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Game Thread Game Ten: #1 tOSU 17, Illinois 10 (11/4/06)

Dukes is listed as Teddy's backup, so Small is unsurprisingly out.

Last week's POWs:
Offense: Pittman
Defense: Smith
O-Line: Downing
Attack Force: Freeman
Scout O: Franzinger
Scout D: Dublin
Scout ST: Crall
Apparently, no Tatum hit or special teams POW. I guess that is to be expected after a muffed punt and a blocked XP.
 
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I think Freeman is learning a lot and is starting to play well. Hopefully he can continue against Ill. Dukes needs to play some too to get into it more. This could be a good game for him.

tOSU 34 Ill 9
:oh:
 
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osugrad21;647387; said:
"I think probably high school football in the state of Ohio is very good,'' he said. "Their coaches do a great job, but they've done a great job cultivating that and getting players that fit their system. A lot of times people get caught up in whether a recruit is five stars or whatever. What matters is the guys that fit into your program.''


Hey mods this quote needs to be a sticky in the recruiting forum! Nice find Grad!
 
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MarionStar

Fumbles hurt potency of OSU combo
By JON SPENCER
For The Marion Star




COLUMBUS - They mostly provide background vocals for their rock star quarterback, or so goes perception. Yet according to the stats, tailbacks Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells give top-ranked Ohio State one of the Big Ten's more formidable one-two punches. Heading into Saturday's game at Illinois, they've rushed for 1,285 yards and 14 touchdowns. Only Wisconsin's P.J. Hill and Lance Smith (1,513) and Michigan's Mike Hart and Kevin Grady (1,314) have chewed up more turf - remarkable given the tricky footing and sorry state of the Ohio Stadium field - and only Hill and Smith have scored more touchdowns (17).


Getting Pittman, the veteran from Akron, and Wells, the rookie from Akron, to mesh hasn't been a problem. At 6-1, 225 pounds, Wells packs a straight-ahead wallop. Combined with Pittman's deceptive speed and strength, it makes for a devastating combo.

The problem has been keeping Wells from punching his own team in the gut. Wells' fumble at the Minnesota 9 in the second quarter of Saturday's 44-0 victory marked the second time in three weeks and third time this season that he has coughed it up in short-yardage situations.

After Wells fumbled at the OSU 29 in the opening moments at Michigan State three weeks ago, the defense made one of its patented stands (the opposition hasn't scored on any of OSU's nine turnovers) and coach Jim Tressel went right back to Wells on the next series.

"We needed him to go back in there," Tressel said at the time, "and get back on the horse that threw him."

Wells rode the bench a bit longer after his fumble Saturday. The Buckeyes ran 28 more plays before the bullish freshman returned to the field late in the third quarter with the game well out of reach.

"It's distressing, there's no question about it, and we're not going to be as good a football team as we'd like to be if we continue to fumble," Tressel said. "Obviously, Chris has got to work to make sure that doesn't happen anymore.

"Chris is going to be one of our running backs and I'm sure he, more than anything else, wants to make sure he does what the team needs."

A contrite Wells is a scary Wells. Immediately upon his return, Wells showed his immense potential, ripping off an eight-yard gain, lugging most of the Gopher defense with him.

"The offensive line did great, but on that play I was just excited to get back in the game," Wells said.

Like a great closer in baseball, the always upbeat Wells appears able to block out disappointment. He recovered at Michigan State to score a touchdown and lead the team in rushing (53 yards, 12 carries) after Pittman rolled an ankle. After his "timeout" Saturday, Wells scored for the third straight week and finished with a career-high 90 yards on 15 carries against the Gophers.

"I was disappointed, but at halftime the coaches told me to put (the fumble) out of my head," said Wells, who has rushed for 391 yards on 82 carries (4.8 avg.) and scored four TDs. "Coach Tressel instilled confidence in me by putting me back in the game."

The first guy offering Wells encouragement after his fumble Saturday was Pittman.

"When I came in, (tailbacks) Lydell (Ross) and Mo (Maurice Hall) helped me," said Pittman, who has rushed for 894 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. "There was a lot I didn't know and there's a lot I know now that I want to share.

"This is my school. I represent it. I want the tradition to keep going. One-thousand-yard backs fell off a couple years here, so I'm going to do whatever I can to help Mo (Maurice) Wells and 'Beanie' (Chris Wells) so that, hopefully, they can pass on what they learn."
 
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Not sure where to put this article.....

MorningJournal


FOR being bitter rivals, Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells sure don't act like it. Of course, they're bitter rivals only in the sense that Pittman is the starting tailback and Wells is the backup. Otherwise, they're quite fond of each other.


Of course, that's not to say the fans of one are fans of the other.

Both Pittman and Wells are from Akron -- opposite sides of town, but the same town nonetheless. So Pittman had to laugh last week while retelling stories of when he and Wells spend time together at the mall or anywhere in public in their home city. Fans will recognize one, but not the other.

The best, he says, is when one of Wells' fans doesn't realize that Pittman is standing right next to him.

''They don't realize it's me with him and they'll say stuff about me,'' Pittman said. ''That happens a whole lot. We'll be going to the mall in Akron and people will say ?Just take the spot, man. Pittman, he ain't even from around here. This is our side of town.''

''I'm standing right there, so (Wells) will say ?Well tell him. He's right here.' And they'll say, ?Oh hey, what's up man?'''

Pittman is used to being overlooked. He's about the fourth most popular player on the offense, but only in terms of the sizzle. He wants to team with Wells to form the most powerful one-two tailback punch in the nation, both this year and next.

Certainly given Wells' bio, that punch should hit like a boxer. But Wells isn't holding up his end of the deal.

He's talented, no question. Watching him move a pile 8 yards in the third quarter Saturday against Minnesota illustrated his massive potential. But before that potential can be realized, Wells must first learn to hang onto the ball. Watching Wells fumble for the third time Saturday during a crucial moment further illustrates Pittman's value to this team.

Quick, when was the last time Pittman fumbled?

I'll give you a minute....

When the football goes into Pittman's arms, it may as well be going into a safe deposit box, never to be opened until the whistle blows and the referee asks for it back. Giving it to Wells right now is like watching a jack-in-the-box -- sooner or later it's going to pop out, you're just not sure when.

Wells has fumbled three times this year at inopportune moments and twice now in the red zone -- in the opener against Northern Illinois and again Saturday at Minnesota. Clearly Ohio State was going to win both games, fumbles or not, but Jim Tressel views red zone possessions as automatic points. And Tressel would rather wear a maize and blue sweater vest than give up points.

It's why Wells might find his carries in short supply when Michigan comes to town Nov. 18. He may get his usual 12-16 carries these next two weeks against Illinois and Northwestern, but how can this coaching staff have any confidence in Wells hanging onto the ball in the biggest game of the year when he hasn't proven capable of it to this point?

And make no mistake: Everything that happens these next two weeks, both in Ann Arbor and Columbus, is pointing to what will be the greatest regular season game in the history of this rivalry, and in turn perhaps the history of college football.

Last year at Michigan, Ohio State led, 9-0 and took possession on its own 40 in the second quarter. Freshman Maurice Wells was inexplicably inserted into the game, fumbled immediately and Michigan recovered. It swung the entire momentum of the game and nearly cost the Buckeyes the win and their eventual victory in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame.

Can Tressel make that gamble twice? Can he again play a freshman -- named Wells, no less -- with the national title and perfect season on the line?

Not when he has a vault to turn to in Pittman, who has quietly settled a position that remained turbulent for a couple years before he grew into that role last year.

He became the first sophomore since Archie Griffin to rush for 1,000 yards. He's 106 yards away from becoming the first running back at Ohio State to record consecutive 1,000 yard seasons since Eddie George.

