Game Thread Game Two: #1 Ohio State 24, #2 Texas 7 (9/9/06)

[Taosman]

This young defense has only given up 19 points in 2 games!

It has 7 sacks, I think.

The improvement from last week was considerable.
And we still played many guys!

Jay Rich doesn't deserve what happened to him last night. Terrible call!
He has had 2 excellent weeks!

Mal Jenkins is a badass corner!

Ginn smoked there best defensive back! Sweet!

Gonzo is national, now!

Troy is going to New York.

Lil Animal had a fantastic game!

 

[bocabuckeye]

Taosman- when corso picked the horns I knew it was good luck

last year he picked the bucks and you know what happened. OSU plays amazing when we are the under dogs

 

[bocabuckeye]

Where in NY? Jets or Giants? love Smith

I think the defense proved themselves tonight

 

[bocabuckeye]

Taosman- where u at?

what to chat buckeye football

 

[Taosman]

Game started at 6:00 in New Mexico. Over by 9:30.
Watched all the after game high lights and Mack Brown's news conference.
Mack gave props to our guys. Made no excuses. Classy.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

No doubt about it: Ohio State No. 1

Buckeyes prove their ranking, as Smith, Laurinaitis lead win over No. 2 Longhorns

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal sportswriter

AUSTIN, TEXAS - There will be no doubt who Ohio State coach Jim Tressel votes No. 1 this week.
The top-ranked Buckeyes used the pinpoint first-half passing of senior quarterback Troy Smith, and sophomore middle linebacker James Laurinaitis forced two turnovers that led to 10 points.
The result was a dominating 24-7 victory over No. 2 Texas, snapping the defending national champions' 21-game winning streak and avenging Texas' three-point victory last year in Columbus.
``It's not a revenge thing,'' Smith told ABC-TV after the game. ``Any and every win we get during the course of the season is a good win.''
``Troy Smith made play after play and Ted Ginn Jr. is as advertised,'' Texas coach Mack Brown said. ``The two differences in the game were their ability to make plays at the end of drives and our inability to make them. We had two turnovers and gained none, and that's tough when you're playing a good team like them. They deserve to be No. 1.''
Ohio State kept alive its national title hopes in the first regular-season clash of the country's top two teams in 10 years. A state-record crowd of 89,422 at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium included Cavaliers star LeBron James, Heisman trophy winner Eddie George, former All-American receiver Cris Carter and ex-coach John Cooper on the OSU sideline. Future NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith and actor Matthew McConaughey cheered on Texas.
Junior running back Antonio Pittman of Buchtel bulled through from 2 yards out for the final OSU score with 6:31 remaining. Pittman also scored the game-clinching touchdown against Michigan last November and against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. He finished with 74 yards on 16 carries.
Ohio State took a 17-7 lead with 11:03 left in the third quarter on Aaron Pettrey's 31-yard field goal. The kick was set up by Laurinaitis' interception and 25-yard return on the third play of the second half.
Texas tried to cut the gap with 12:18 to go, but Greg Johnson hooked a 45-yard field goal attempt right. It was the Longhorns' first try of the season.
Laurinaitis also had a hand in the Buckeyes' first score. The Longhorns faced second-and-goal at the OSU 7 and Billy Pittman caught a pass from Colt McCoy at the 1. But Laurinaitis forced Pittman to fumble and redshirt freshman cornerback Donald Washington picked it up and returned it 48 yards to the 50. The play withstood a coach's challenge by Brown.
Smith found Anthony Gonzalez for a 26-yard gain on the next play. Gonzalez added catches of 17 and 14 yards, the latter for a touchdown with 1:04 left in the first quarter.
In the first half, Heisman Trophy candidate Smith put on a show that rivaled Vince Young of Texas a year ago. Smith completed 13-of-19 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns in the first 30 minutes and finished 17-of-26 for 269 yards.
Just four players caught passes for OSU. Junior slot receiver Anthony Gonzalez took advantage of the suspension of Texas senior cornerback Tarell Brown, arrested early Monday on misdemeanor gun and drug charges. Gonzalez caught eight passes for 142 yards and a touchdown, seven for 122 in the first half.
OSU took the lead with 16 seconds remaining in the second quarter as Smith hit junior flanker Ted Ginn Jr. on a 29-yard TD pass. Ginn beat senior cornerback Aaron Ross, who held him to two catches for 9 yards a year ago. Ginn had four receptions for 85 yards in the first two quarters and finished with five for 97 yards.
``We only allowed one sack,'' Smith said. ``That was huge. That was the key.''
The offensive line's protection was stout, but sophomore left tackle Alex Boone was flagged for three penalties and senior center Doug Datish one.
Texas tied the score 7-7 with 1:55 left in the second quarter, aided by a personal-foul penalty on senior defensive end Jay Richardson, who knocked redshirt freshman quarterback McCoy's helmet when he hit him as he threw. The flag, after an incompletion on third-and-six at the OSU 9, gave the Longhorns a first down at the 4.
Billy Pittman caught his first pass of the year, a 2-yard touchdown from McCoy, two plays later. That concluded a 13-play, 78-yard drive that consumed 7:05.
OSU coach Jim Tressel and defensive coordinator Jim Heacock vigorously protested to officials after the score.
OSU's inexperience at kicker cost the Buckeyes on the first series. Boosted by a 46-yard pass from Smith to Ginn on the second play, they drove from their 20 to the Longhorns 11. But redshirt freshman Pettrey pulled a 28-yard field-goal attempt left at the 10:59 mark.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Buckeyes come up big Triumph over Texas backs up OSU?s No. 1 ranking

