, and caught an 82-yard touchdown pass as Ohio's MVP against Pennsylvania that same year in the Big 33 game. Now, he's in the middle of a seemingly successful transition from speedball to constant go-to receiver.
"When he catches the ball, he's not a real natural catcher," Shonka said of Ginn. "He doesn't have those soft suction-cup hands. He'll snatch at the ball. But if he makes the progress that Troy Smith made last year, there's no telling how good he can be."
Shonka figures Ginn to be a top-10 pick whenever he comes out. Smith is likely to be a later first-round pick, he said, only because of his 6-foot size, as he was officially measured. A couple of inches taller and he'd have an easier time seeing over the line. Guys his size always have to prove they're special.
"You know what, this guy might be that special," Shonka said of Smith. "He's so quick to his throwing point... when he takes the ball from under center - not only in the shotgun. He throws a very catchable ball, with good velocity."
One last point from the scout: "This guy has beaten Michigan, Notre Dame and Texas in three of his last five games."
The only team Smith hasn't beaten is Penn State, which took the Buckeyes out, 17-10, last year in State College, ending their national-title hopes.
Revenge time?
"Coach [Jim] Tressel and the coaches do a great job in not making this a revenge thing," said Datish, the center. "We just know if we lose this game, everything we're looking to accomplish is almost for naught."
"You know all about revenge," Ginn said yesterday. "It's just our next step."
"One thing I learned," Smith said, "is that you have to win on the road to be a championship-caliber team."
Winning at home? That's expected and left unspoken, like a lot of the communication between Smith and Ginn. A lot of times, Smith said, "he knows exactly what he's seeing, and I can see the same thing."

 

[osugrad21]

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Nits and Buckeyes both feature a do-it-all weapon

By BERNARD FERNANDEZ

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Derrick Williams and Ted Ginn Jr. aren't likely to set any pass-receiving records for their respective universities. The breathtakingly fast wideouts are too busy doing other things, like returning kickoffs, returning punts, running reverses, lining up at tailback, taking snaps at quarterback, performing with the marching band at halftime and selling popcorn during breaks in the action.
OK, those last two were made up. But for these jacks-of-all-trades, almost anything is possible once a football game starts and they're anywhere in the vicinity.
Williams, No. 2 in your program and usually No. 1 to the finish line, is the sophomore from Greenbelt, Md., who can pop up just about anywhere on the field for coach Joe Paterno's Penn State team. He's the Mr. Fix-It who helped turn the Nittany Lions' season around last year with that game-winning, 36-yard touch-down reception from Michael Robinson that capped a dramatic rally and lifted Penn State to a 34-29 victory at Northwestern last Sept. 24.
Ginn, a junior from Cleveland who wears No. 7, is the human blur for Ohio State whom the Buckeyes' media guide describes as "arguably the most exciting player in college football." Last season, Ginn caught four scoring passes, rushed for another touchdown and added still another on a punt return. He's had six returns for touchdowns during his career, five punts and one kickoff, and has nearly two seasons to continue his assault on the Division I-A record of nine. Oh, and who can forget how he personally wrecked Notre Dame in the Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl, rushing twice for 73 yards and a touchdown and catching eight passes for 167 yards and another TD? No wonder the Fighting Irish chose not to kick to him.
Although Williams and Ginn won't be on the field at the same time during Saturday afternoon's nationally televised game in Columbus between No. 24 Penn State (2-1) and top-ranked Ohio State (3-0), the outcome might well hinge on which multitasking star is involved in the most big plays.
Williams' numbers from 2005 aren't eye-popping, in no small part because he missed the last five games, including the Orange Bowl, after he broke his left arm late in the fourth quarter at Michigan. To that point, he was leading the Lions with 22 catches, for 289 yards and a touchdown, and had 22 carries for 105 yards and three TDs. He also averaged 21.1 yards on 13 kickoff returns.
"We want to try to give Derrick a chance to do some of the things he does best," Paterno said of Williams, who posted six plays of 20 or more yards and averaged an impressive 11.7 yards per touch last season.
"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've got to spot him a little bit more because we're asking him to do so many things."
It only seems that "Versatility" is Williams' middle name (it's actually Dwayne). At Eleanor Roosevelt High in suburban Washington, D.C., the 6-foot, 201-pounder was a consensus All-America as a senior - and why not? All he did was complete 56 of 91 passes for 972 yards and 13 touchdowns, rush for 1,123 yards and 12 touchdowns and catch 11 passes for 203 yards and two more scores. And don't forget his 479 punt-return yards and another TD, or the four interceptions he had as a defensive back.
Somehow, he also found time to be a sprint star on the track team.
Penn State coaches reacted to Williams' arrival like kids with a new toy, or maybe toys. He was everywhere, doing everything, and still does.
Williams' statistics this season aren't particularly startling - seven receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown, 15 rushes for 54 yards and a touchdown and 10 total returns for 128 yards - but then there's no way to measure his value as the best decoy since Gen. Patton.
"I don't think I can surprise teams anymore," said Williams, who would have had a pass attempt this year had he not been hit from behind while setting up to throw against Notre Dame. "When I'm in the game, the only thing I hear is '2 in the backfield, 2 in the backfield!' "
Sometimes, opposing defenses fixate so much on Williams that the Lions' other skill-position players on offense take advantage of it. And that's all right with Williams.
"The main thing is for us to win the game," he said.
Ginn, who played at Glenville High with Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith, is a 6-foot, 180-pounder who, like Williams, is a threat to take it all the way from anywhere on the field.
So, who would win a match race between them?
"I'm not sure," Williams said. "Ted and I were at a Nike camp together. We ran together at a couple of track meets. We know each other pretty well.
"But I never raced him one-on-one. Our relay teams raced each other, though. I think his came in third and we came in fourth."
Makes you wonder who was running the anchor leg for the teams that finished first and second.
Williams said he admires Ginn's talent, but he doesn't consider Saturday's game as some sort of showdown.
"When we were in high school, me and Ted played a lot of similar positions. But Ted is Ted and I'm myself. I'm pretty sure that they give to ball to Ted whenever he can make a play at whatever position he's at. Penn State does the same thing with me. I can see why people compare us. But I don't compare myself to anybody."

 

[osugrad21]

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Playing keep-away



Thursday, September 21, 2006

Only seven quarterbacks among the top 100 rated NCAA passers have yet to throw an interception this season. Among them, Ohio State's Troy Smith has by far the longest streak, dating back to last season, of passes without an interception.
1. Troy Smith, Ohio State, 151 2. Drew Willy, Buffalo, 97 3. S. McGee, Texas A&M, 82 4. John David Booty, USC 71 5. Thaddeus Lewis, Duke, 62 6. J. Zabransky, Boise St. 55 7. R. Skinner, Wake Forest, 46