And he hasn't fumbled since -- pencils down -- Oct. 15 of last year, when it happened against Michigan State. That's a span of 15 full games and 310 carries since his last fumble. And that's what Tressel wants in a tailback -- protection of the football. Pittman provides Secret Service-type protection.

Fortunately for Ohio State, the games have been shorter this year and none of them have been close. That has kept Pittman's carries down to an average of 18 per game, which should mean he's rested and fresh for the close of this memorable season.

For one day, on Nov. 18, no sharing is required. If the Buckeyes are going to successfully run against a defense that no one has budged this year, it will be Pittman's task and no one else.

Give it to Wells and Michigan will take it away, like it has a Big Ten-best 11 times this year. Give it to the vault and the Buckeyes will lock up a place in the national championship game.

[email protected]
 
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Buckeyes have just one worry [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]CHAMPAIGN - With Illinois the opponent Saturday for the nation's No. 1 college football team, want to know what folks are worrying about in and around Columbus, Ohio?

They're worrying about counterfeit tickets for the showdown with Michigan on Nov. 18. They're worrying about scalping prices that already are hitting $750 to $1,500 per seat and could climb higher before Ohio State's fast-approaching collision with the No. 2 Wolverines.

They're worrying about quarterback Troy Smith's Heisman Trophy campaign.

What they're not worrying about is Illinois.

OK, I'm sure Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has already warned his players not to be caught peeking ahead to the earth-shaking brawl with Michigan. He'd do that whether he believed it or not.

But with Illinois and Northwestern (combined record of 4-14) separating Ohio State from a chance to stamp its ticket to the national championship game, who could blame the Buckeyes if they lose focus on the matter at hand?

At least that's what the Illini players are hoping.

On Monday, spirits were high and excitement was evident in the voices of players who are very much focused on Saturday's game against unbeaten Ohio State.

"It's a great opportunity," safety Kevin Mitchell said. "Everyone wants to play No. 1.

"I believe it's possible they could be looking ahead. That has happened quite a bit this year. But I think their coaches will really ingrain in their heads that this week is not going to be a pushover. I think we've shown the last few weeks that we can compete. Unfortunately, the outcomes have not gone our way.

"But their coaches watch film and they can see we're coming along as a football team and we're dangerous."

I'm sure the Ohio State players also see Illinois' 2-7 record, and rarely does that translate into "dangerous." But Illinois actually believes in its chances this week and is buoyed, not beaten down, by what's happened in the recent four-game losing streak.

A victory at Michigan State followed by losses decided by two points to Indiana, three points to Ohio University, 14 points at Penn State and six points this past week at 17th-ranked Wisconsin have convinced Illinois it can compete. Defensively, there's almost a feeling of cockiness, with linebacker Brit Miller declaring, "I can promise you no one is going to run the ball on us."

Miller, an Eisenhower product, said the opportunity to play the nation's No. 1 team, "is too exciting to think about.

"For the program, (pulling the upset) would be phenomenal, and it would put us on the map and let everyone know we're a good football team. Personally, it's the biggest football game of my life. It's not very often you get a chance to go against the No. 1 team in the country, and I'm looking forward to it."

Miller said the daily focus continues to be cleaning up mistakes that keep putting Illinois on the short end of recent scores.

"The team morale is great right now. Mondays and Tuesdays are hard to get through because we lost the week before, but the mistakes we're making are miniscule. It's death by 1,000 paper cuts right now."

Illinois is no doubt hoping for a strong home-field advantage, and Miller says hanging tough in the first quarter will be crucial. But Ohio State fans, many of whom don't have a chance to secure tickets for sold-out home games, may arrive in droves and turn Memorial Stadium into a scarlet and white pep rally.

Illini officials on Monday said ticket sales have picked up and they are projecting a crowd of more than 50,000. But that still leaves nearly 20,000 tickets unsold, and it will be curious to see who might still snap up some of those.

I'm sure Minnesota had dreams of an upset when it journeyed into Ohio Stadium last weekend. I'll bet their players thought the Buckeyes might be caught looking ahead. I'm sure some of them fantasized about jolting the college football world with an upset that frazzled Lee Corso's hair.

Then came the opening kickoff, and reality set in. Ohio State needed no frills to methodically destroy Minnesota 44-0. So much for upsets.

Face it. Logic tells us an upset on Saturday is nearly impossible. We're talking about an Ohio State team that has outscored nine opponents 323-66. We're talking about a quarterback (Troy Smith) that has thrown 22 touchdowns and just two interceptions. We're talking about a program that has won 42 of its last 48 games, including the 2002 national championship.

But what good are sports if not for the shred of belief that, every now and then, anything can happen?

One year ago, Illinois pulling this kind of upset would have been impossible. This season it's merely improbable. Perhaps therein exists Illinois' sliver of hope.

Mark Tupper can be reached at [email protected] or 421-7983.
 
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Is it Heisman against freshman?
John Supinie
ILLINOIS

Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Since he didn't want to spend a season on the sidelines, quarterback Juice Williams turned down a scholarship offer from Ohio State for a chance to play immediately at Illinois.
Six games into his career as a starter, Williams leads Illinois (2-7 overall, 1-4 in the Big Ten) against No. 1 Ohio State (9-0, 5-0) at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
In the process, Williams also faces his role model.
"The thought of going against the No. 1 team was far from my mind" when he committed as a high school senior, Williams said. He chose Illinois over Tennessee and Ohio State.
Ohio State already had Troy Smith, now the overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Ohio State recruiters visited Williams at Chicago Vocational High School in his junior season, when a scholarship offer was made, Williams said.
"They were interested in me," Williams said. "Looking back, I saw incredible football history and tradition."
He became the first major recruiting victory by coach Ron Zook when Williams chose Illinois because "probably the opportunity to play as a freshman instead of playing as a redshirt freshman," he said. "You make progress being out on the field learning from game experience rather than watching somebody play in front of you.
"That's the opportunity I was looking for."
Williams models his game after Smith. Smith and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick have similar styles as Williams.
"I definitely think of Troy Smith as a role model in the college world," Williams said. "He's a good quarterback with a similar playing style. He has an ability to run and do things with his feet as well as do things with his arm."
 
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Official Site

No. 1 Ohio State and Illinois to Meet in Champaign

Oct. 30, 2006

Depth Chart
Top 25 Polls
Complete Release in PDF Format
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THIS WEEK
Top-ranked and unbeaten Ohio State travels to Illinois this week for the first leg of a two-game road trip that concludes the following week at Northwestern. Saturday's game against the Illini will kickoff at 3:36 p.m., EST in Memorial Stadium (capacity: 69,249) and will be televised by ESPN2 and broadcast by WBNS Radio, the flagship station for the statewide Ohio State radio network.
The Buckeyes head into November with a spotless 9-0 record for all games and are 5-0 in Big Ten play. Ohio State sits atop all three major polls as well as the Bowl Championship Series rankings. Coach Jim Tressel's squad is coming off a 44-0 whitewashing of Minnesota this past weekend, a win that extended the nation's longest winning streak to 16 straight, including 12 consecutive wins in conference action.