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Todd Jones
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Ohio State coach Jim Tressell and the rest of the Buckeyes celebrate with the OSU band after their victory last night over Texas.

AUSTIN, Texas ? A huge cheer rang out from the fans clad in scarlet-and-gray as the exhilarated Ohio State football players ran off the field with helmets thrust high in victory.
The sound was so loud last night, it drowned out the Texas fans singing The Eyes of Texas alma mater, as they do at the end of every game, even on a night when the nation?s longest winning streak ended at 21.
The big cheer down here in the Lone Star State, where size is admired, reflected how much Ohio State enjoyed its large helping of revenge on its first trip to Austin in the school?s 117 years of football.
A prime-time national television audience saw the Buckeyes solidify their No. 1 ranking by defeating No. 2 Texas 24-7, avenging last year?s bitter defeat to the Longhorns in Columbus.
The Buckeyes (2-0) hope the victory does for them what a victory in this sterling match-up did last season for the Longhorns (1-1). Texas used that 25-22 win, the first game ever played between the two, to propel itself to a 13-0 record and a national championship.
Just five days after Labor Day, the game had the anticipation and atmosphere surrounding a January bowl game. A Texasrecord 89,442 attended the game, the first time in Longhorns football (dating to 1893) that the nation?s top-two ranked teams played in Austin.
"It?s been great," said Columbus resident Derrick Ferguson as he watched the game clock strike zero from the OSU cheering section. "Everybody has been nice and very hospitable. Great game. Great fans."
Texas fans were left muttering with disappointment about the first game in this city since 1950 that involved a No. 1-ranked opponent. The OSU crowd roared from the stadium, scattered across the foreign campus and floated downtown to the Sixth Street bar district.
Chants of "OH-IO" rang out as fans from both schools exited through Gate 14, just as "Go Bucks" cheers and the OSU fight song had filled the afternoon before the game, turning nearby Erwin Center into a slice of Columbus.
The OSU Alumni Association paid $10,000 to rent the 16,000-seat center, where the Longhorns play basketball, for three hours before the game, and about 6,500 fans turned out.
Fans cheered through the "Skull Session" pep rally traditionally held at home games. The OSU band and cheerleaders performed. Archie Griffin spoke to the crowd, as did OSU Athletics Director Gene Smith.
The Austin chapter of the OSU Alumni Association estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 Buckeye fans were expected for the game, even though the university received only 4,000 tickets, one going to Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James, who watched the game from the OSU sideline.
Smith had to issue an apology last year to Texas fans, who said they were treated rudely by OSU fans in Columbus. There wasn?t any evidence of such behavior last night.
"From the time we got out of our car until the time we got here they?ve been nothing hospitable," said Scott Steiner, a Columbus native who now lives in Atlanta. "This is just fun."
In Columbus, as soon as the game was over, police began to report couches being burned and parties spilling into the streets just east of the OSU campus. Problems cropped up along Summit between 12 th and 19 th avenues. A police helicopter was locating fires for officers.
[email protected]

Dispatch

Lone Star lickin?
Buckeyes pile up key plays in win

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

CHRIS RUSSELL DISPATCH Ohio State?s Anthony Gonzalez, center, is congratulated by Jake Ballard, left, and Stan White Jr. after Gonzalez?s TD catch.