Illinois, under the second-year direction of former Ohio State assistant coach Ron Zook (1988-90), is 2-7 for all games and 1-4 in conference action. Zook's squad dropped a 30-24 decision at Wisconsin last Saturday.
BUCKEYES UNANIMOUS NO. 1
Ohio State continues to hold down the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press, USA Today-Coaches and Harris Interactive polls. The Buckeyes received all 63 first-place votes from the coaches, 63 of 65 from the writers and 113 of 114 in the Harris poll.
The Buckeyes have been in the Top 25 for 23-consecutive weeks, including 11 straight appearances in the Top 10 and 10 straight at No. 1.
Ohio State also is No. 1 in the Bowl Championship Series ranking with an average of 9.864. Michigan is second at 9.697 and West Virginia third at 7.862.
SIX NOMINATED FOR ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Seven Ohio State football players have been nominated for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors: Doug Datish, Anthony Gonzalez, James Laurinaitis, Joel Penton, Brian Robiskie and Stan White Jr. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.00 scale, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings and be nominated by his sports information director.
OHIO STATE AWARDS CANDIDATES
Heisman Trophy candidate Troy Smith has been named as a semi-finalist for the Maxwell Award as college football's player of the year. Additionally, defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock has been named as a semi-finalist for both the Lombardi Award and the Lott Trophy and linebacker James Laurinaitis is a semi-finalist for the Butkus and the Bednarik Awards; while flanker Ted Ginn Jr. is a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award.
Center Doug Datish (Rimington Award) and tailback Antonio Pittman (Doak Walker Award) were both on preseason watch lists and are still in contention for those awards.
SMITH KEEPS STREAK GOING
With his 18-yard touchdown pass against Minnesota, Ohio State senior signal caller Troy Smith has thrown at least one TD pass in 11 consecutive games. Smith now has 22 touchdown passes on the year, six more than he had all of last season, and seven shy of Bobby Hoying's school record 29 in 1995. He has 14 touchdown passes in the last five games and has thrown two or more touchdowns in seven of the Buckeyes' first nine games.
Smith, who completed 14 of 21 passes against Minnesota, has not thrown an interception in his last 120 passes. Earlier in the season he had a string of 152 passes without an interception.
Smith has the lowest career interception rate in the nation among active quarterbacks with a fanciful 1.57 figure. Just nine of his 573 passes have been picked off.
Additionally, Smith leads the Big Ten and is fourth nationally in passing efficiency with a mark of 174.3.
THE HIGHLIGHT REEL
Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith seems to make a play every week that winds up on SportsCenter and Fox News later that evening.
Up until Saturday's win over Minnesota, all of those plays have been passing plays, usually involving a scramble on his part and then a pinpoint pass into the hands of a waiting receiver. Against the Gophers, however, it was a 21-yard run by Smith that made the highlight reel.
On that play, Smith dropped back to pass, but then saw an opening and tucked the ball away, splitting two defenders just beyond the line of scrimmage and then juking another into submission and racing into the end zone untouched. His touchdown gave the Buckeyes a commanding 24-0 lead on what was "Close-call Saturday" around the nation.
Smith, who is now 22-2 as a starter, ran for 43 yards against Minnesota. He also completed 14 of 21 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown.
SOME CAREER NUMBERS FOR SMITH
Quarterback Troy Smith is the all-time completion percentage leader in Ohio State history, connecting on 63.1 percent of his passes (362-573). He also ranks eighth in career passing yardage (5,076 yards) and needs just 14 yards to move ahead of Jim Karsatos (5,089 from 1984 to 1986) into seventh place.
Smith has jumped up to fourth place in career total offense with 6,209 yards, leapfrogging Mike Tomczak, Joe Germaine and Greg Frey this past weekend. Art Schlicher (8,850), Bobby Hoying (7,151) and Steve Bellisari (6,496) hold down the three spots ahead of him.
Smith now has 46 career touchdown passes to his credit, the fourth highest total in Ohio State annals. The school record of 57 belongs to Bobby Hoying (1992-95).
PITTMAN NEARS 1,000-YARD MARK
Ohio State tailback Antonio Pittman rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries against Minnesota and now has 894 yards on the year. The 5-foot-11-inch junior, who rushed for 1,331 yards a year ago is bidding to become the first OSU running back since Eddie George (1994-95) to put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Pittman has six 100-yard games this year and 14 for his career. He is fourth in the Big Ten in rushing at 99.3 yards per game and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry on 163 attempts. All three runners ahead of him in the Big Ten rushing derby have significantly more carries.
Pittman also leads the Buckeyes in scoring with 10 touchdowns, three more than he had all of last year. He has at least one TD run in eight of the Buckeyes' nine games (he did not score against Indiana).
Only George, Archie Griffin (1973-74-75), Tim Spencer (1981-82) and Keith Byars (1983-84) have rushed for consecutive 1,000-yard seasons at Ohio State.
THE "FUN BUNCH"
The Buckeye "Fun Bunch" of quarterback Troy Smith, wide receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez and tailback Antonio Pittman continues to excel.
Smith has completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 1,898 yards and 22 touchdowns. The 6-foot-1-inch senior also scored his first rushing touchdown of the season against Minnesota on a nifty 21-yard broken-field run.
Ginn has a team-high seven touchdown grabs on 44 receptions and is averaging 13.9 yards per catch, while Gonzalez has 41 receptions, is averaging a team-high 15.1 yards per catch and has six TD receptions.
Pittman is the Buckeyes' leading ground gainer with 894 yards on 163 carries and has a team-leading 10 touchdowns to his credit. The hard-running junior has six 100-yard games this year and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
THE OLD ONE-TWO
The Ohio State wide-receiver tandem of Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn Jr. rank first and second, respectively, in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game. Gonzalez is averaging 69 yards a game and Ginn 67.9. The former is averaging 15.1 yards per reception and the latter 13.9 yards per catch.
Ginn has 44 receptions on the year and ranks second in the Big Ten in receptions per game with an average of 4.89 per outing. Gonzalez is fourth in the conference with an average of 4.56 catches per contest.
GINN STREAKS CONTINUE
Ohio State receiver Ted Ginn Jr. has caught at least one pass in 28-consecutive games (beginning with Iowa in 2004) and has multiple catches in 26-consecutive games. His 10 receptions against Bowling Green earlier this year represents a career best, bettering his previous high of nine set last year at Michigan
The Buckeye junior is eighth on the all-time OSU receiving list with 120 receptions. He also ranks 11th in career receiving yards with 1,773 yards - an average of 14.7 yards per reception. He needs two receptions to move around John Frank (121) into seventh place on the all-time receptions list and 37 yards to take over 10th place in career receiving yards, surpassing Jeff Graham (1,809).
MR. CLUTCH
Junior split end Anthony Gonzalez had three receptions for 30 yards in the first half against Minnesota. All three of those receptions resulted in first downs for the Buckeyes. Gonzalez has 41 receptions on the year and 36 of those, including his last seven, have moved the chains. Gonzalez, who has six touchdown catches and leads the team in receiving yards with 621, is averaging 15.1 yards per catch.
SOME STREAKS OF NOTE
Ohio State's current 16-game winning streak is the longest in the nation and the third longest in the modern era for the Buckeyes. Between 1967 and 1969, the Buckeyes reeled off 22-consecutive victories, including 17 straight Big Ten wins, for the longest streak in OSU annals. In 2002 and 2003, Jim Tressel's Buckeyes rolled to 19-consecutive victories, including a perfect 14-0 record and the national championship in 2002. The current streak began last year against Michigan State.
ELITE COMPANY
The 2006 Buckeyes are one of just 10 Ohio State squads to go unbeaten through their first nine games. Only five Buckeye squads have gone 10-0 and just four (1975, 1979, 1995 and 2002) have notched 11 straight victories to start the season. Three of those four - the 1975, '79 and '95 teams - lost their 12th game. The 2002 team went on to finish the season at 14-0.
A LOOK AT THE BUCKEYES
The Ohio State offense is averaging 35.9 points and 418.3 yards per game, while the defense is allowing 7.3 points and 261.0 yards each time out. The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in scoring offense and lead the nation in scoring defense. They also are second in the Big Ten in both total offense and scoring defense and third in total defense.
Ohio State has scored 24 or more points every game this year and has recorded season point highs each of the past two weeks with 44 points against both Indiana and Minnesota. The Ohio State defense, meanwhile, has limited its last four opponents to a total of 17 points and has not given up a touchdown in the last eight quarters. Only two opponents (Northern Illinois and Iowa) have scored in double figures and only one (Iowa) has scored two touchdowns. The Buckeyes are outscoring their first nine opponents by an average of 28.5 points a game.
Led by senior quarterback Troy Smith, Ohio State is passing for 237.6 yards per game. Smith has completed 67.8 percent of his passes and has thrown for 22 of the Buckeyes' 23 passing touchdowns. Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez have combined for 85 receptions, 1,232 yards and 13 touchdown catches. Tailback Antonio Pittman has rushed for 894 yards and 10 of the Buckeyes' 17 rushing touchdowns. OSU is averaging 180.8 yards per game on the ground.
On the other side of the ball, James Laurinaitis leads the Buckeyes in tackles with 75, while Vernon Gholston has 10.5 tackles-for-loss and Quinn Pitcock 7.0 sacks. The OSU defense has forced 20 turnovers, including 18 interceptions and the Buckeye offense has responded by scoring 80 points off those takeaways.
The Ohio State offense has turned the ball over nine times (two interceptions and seven fumbles), but the defense has stiffened every time and has yet to surrender a point off an opponent turnover.
BUCKEYES SHUTOUT GOPHERS
Ohio State recorded its first shutout of the year and first since the 2003 season with a 44-0 win over Minnesota. The Buckeye defense, which extended its streak of not allowing a touchdown to eight consecutive quarters, limited the Gophers to 182 total yards, including just 47 yards rushing. The OSU offense equaled its season high in points and rolled up 484 yards. The Buckeyes converted 7-of-10 first-down opportunities and were 5-of-6 in the red zone, all touchdowns.
Troy Smith completed 14 of 21 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown and also ran for his first score of the season on a 21-yard run. Antonio Pittman rushed for 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns and freshman Beanie Wells added 90 yards on the ground.
Linebacker James Laurinaitis once again paced the team in tackles with 11. The Buckeye played the game without defensive tackle and co-captain Quinn Pitcock who suffered a concussion the week before against Indiana.
OSU PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Following last week's win over Minnesota, the Ohio State coaching staff selected Antonio Pittman as the offensive player of the game and Antonio Smith as the defensive player of the game. Offensive guard T.J. Downing is the Jim Parker offensive lineman of the week and Marcus Freeman was selected as the attack force player of the game. The scout team players are Walter Dublin on defense, Ryan Franzinger on offense and Will Krall with the special teams.
OHIO STATE IN BIG TEN PLAY
Over the years, Ohio State has either won outright or shared 30 Big Ten titles. The co-championship last year was OSU's second under Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes also shared the title in 2002, notching a perfect 8-0 record. With a 5-0 league record this year, Ohio State owns an all-time Big Ten record of 433-187-28 in 94 seasons of league competition.
Ohio State vs.WLT Chicago1022 Illinois59294 Indiana65125 Iowa44143 Michigan39576 Michigan St.25120 Minnesota3970 Northwestern 56141 Penn State11110 Purdue35122 Wisconsin50175 TOTAL43318728
THE OHIO STATE-ILLINOIS SERIES
Until being interrupted in 2003, Ohio State and Illinois had played continuously since 1902. The Buckeyes have a 59-29-4 lead in the series, including a 31-12 edge in Champaign. Ohio State has won the last two games in the series - 40-2 last year in Columbus and 23-16 in overtime in 2002 in Champaign. Between 1968 and 1982, Ohio State reeled off 15 consecutive victories against the Illini. Illinois won five straight and six of seven against OSU between 1988 and 1994.
RECAPPING LAST YEAR
Ohio State led just 3-0 at the end of the first quarter but added 10 points in the second period and 20 more in the third on the way to a 40-2 win. Troy Smith threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns and Antonio Pittman ran for 96 yards and a pair of scores as the Buckeyes amassed 526 yards in total offense. Two of Smith's TD tosses went to Santonio Holmes; the third to Ted Ginn Jr. covered 73 yards. The Illini were held to 92 yards passing and 68 yards rushing as the OSU defense, led by All-American A. J. Hawk, recorded five sacks. Illinois scored on a fumbled extra point try by the Buckeyes.
OHIO STATE COACH Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel is in his sixth season as head coach at Ohio State. His record with the Buckeyes is 59-13 (.819), including a 35-10 (.777) slate in the Big Ten, and his career ledger now stands at 194-70-2 (.733) in his 21st season as a head coach.
Tressel took over the Buckeyes in 2001, directing them to a 7-5 record that year. In 2002, he led Ohio State to a 14-0 record and the school's first consensus national championship since 1968.
In 2003, the Buckeyes won their first five games to extend their winning streak to 19 and finished with an 11-2 record. The 2004 squad, which had to replace 14 NFL drafted players, won five of its last six games en route to an 8-4 finish.
A season ago, Tressel guided the Buckeyes to a 10-2 overall record with seven-consecutive victories down the stretch, which included a 34-20 victory over Notre Dame in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in January. The current 16-game win streak is second only to the 19-consecutive wins under Tressel in 2002 (14-0) and 2003 (5-0 to start season).
Tressel's teams have appeared in five bowl games and are 4-1 in those contests, including three BCS wins in the Fiesta Bowl over the last four seasons. They also are 4-1 against Michigan in one of the most intense and storied rivalries in all of sports.
Eleven of Tressel's players have won first-team All-America honors and four have won major awards, including linebacker A.J. Hawk, the recipient of the 2005 Lombardi Award.
Tressel is a master in close games. Since coming to Ohio State, he is 17-9 in games decided by a touchdown or less and 4-1 in overtime games.
He is at his best against the best with a 24-7 record against teams ranked in the Top 25 and a 7-2 mark against teams ranked in the Top 10.
The 53-year-old Tressel is a 1975 graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College.
MORE ON TRESSEL
Ohio State's 38-17 victory over Iowa this year was Jim Tressel's 55th win with the Buckeyes. No Ohio State coach has reached that mark as quickly. By way of comparison, Earle Bruce recorded his 55th win in 70 games, Woody Hayes notched No. 55 in game 74 and John Wilce did so in game 77. Both Bruce and Hayes were in their eighth years at Ohio State. Wilce was in his 11th season.
GINN BIG TEN RECORD HOLDER
Ted Ginn Jr. set the Big Ten record for career touchdowns on punt returns with a 60-yard runback at Michigan State on Oct. 14. The Ohio State junior now has six touchdowns on punt returns. The NCAA career record of eight is shared by Wes Welker of Texas Tech (2000-03) and Antonio Perkins of Oklahoma (2001-04). Ginn had four punt returns for scores in 2004 and one last year.
ALL-PURPOSE THREAT
By throwing a 38-yard touchdown pass against Indiana, Ted Ginn Jr. now has thrown for a touchdown, run for a touchdown (two), returned a punt for a touchdown (six), returned a kickoff for a touchdown (one) and caught 13 passes for touchdowns as a Buckeye.
DEFENSIVE DANDIES
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel likes what he has seen from defensive tackles Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson, the Buckeyes' lone two returning starters from the 10-2 team in 2005.
"As far as I am concerned they are the best two defensive tackles in the country," noted Tressel. "And in addition to being terrific players, they are both excellent leaders. Our front four is the strength of our defense and Quinn and David set the tone."
Pitcock has 9.0 tackles-for-loss, including a team-high seven sacks, and 29 tackles on the season. In 12 games last year, he finished with 28 tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss and one sack. Patterson, who missed two games with an injury, has 16 tackles on the year, including three tackles-for-loss. He was credited with a career-high seven tackles against Penn State this year.