NEAL C . LAURON DISPATCH Ohio State?s Quinn Pitcock pressures Texas quarterback Colt McCoy in the second half.

CHRIS RUSSELL DISPATCH Ohio State receiver Ted Ginn Jr. hauls in a touchdown pass against Texas defender Aaron Ross late in the first half.

AUSTIN, Texas ? The Texas band had finished playing The Eyes of Texas and begun filing off the Royal-Memorial Stadium field.
The eyes of Ohio State fans then turned to the Buckeyes, who came to the northwest corner of the stadium with shouts of glee and fingers pointing upward, signaling No. 1.
As the strains of Carmen Ohio faded into the warm Texas evening, it was obvious Ohio State had earned its No. 1 ranking. The Buckeyes soundly defeated No. 2 Texas 24-7 with contributions from their stars and unsung players alike, from their veteran offense and young defense.
Ohio State halted the defending national champions? 21-game win streak and avenged a 25-22 loss to Texas last year in Ohio Stadium.
"Our guys played hard," Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel said. "They came into a tough environment and kept slugging away, and our defense kept hanging in there and caused some turnovers and did a good job.
"Any time you hold someone to seven points in their stadium, incredible."
It was the Longhorns? lowest point total since a 12-0 loss to Oklahoma in October 2004.
Ohio State?s Heisman Trophy candidates ? quarterback Troy Smith and Ted Ginn ? didn?t disappoint, but a lesser-known receiver and a maligned defense were a big part of the victory.
Smith elevated his already high profile by throwing for 269 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. His former Cleveland Glenville teammate, Ted Ginn Jr., caught the go-ahead TD just before halftime.
But there were others.
Receiver Anthony Gonzalez had a career night, catching eight passes for 142 yards and a score.
The defense withstood a fierce Texas running game, as backs Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young combined for 164 yards on 27 carries. Ohio State forced two key turnovers, both of which set up scores. Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis was in on both plays.
"I don?t know anything about the yards, I know we held them to seven points," defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said, eyes flashing. "I thought it was great determination."
Smith?s touchdown passes to Gonzalez and Ginn gave Ohio State a 14-7 halftime lead, but it was the Buckeyes defense that gave them their first comfortable margin.
On the first play of the second half, Longhorns freshman quarterback Colt McCoy underthrew Billy Pittman. Laurinaitis intercepted and returned it to the Texas 21-yard line.
Aaron Pettrey?s 31-yard field goal gave OSU a 17-7 edge at the 11:03 mark of the third quarter.
The teams traded punts until early in the fourth quarter, when a Longhorns drive reached the OSU 28. But Greg Johnson?s 45-yard field goal attempt was wide right with 12:18 remaining.
The Buckeyes needed a long drive and preferably a touchdown, and they got both. Smith found Brian Robiskie for 12 yards to convert third-and-8, and Antonio Pittman ended up scoring from 2 yards out to make it 24-7 with 6:31 left to seal it.
The game opened with Texas looking like it would score first, consistently ripping off huge chunks of rushing yards late in the first quarter.
But on second-and-goal from the OSU 7-yard line, Laurinaitis punched the ball loose from Billy Pittman after a short pass. Cornerback Donald Washington scooped it up and raced all the way to midfield.
"I was really happy with some guys stepping up," Ohio State defensive tackle David Patterson said. "This was the biggest game some guys have ever played in, and we stepped up to the challenge."
Ohio State took advantage quickly. A rolling Smith found Gonzalez for 26 yards, and four plays later, Smith zipped a 14-yard pass to Gonzalez in the front right corner of the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
Texas tied the score in the second quarter when McCoy rolled and hit Billy Pittman for a 2-yard TD with 1:55 left in the half.
Smith then was masterful in leading the two-minute drill, hitting Gonzalez for 14, Ginn for 7 and Gonzalez for 23 to take the ball to the Texas 29 with 22 seconds left.
Ginn then gave Aaron Ross a juke left and burst upfield past the defender. Smith led him perfectly, and the 29-yard touchdown pass gave OSU a 14-7 lead at the half.
"I came out, saw the coverage and made the play, that?s all," Ginn said.
McCoy was largely ineffective, ending with 154 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception.
"They were a really good team," McCoy said. "We made some mistakes. They took advantage of our turnovers. I give all the credit to Ohio State."
[email protected]