PITCOCK HAS CAREER DAY
Defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock came within a shoestring of tying and perhaps setting the Ohio State single-game record for sacks against Cincinnati. The 6-foot-3-inch, 295-pound senior bull rushed his way through the Bearcats' offensive line en route to a career-high three sacks for minus 24 yards. Pitcock narrowly missed two other sacks, UC quarterback Dustin Grutza somehow slipping out of his grasp. The OSU single-game sack record of four is shared by Bobby Carpenter (Michigan State, 2005) and Jason Simmons (Washington State, 1991). Pitcock, who had one sack all of last year, has a team-leading 7.0 this year.
LAURINAITIS PACES BUCKEYES
Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis continues to lead the Buckeyes in tackles with 75 and is tied with Malcolm Jenkins for the lead in interceptions with four. He also has 8.0 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks and has forced two fumbles. The four picks by Laurinaitis are the most by an Ohio State linebacker since Andy Katzenmoyer's four in 1996. The OSU single-season record for interceptions by a linebacker is six, set in 1986 by Chris Spielman. Laurinaitis had picks in four-consecutive games (Texas, Cincinnati, Penn State and Iowa) before having that streak ended against Bowling Green.
BUCKEYE NOTES
Senior quarterback Justin Zwick scored his first career rushing touchdown against Minnesota, tallying on a 1-yard sneak in the fourth quarter ... Brian Robiskie caught an 18-yard TD pass from Troy Smith in the second quarter of the Minnesota game and now has caught a pass in every game this year ... Brian Hartline had his best day as a receiver against Minnesota, snagging four catches for 69 yards ... Freshman tailback Beanie Wells had a career-high 90 yards on 15 carries against the Gophers. In his last three games, Wells has 208 yards and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry ... Malcolm Jenkins picked off his fourth interception of the year last week and is tied with James Laurinaitis for the team lead. Jenkins has picks in each of the last two games. As a team, the Buckeyes have 18 interceptions and have had at least one pick in every game this year. The school single-season record of 31 was set in 1949 ... Aaron Pettrey has made seven of his last eight field goal attempts, including a 42-yard effort against Minnesota.
BUCKEYE SACK PACK
Ohio State ranks second in the Big Ten in sacks with 30. The Buckeyes are led by defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock with 7.0, followed by Vernon Gholston with 5.5. James Laurinaitis has 4.0 and defensive end Jay Richardson 3.0
THE GLENVILLE CONNECTION
Quarterback Troy Smith and flanker Ted Ginn Jr., both of whom prepped at Glenville High School, continue to form one of college football's most dangerous duos. When the two hooked up on a 57-yard scoring strike against Bowling Green on Oct. 7, it marked their eighth play of more than 50 yards.
OHIO STATE AT HOME
The Buckeyes boast an all-time record of 372-104-20 (.770) in Ohio Stadium. Ohio State has won 11 straight, and 15 of the last 16, games played in the Horseshoe. Ohio State's all-time record in Columbus is 515-151-35 in 701 games.
OSU IMPROVES RECORD AS NO. 1
Ohio State is 60-8-1 when ranked as the nation's No. 1 team. Overall, the Buckeyes are 292-68-9 when carrying a Top 10 ranking and 399-123-14 as a Top 25 team. Ohio State has opened the season No. 1 seven times, second only to Oklahoma (nine). The Buckeyes own the record for most appearances (53) in the first 57 years of the Associated Press Poll.
BUCKEYES STAY PERFECT IN NO. 1 VS. NO. 2 SHOWDOWNS
The Sept. 9 showdown in Austin between top-ranked Ohio State and second-ranked Texas was the earliest regular-season match-up in college football annals between a No. 1 and a No. 2 team. Ohio State has been involved in two such games previously, the first in the 1969 Rose Bowl and the second in the 2002 national championship game at the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. OSU won both, downing the University of Southern California, 27-16, in the former and Miami of Florida, 31-24 in two overtimes, in the latter. On both occasions, the Buckeyes were the No. 2 ranked team.
BUCKEYES RECORD IMPRESSIVE WINS
During their 16-game winning streak, Jim Tressel's Buckeyes have recorded wins over five of college football's most successful programs - Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas, Penn State and Iowa. Michigan tops the all-time victories list with 858 wins (858-280-36), Notre Dame is second at 818-267-42 and Texas ranks third at 808-311-33. The Buckeyes are fifth all-time with 784 wins, followed by No. 6 Alabama (780 wins) and No. 7 Penn State (776-341-42). Iowa ranks No. 41 on the all-time wins list (552-494-39).
BUCKEYES GET HIGH GRADES
A league-best 18 Ohio State football players were named to the Big Ten's All-Academic team last fall, marking the fourth year in a row the Buckeyes have led the conference in that area. Additionally, a record 46 Ohio State football players qualified for last spring's annual OSU Scholar-Athlete Dinner, which requires a grade-point average of 3.00 or better for the past academic year. As a team, the Buckeyes have an overall GPA of 2.83. A total of 52 football student-athletes earned a 3.00 or better during Ohio State's spring quarter and 46 had a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 after spring grades were calculated.
BUCKEYE GRADUATES
Quarterback Troy Smith (communication), center Doug Datish (history), strong safety Brandon Mitchell (political science) and fullback Stan White Jr. (finance) all are working toward graduate degrees while playing football for the Buckeyes this season. Two most recent student-athletes to earn their degrees are All-America linebacker A.J. Hawk and Richard Schafrath, who lettered from 1956-58. Both were awarded degrees following the 2006 summer quarter. Other 2005-06 graduates include Bobby Carpenter, Angelo Chattams, R.J. Coleman, John Conroy, Ryan Hamby, Rob Harley, Mike Roberts, Anthony Schlegel, Brandon Schnittker, Rob Sims, Steve Winner and Ashton Youboty.
THE BUCKEYES ALL-TIME
Ohio State enters this week's game with an all-time record of 784-300-53 in 116 seasons of competition. That includes a Big Ten record of 433-187-28 since 1913, an Ohio Stadium slate of 372-104-20 since 1922 and a bowl mark of 18-19.
OSU COACHES IN THE PRESS BOX
Offensive coordinator Jim Bollman and quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels will be in the press box for the Buckeyes during the game as will cornerbacks coach Tim Beckman and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell.
BUCKEYE CAPTAINS
Seniors Troy Smith, Doug Datish, Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson were voted by their teammates as captains of the 2006 Ohio State football team. Smith (QB) and Datish (C) will lead from the offensive side while Pitcock and Patterson represent the defense from the defensive tackle spot. The four entered the season with 128 games of combined experience as Buckeyes.
OHIO STATE 35, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 12
No. 1/1 Ohio State scored on its first four possessions of the game while Troy Smith threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns and Ted Ginn Jr. hauled in four catches for 123 yards and two scores in leading the Buckeyes to a 35-12 victory against Northern Illinois in front of 103,896 fans Sept. 2 at Ohio Stadium.
Smith completed 18-of-25 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns without an interception or a sack. Ginn reeled in a 58-yard TD pass in the first quarter and a 56-yard reception in the fourth quarter. He also had 69 return yards with 44 yards on two punt returns and two kick returns for 25 yards, Antonio Pittman carried the ball 19 times for 111 yards and one touchdown, while Anthony Gonzalez caught four passes for 53 yards and one TD. True freshman Chris Wells, in his Buckeye debut, rushed for 50 yards on 10 carries.
The Buckeyes outgained the Huskies in total yardage, 488-343, and amassed 173 yards rushing on 36 carries while they posted 315 yards on 20-of-27 passing. The Huskies totaled 153 yards rushing and 192 yards passing. A lot of that yardage came from Garrett Wolfe, the nation's leading returning rusher. He totaled 171 yards on the ground and had five catches for 114 yards.
The Buckeyes turned the ball over twice, both inside the NIU 10-yard line, and missed two field goals.
Brandon Mitchell finished the game with 10 tackles, including one tackle for loss, to lead Ohio State. Marcus Freeman added nine tackles. The defense saw five first-time starters, including Vernon Gholston, Antonio Smith, Marcus Freeman, Nick Patterson and John Kerr. Two offensive players - Hartline and Brian Robiskie - made their first starts as Buckeyes.
The win was the 28th straight win for the Buckeyes' in their home opener.
OHIO STATE 24, TEXAS 7
Led by Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Anthony Gonzalez and Antonio Pittman on offense and bolstered by a young but quickly coming-of-age defense, top-ranked Ohio State solidified its place in the polls with its 17-point victory over the defending national champion Longhorns.
Smith enhanced his early season Heisman Trophy status by completing 17 of 26 passes for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns against a veteran Texas defense, giving him five touchdown passes and 566 passing yards in his first two games.
Ginn, the Buckeyes' other Heisman hopeful, was on the receiving end of five passes for 97 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown grab just before halftime that put Ohio State in front 14-7 going into the locker room. Ginn's grab capped off a business-like five-play, 66-yard drive that began with 1:55 remaining in the second quarter. The speedy flanker set the tone early with a 46-yard catch-and-run on the Buckeyes' second play from scrimmage.
The Buckeyes also received a career-best performance from Gonzalez, who hauled in eight catches for 142 yards. The junior split end and honor student got Ohio State on the board with 1:04 to play in the first quarter by latching on to a 14-yard pass from Smith that put the icing on a 50-yard drive.
Pittman led the Buckeyes in rushing for the second consecutive week, finishing with 74 yards on 16 carries, an average of 4.6 yards per attempt. His 2-yard touchdown run with 6:31 to play capped off the scoring and put the game out of reach. The Buckeyes, who took over the ball at their own 28-yard line after a missed Texas field goal, marched 72 yards in 10 plays for the score.
The Buckeye defense limited the Texas offense to 326 total yards and just the one touchdown and set up two OSU scores with timely takeaways.
Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis was involved in both turnovers. First, he forced a first-quarter fumble at the OSU 1-yard line that cornerback Donald Washington scooped up and returned 49 yards to set up the Smith-to-Ginn touchdown pass. Then, on the first play of the third quarter, he intercepted a Colt McCoy pass and ran it back 25 yards to the Texas 31-yard line. Kicker Aaron Pettrey gave the Buckeyes a 10-point cushion with a 31-yard field goal.
With the aggressive defensive front keeping the pressure on throughout the evening, Laurinaitis finished with a game-best and career-high 13 tackles to go along with two forced fumbles, his first career interception and a pass broken up. Safety Brandon Mitchell was credited with nine stops, while Washington, who was making his first start at corner, had five. Cover corner Malcolm Jenkins and nickel back Antonio Smith each had five stops as Ohio State kept Texas under 40 points for the first time in 13 games.
Sophomore punter A. J. Trapasso kept the Longhorns corralled in their own territory by averaging 50.8 yards per punt on six kicks - the third best single-game performance in Ohio State history. That average includes a 39-yard punt at the end of the game that rolled out-of-bounds on the Texas 6-yard line. The Longhorns' average field position after a Trapasso thumper was their own 21-yard line.
The victory squared the series at 1-1 and gave Ohio State an all-time record of 4-0 in the Lone Star state.
OHIO STATE 37, CINCINNATI 7
Ohio State ran its record to 3-0 with a 37-7 victory over visiting Cincinnati. The win was the Buckeyes' 10th in a row.
After falling behind 7-3 at the end of the first quarter (the first time all year that OSU had trailed), the Buckeyes scored 34 unanswered points en route to their seventh-consecutive win in Ohio Stadium.
Quarterback Troy Smith again led the Buckeyes to victory, completing 21 of 30 passes for 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns. OSU rolled up 444 yards in total offense and scoring drives of 85, 80 and 72 yards - three of their longest drives of the year.
Smith connected with Ted Ginn Jr. on a pair of scoring strikes in the second and third quarters to give Ohio State a comfortable 20-7 lead. But it was Antonio Pittman who put the game out of reach with a 48-yard scoring jaunt with just over nine minutes to go in the fourth period. Pittman finished his afternoon with 155 yards on 16 carries, an impressive 9.7 yards per attempt. Backup tailback Maurice Wells scored the other OSU touchdown on a nine-yard run. Aaron Pettrey added field goals of 47 and 43 yards and Ryan Pretorius hit from 52-yards away to complete the scoring.
Gonzalez and Ginn each had five receptions to pace the receiving corps as four different quarterbacks hooked up with 11 different receivers.
The Ohio State defense limited the Bearcats to 212 yards of total offense, including a scant 64 in the second half. Senior tackle Quinn Pitcock had a career-high three sacks and narrowly missed two more. He finished the day with five tackles. With Pitcock leading the way, the Buckeyes recorded eight sacks, 10 tackles for loss and had three interceptions.
Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis led the Buckeyes with nine tackles, including a sack, and picked off his second interception of the year.
OHIO STATE 28, PENN STATE 6
Ohio State opened its Big Ten season with a 28-6 win over visiting Penn State. In winning their third straight conference home opener, the Buckeyes needed a pair of fourth-quarter interception returns for touchdowns to salt the game away.
Holding on to a less-than-comfortable 14-6 lead, the Buckeyes got a lift from cornerback Malcolm Jenkins whose 61-yard return gave them a 21-6 lead with 2:31 to play. Moments later cornerback Antonio Smith picked off his first career interception and returned it 55 yards to the north end zone and the game was officially over.
The Buckeyes also had an interception earlier in the game by linebacker James Laurinaitis, giving them eight on the year to that point, three more than all of last year. The OSU defense limited Penn State to 248 yards and allowed the Nittany Lions to convert just three of 14 third-down opportunities.
Ohio State's other two touchdowns came on a 12-yard run by Antonio Pittman, who finished the game with 110 yards, and a 37-yard pass from Troy Smith to Brian Robiskie. The former gave the Buckeyes their first lead at 7-3 after the Nittany Lions had taken a 3-0 lead into the locker room at intermission. On the latter, Smith rolled to his right, reversed his field and somehow threw a perfect strike to Robiskie, giving the Buckeyes a 14-3 lead.
The two teams combined for just 501 yards in total offense on a rainy, windy afternoon in Ohio Stadium.
OHIO STATE 38, IOWA 17
Led by senior quarterback Troy Smith's career-high four touchdown passes and a spirited defense that came up with four takeaways, top-ranked Ohio State downed No. 13 Iowa, 38-17, in Iowa City, knocking the Hawkeyes from the unbeaten ranks in front of a highly-partisan Kinnick Stadium crowd of 70,585.
With the win, Ohio State improved to 5-0 on the year and 2-0 in Big Ten play. It was the Buckeyes third win of the year over a Top 25 team (No. 2 Texas and No. 24 Penn State were the other two) and their second win in prime time on the road and on national TV.
Smith, who ran his record as a starter to 18-2, put the Buckeyes ahead to stay with a 12-yard pass to split end Anthony Gonzalez with 11:34 to play in the first quarter.
The senior signal caller added a 6-yard strike to Roy Hall in the second quarter, teamed up again with Gonzalez from 30 yards out in the third period and capped off the scoring with a 12-yard toss to Brian Robiskie with 4:23 to play in the fourth. In addition to completing 16 of 25 passes for 186 yards and the four TD tosses, Smith also rushed for 20 yards in another near flawless performance at the OSU helm.
Gonzalez was on the receiving end of five of those passes, all going for first downs. On his 30-yard touchdown grab, Gonzalez had the first down, but then reversed his field and circled around right end and somehow tight roped down the sideline and into the end zone on one of the more spectacular plays of the season. Ted Ginn Jr. led all receivers with seven receptions for 69 yards.
Tailback Antonio Pittman rushed 25 times for 117 yards and a touchdown, while freshman Chris "Beanie" Wells added 78 yards for the Buckeyes who rolled up a season-high 214 yards on the ground.
The OSU defense, meanwhile, recorded three interceptions and a fumble recovery to keep the Iowa offense in check.
Safety Brandon Mitchell played a role in two of those takeaways, snagging a second quarter interception that led to Pittman's touchdown and recovering a fourth-quarter fumble that halted an Iowa drive.
Linebackers Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis also had interceptions, both of those coming in the fourth quarter as Iowa turned the ball over on its final three possessions of the night.