Sunday, September 10, 2006

</IMG>

 

[Jolly Dog]

I know you all do but... Can you believe we beat Meatchicken, Notre Dame and Texas in 3 of our last 4 games. Freaking unreal. Tressel is such an awsome big game coach. It is a great time to be a Buckeye!

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

TEXAS NOTEBOOK
Longhorns offense, McCoy kept in check

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Bob Baptist
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




AUSTIN, Texas ? The explosiveness the Texas offense showed during the Longhorns? national championship run last season apparently left with Vince Young. For sure it did last night.
With redshirt freshman Colt McCoy taking over for Young at quarterback, Ohio State for the most part was able to keep the Longhorns in front of it and out of the end zone last night in a 24-7 win in Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
"We did not as an offense get into sync as often as we needed to," coordinator Greg Davis said.
"We felt like we could run the ball. ? But we?ve got to do a better job of getting the ball vertical. They were playing to keep us from getting the ball downfield. They were playing us to give us the checkdowns (to shorter passes) and those types of things. The inability to finish some drives was critical."
McCoy, in the second start of his career, completed 19 of 32 passes for 154 yards and the Longhorns? only touchdown, but he had only two completions longer than 14 yards before their final possession.
"We were running the ball and it started to open up the passing lanes," McCoy said. "Coach wanted to get it vertical. Man to man, they were good enough to stop us.
"I give a great deal of credit to them and their coaching staff. They were prepared. They played hard."
Texas coach Mack Brown said he thought McCoy "did a good job."
"There was a tremendous amount of pressure, the buildup to the game. He won?t have any more pressure probably in his whole career. I did not think he panicked at all. I thought he played with confidence. I thought he played well."
Busted coverage

Cornerback Aaron Ross said he was as surprised as anyone else to have single coverage on Ted Ginn Jr. with Ohio State at the Texas 29-yard line and less than half a minute left in the first half.
Quarterback Troy Smith took advantage with a touchdown pass that put Ohio State ahead 14-7 at the half.
"I was supposed to play outside-in (coverage)," Ross said. "He made a move to the inside and the safety didn?t come over. He ran a great route and they made a play."
Ross said he knew he was beaten as soon as he turned to chase Ginn and saw the safety wasn?t there.
"He?s a speedy guy," he said.
Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik said Ohio State "got us on things a couple times. We made some mistakes out there.
"I?ve got to give (Ohio State) a lot of credit. They came out and gave us a lot of looks, they gave us a lot of movement, shifting, motions and things. (But) there?s no excuse. We?ve got to play better."
The Gonzalez factor

Ohio State has so many weapons that Texas couldn?t cover them all. That?s the explanation Brown gave for the career game receiver Anthony Gonzalez had with eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown.
"We really felt like Troy would run the ball more," Brown said. "We had such a focus on Pittman and Troy running the ball, and stopping Ginn, that Gonzalez got so many plays.
"And he didn?t miss any. He had sure hands, he was open and he made great plays. I thought he and Troy were probably the difference in the ballgame. It was a surprise for us."
Drug charges dropped

Drug charges that resulted in cornerback Tarell Brown and backup safety Tyrell Gatewood being suspended from the game were dropped Friday by the Travis County attorney?s office, the Austin American-Statesman reported yesterday.
A misdemeanor charge of possession of a handgun against Brown was left standing, the newspaper reported. One of Brown?s attorneys told the newspaper he was confident the gun charge also would be dropped.
Brown and Gatewood were passengers in a car driven by former Texas player Aaron Harris that was stopped by police early Monday. Marijuana was found in the car. The handgun was found in the lap of Brown, who was asleep in the back seat.
[email protected]

 

[Taosman]

Overlooking Gonzalez costs Texas

Receiver contributes 142 yards to Ohio State offense.