The OSU defense also recorded five tackles-for-loss, including sacks by Freeman and Laurinaitis, and limited Iowa to 87 yards on the ground.
OHIO STATE 35, BOWLING GREEN 7
Troy Smith threw for three touchdowns, Antonio Pittman ran for two and Ted Ginn Jr. caught a career-high 10 passes as Ohio State downed visiting Bowling Green, 35-7, Oct. 7 in Ohio Stadium.
The Ohio State defense recorded its 13th takeaway of the year and held its opponent to seven points or less for the fourth time in six outings.
In addition to 13-consecutive wins, Jim Tressel's team also has won nine straight in Ohio Stadium.
Smith completed 17 of 20 passes for 191 yards, including touchdown strikes to Rory Nicol, Ted Ginn Jr. and Ray Small. It was Nicol's first touchdown catch of the year and Small's first as a collegian. Ginn's score covered 57 yards and was the longest play of the day.
Pittman carried the ball just 13 times, but scored on a pair of 8-yard runs to equal his entire touchdown output of a year ago (seven).
Defensive tackle Vernon Gholston picked off his first career interception and had two tackles-for-loss and a sack. He is the team leader in tackles-for-loss with nine. His interception and 8-yard return gives the Buckeyes an interception in every game this year.
Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis paced the Buckeyes in tackles with nine. Jenkins had six solos to lead both teams. Laurinaitis now has a team-high 50 tackles on the year.
OHIO STATE 38, MICHIGAN STATE 7
The Buckeyes ran their road record to 3-0 with their methodical 38-7 dismantling of Michigan State. Jim Tressel's Buckeyes have won their last six road games, five of which have been Big Ten contests. In their three road games this year, the Buckeyes have outscored Texas, Iowa and Michigan State by a combined total of 100 to 31 and have never trailed.
At Michigan State, the Buckeyes marched 80 yards in 12 plays on their second possession of the game for a quick 7-0 lead and never looked back. Tailback Antonio Pittman put Ohio State ahead to stay with a 2-yard run, giving him at least one rushing touchdown in 12 consecutive games. Troy Smith's 37-yard completion to Ted Ginn Jr. set up the score.
The Buckeyes added 17 points in the second quarter on a 32-yard field goal by Aaron Pettrey, a 60-yard punt return by Ginn and a 12-yard Smith-to-Anthony Gonzalez pass. The latter was set up by a Marcus Freeman interception that gave Ohio State the ball on the MSU 29 with 2:27 to play in the first half.
Smith also connected with Brian Robiskie from seven yards out in the third quarter. Freshman Chris "Beanie" Wells wrapped up the scoring on a five-yard run at the start of the fourth quarter giving the Buckeyes a commanding 38-0 lead.
The Buckeyes rolled up 421 yards in total offense against the Spartans. Michigan State, conversely, managed just 198 yards against the Buckeyes' defense, including just 63 yards on the ground.
Led by senior tackle Quinn Pitcock, the Buckeyes recorded 10 tackles-for-loss and seven sacks against the Spartans. Pitcock had two sacks, while defensive end Jay Richardson and linebacker James Laurinaitis each had two tackles-for-loss. Laurinaitis led the Buckeyes in tackles with nine, the sixth time this year that he has paced the team.
Freeman's interception was the Buckeyes' 13th of the year, giving Ohio State at least one interception in every game this year.
OHIO STATE 44, INDIANA 3
Ohio State staked Indiana to an early 3-0 lead then rolled up 44 unanswered points on the way to their 14th-consecutive victory over the Hoosiers. The 44 points were the most scored by the Buckeyes this season and the most since a 48-point effort against Northwestern in Game 10 last year. The three points by the Hoosiers were the fewest this year by an opponent and marked the sixth time this season the defense has held an opponent to seven points or less.
Led by quarterback Troy Smith and running back Antonio Pittman, the Buckeyes rolled up a season-high 540 yards in total offense - 270 rushing and the same number passing against the IU defense.
Smith completed 15 of 23 passes, including 15 of his last 19, for 220 yards and four touchdown passes. Pittman ran for 105 yards on 16 carries and received ample support from backups Chris Wells and Maurice Wells, each of whom rushed for 62 yards. Chris Wells scored the Buckeyes' lone rushing touchdown of the day on a 12-yard run.
Ted Ginn Jr. led the OSU receiving corps with five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. Ginn also threw a 38-yard touchdown pass, the first completion of his career. Tight end Rory Nicol had his first two-touchdown day, catching a 23-yard score from Smith and a 38-yard bullet from Ginn. Freshman tight end Jake Ballard also got in on the act with a 1-yard TD reception from Smith.
"When a senior quarterback throws it to a freshman you better catch it," Ballard who made a diving grab of Smith's perfectly thrown toss, said.
Aaron Pettrey added a career-long 51-yard field goal to the OSU cause.
The Ohio State defense recorded 10 tackles-for-loss, including four sacks, and held Indiana to just 7 yards rushing. Senior cornerback Antonio Smith had a career-high 12 tackles, including four tackles-for-loss and a sack. Senior defensive end Jay Richardson had a pair of sacks and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins and safety Andre Amos each had interceptions, giving the Buckeyes at least one interception in every game this year.
ABOUT THE FIGHTING ILLINI
Illinois fell to 2-7 on the year after losing its fourth straight game last Saturday at Wisconsin. The Fighting Illini opened the year with a 42-17 victory vs. Eastern Illinois before losing games to Rutgers, Syracuse and Iowa before winning a road game at Michigan State. Since then, Illinois has lost to Indiana, Ohio and Penn State before the setback last week in Madison.
The Fighting Illini are averaging 19.8 points and 357.9 yards of total offense. The team is averaging 181.9 yards rushing and 176 yards passing. Isiah "Juice" Williams has completed 83-of-195 passes for 1,252 yards and nine touchdowns. Kyle Hudson leads the team with 25 receptions for 357 yards, while Jacob Willis has 14 grabs for 287 yards. Each has caught three touchdown passes. Five other receivers also have TD grabs. Pierre Thomas is the leading ground gainer with 104 rushes for 545 yards and four scores. Rashard Mendenhall and Tim Brasic each have run for two TDs, while E.B. Halsey has scored another.
Defensively, Illinois is allowing 26.1 points and 300.2 yards per game. Opponents have thrown for 175.7 yards per game and have 124.6 per game rushing. The team has recorded 16 sacks, has eight interceptions and has recovered six fumbles. J. Leman is the leading tackler with 98 total tackles, split evenly between solo and assists. He has 11.5 tackles for loss with 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Kevin Mitchell is second on the team with 63 tackles with four tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble. Antonio Steele has 58 tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage. Derek Walker leads the team with 5.5 sacks to go with eight tackles for loss.
Jason Reda has made 11-of-14 field goals, including a long of 41 against Penn State, and is perfect on 19 PATs.
ILLINOIS' LAST GAME
The Fighting Illini jumped out to a 21-3 second-quarter lead, but 17th-ranked Wisconsin fought back for a 30-24 victory last Saturday in Madison. The Illini forced two first-half Badger turnovers that led to Illinois touchdowns. Wisconsin trailed by four points early in fourth quarter when tight end Andy Crooks fell on his fumble in the end zone for a touchdown that put the Badgers ahead, 27-24, with 14:50 remaining. The Badgers drove for a 33-yard field goal by Mehlhaff to take a 30-24 lead with 4:27 to play. Isiah "Juice" Williams completed 13 of 29 passes for 171 and one touchdown. He was intercepted once and ran 19 times for 53 yards.
COACH RON ZOOK
Ron Zook (Miami, Ohio, 1976) is 4-16 in his second season at Illinois. Now in his fifth season as a college coach, he has a career record of 27-30. He went to Illinois after three years at the University of Florida, where his teams went 23-14 and appeared in two Outback and one Peach bowls. His 2002 and 2003 teams each were 8-5 and his 2004 team went 7-4. The Loudonville, Ohio, native won three letters as a defensive back on a Miami (Ohio) team that boasted a record of 32-1-1 during that time and won three MAC titles. Zook has 30 years of coaching experience at the high school, professional and collegiate ranks, including stops at Ohio State (1988-90), Florida, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Kansas, Cincinnati and Murray State.
NEXT WEEK
The Buckeyes play their final road game of the season at Northwestern. Game time is 3:30 p.m., EST, in Memorial Stadium. Ohio State returns home the following week to host Michigan at 3:36 p.m. on ABC.
 
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Dispatch

OSU FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
Buckeyes not looking ahead
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Some Ohio State fans aren?t even bothering to play sneak-apeek at the upcoming megamatch with Michigan. They?re staring wide-eyed in full anticipation.
The top-ranked Buckeyes, still three weeks from The Game, can?t afford to start looking ahead to the No. 2 Wolverines, defensive end Jay Richardson said.
"We?ve still got two big games in front of that; we?re not worried about that," he said. "I think people say it?s hard to not look ahead, but when you?ve got Illinois and Northwestern ahead of you in the Big Ten, it?s not hard at all."
Actually, that?s why many people think the Buckeyes can afford a peek, considering the plight of Illinois (2-7, 1-4) and Northwestern (3-6, 0-5).
But both of those games are on the road, starting Saturday at Illinois.
The Ohio State defense is far from a finished product, linebacker Marcus Freeman said, even though the Buckeyes are No. 1 in the country in points allowed (7.33-point average) after a 44-0 win over Minnesota on Saturday, OSU?s first shutout since 2003.
"We?re not where we want to be yet," Freeman said. "I feel we still have a lot of room to get better.
"As long as we remember that and we continue to try to get better each week, the sky is the limit as to how good this defense can be."
A growing crowd

An Illinois spokesperson said yesterday the sale of tickets for Saturday?s game "has picked up" based on two reasons: The No. 1 team in the country is coming to town, and the Illini put up a strong fight at Wisconsin on Saturday, leading 21-3 in the second quarter before falling 30-24.
Even so, Illini officials are projecting a crowd of around 50,000 in Memorial Stadium, which seats 69,000. The OSU game also is a premium ticket, with sideline seats going for $50, plus a $3 handling fee, and end zone seats for $32. That?s compared with $42 plus the fee for sideline seats and $24 for end zone seats for the following home game against Purdue.
November kickoff symmetry

The Buckeyes have had starting times ranging from noon to 8 p.m. through the first two months. The last three games will start at just past 3:30 p.m. The Big Ten announced yesterday that the Buckeyes? game at Northwestern has been tabbed by ABC for that time slot. It joins this week?s game at Illinois and the regular-season finale Nov. 18 against Michigan in Ohio Stadium.
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OZone

Football
Personnel Update
By John Porentas
There is news on the personnel front.
The big news is that according to OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel, starting left tackle Alex Boone is questionable for the Illinois game. Tressel would not elaborate on the reason why Boone is questionable.
Also questionable again this week is defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock. Pitcock missed last week's game due to a concussion. Tressel did say that Anthony Gonzalez, who was held out of the second half of the Minnesota game due to a slight concussion, would play against the Illini. Wide receiver Ray Small will not play this weekend due to a concussion suffered against Minnesota.
The players of the week for the Minnesota game were as follows:
Defensive Player of the Week - Antonio Smith
Offensive Player of the Week - Antonio Pittman
Attack Force Player of the Week - Marcus Freeman
Special Teams Player of the Week - Drew Norman
Scout Team Offensive Player of the Week - Ryan Franzinger
Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week - Walter Dublin
Scout Team Special Teams Player of the Week - Will Crall
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Antonio Pittman [/FONT]​
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Marcus Freeman [/FONT]​
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Drew Norman [/FONT]​
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Antonio Smith [/FONT]​
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ryan Franzinger[/FONT]​
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Preview: No. 1 Ohio St at Illinois
Associated Press
Tue, Oct 31, 2006

Ohio State`s defense has been just as dominant as the offense as the Buckeyes continue their march toward their biggest game of the year.
The top-ranked Buckeyes (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten) look keep rolling over opponents when they travel to Illinois (2-7, 1-4) on Saturday. The Buckeyes are 26 1/2-point favorites and the total is set at 48 1/2.
Ohio State`s showdown with No. 2 Michigan on Nov. 18 looms, but the Buckeyes have been aware of the ramifications of that matchup long enough now to avoid looking ahead. That`s been apparent throughout the season, as the Buckeyes have won every game by at least 17 points.
The Buckeyes recorded their first shutout in three years with a 44-0 victory over Minnesota at Ohio Stadium on Saturday. Since giving up a season-high 17 points to Iowa on Sept. 30, Ohio State has allowed 17 over the last four games.
``It is the ultimate goal of any defense to not allow points,`` sophomore linebacker Marcus Freeman said. ``It is a really good feeling, but as a defense we still have a lot of work to do.
``Each game we are getting more and more comfortable and experienced. Dominating feels good, but we still have work to do.``
The Buckeyes held Minnesota to 182 yards of total offense and 47 on the ground. They had three interceptions and excelled despite being without defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock (concussion).
With 2-7 Northwestern to follow Illinois, the chances seem slim that a focused Ohio State squad would not be unbeaten going into the matchup with the Wolverines - a game that`s almost certain to earn the winner a berth in the BCS title game.
``We`re getting better and we understand we have more tests to go, but you have to feel good about the progress,`` Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said.
Tressel`s team, which is looking to extend its winning streak to 17 games and 13 against Big Ten opponents, leads the conference in points allowed per game (7.3) and is second in pass defense (169.3 yards per game), second in rushing defense (91.7) and third in total defense (261.0).
Ohio State`s offense looked as good as the defense last week, gaining 484 yards against the Gophers. Troy Smith was 14-for-21 for 183 yards with a touchdown pass and a TD run, while Antonio Pittman rushed 21 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns. The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten with 35.9 points per game.
Illinois don`t seem likely to pose much of a threat to Ohio State, having dropped their last 10 games to No. 1 teams. The Illini, which last beat a top-ranked squad Oct. 27, 1956 when they topped Michigan State 20-13, have dropped 17 straight to ranked opponents.
Illinois has lost four in a row, having led in the second half in three of those games. Last week`s defeat was particularly painful, as the Illini led No. 17 Wisconsin 24-10 at halftime on the road but fell 30-24.
``We played a great first half, especially defensively,`` Illinois coach Ron Zook said. ``Entering the second half we felt good, but Wisconsin answered the way that a good football team does.``
Illinois freshman Isiah Williams was 13-for-29 for 171 yards and a touchdown, and accounted for 173 total yards in the first half against the Badgers. Wisconsin, though, held the Illini to 80 yards in the second half and sacked Williams on the final play with Illinois near midfield.
The Illini did manage to hold Wisconsin`s conference-leading rushing attack to 99 yards, well below its 196.3 average coming into the game.
Ohio State leads the series with Illinois 59-29-4 and won last year 40-2 at Columbus. The Buckeyes, who are 31-12 in Champaign, have won the last two meetings. The Illini defeated the then-No. 25 Buckeyes 34-22 on Nov. 17, 2001.
 
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CrabMan;649135; said:
sssshhhhhit, I just thought about what happend the last time these schools met when the road team was undefeated and ranked #1...... :wink2:

For those wondering, that would be the 41-0 tOSU win in 1998.
 
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