By Mark Rosner
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Perhaps introductions are in order. Longhorns, meet Anthony Gonzalez.
He's the senior wide receiver for Ohio State whom you frequently left open Saturday night, the one who made a career-best eight receptions.
Jay Janner
AMERICAN-STATESMAN
(enlarge photo)
Texas defenders break up a pass intended for Ohio State receiver Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn, a Heisman Trophy candidate, had five catches for 97 yards and one touchdown in the Buckeyes' victory.


LONGHORN NEWS

• More Longhorns coverage

MOST POPULAR STORIES

• Ohio statement
• A Texas dynasty? Not so fast
• Aw, nuts! The crew from Columbus wrecks Longhorns' night
• Crowd sets attendance records

Gonzalez is talented, all right. But his job was relatively easy, as the Longhorns concentrated on defending the fleet receiver Ted Ginn Jr., the gifted quarterback Troy Smith, and the fine running back Antonio Pittman.
As a result of such focus, Gonzalez contributed 142 yards with his receptions, 14 on a touchdown in the first quarter. His previous career-best day included six receptions for 90 yards against Iowa last season.
"We didn't think Troy would pass this much," Longhorns coach Mack Brown said. "We concentrated on Troy's rush, and Ted Ginn and Antonio Pittman, and Anthony Gonzalez was able to get a lot of yards. He and Troy were probably the difference in the ball game."
Smith completed 17 of 26 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns without throwing an interception.
Ginn caught five passes for 97 yards. His 29-yard touchdown reception with 16 seconds to play in the first half gave Ohio State a 14-7 lead.
Lined up on the left side, Ginn blew past Longhorns cornerback Aaron Ross and caught Smith's pass in the corner of the end zone.
As Ginn started up field, Ross appeared to attempt to bump him. A Longhorns safety ? Ross thinks it was Marcus Griffin ? was too far away to provide help.
"I was playing outside, (Ginn) took the inside, and a safety was supposed to come over," Ross said. "Ginn's a great player, and Troy threw a great ball."
Normally, Ross said, he would not have been playing on the right side. He's the Longhorns' left cornerback. Tarell Brown lines up on the right side.
But Brown missed the game because of a suspension, and Ross covered Ginn regardless of whether the receiver lined up on the left side or right.
"Ross hung in as long and hard as he could," Mack Brown said. "But Ginn's a great player."
Gene Chizik, the Texas co-defensive coordinator, said UT made several mistakes in pass coverage, some induced by Ohio State's strategy.
"They gave us a lot of looks, a lot of movement, shifting and motion," Chizik said. "I give them credit."
http://www.statesman.com/horns/content/sports/stories/longhorns/09/10/10texside2.html

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Buckeyes don?t mind underdog role at all
3-0 in No. 1-No. 2 tilts, Ohio State fine with not being favored

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




AUSTIN, Texas ? Whether it was reality or coach-concocted, Ohio State players have considered themselves the underdogs all three times they have been involved in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 game.
Last night, No. 2 Texas was a 2 1 /2-point favorite over the top-ranked Buckeyes. In the 2003 Fiesta Bowl national-title game, top-ranked Miami was a double-digit favorite.
And before the 1969 Rose Bowl, No. 1 OSU felt like No. 2 Southern California was expected to win.
"I really felt like we were underdogs," former quarterback Rex Kern said, "because coming to southern California, everything (in the media) was about USC. It was a home game for them."
Kern brought up an interesting parallel in the buildups to his Rose Bowl and the contest last night: The OSU coach?s efforts to motivate his team.
In the days before the game, Kern said, Woody Hayes kept telling his team they hadn?t yet proved anything. This, despite the fact that the Buckeyes were coming off a 50-14 win over No. 4 Michigan and already had been crowned national champions in the United Press International poll.
Even a loss to USC would leave Ohio State as co-national champions.
Yet, in those days before the Internet, ESPN and round-the-clock talk radio, Hayes managed to set an us-versus-the-world tone.
"It wasn?t so much I guess comparing No. 1 vs. No. 2," Kern said. "Woody didn?t allow that to come into play. Not only was he able to control his football team, but to the best of his ability he was able to control the media and the tempo of (the coverage)."
Coach Jim Tressel doesn?t have that ability, but he tried his best. On Tuesday, he said he had been voting Texas No. 1 on his USA Today poll ballot "because they deserve that."
A flap ensued when it turned out a staff member actually had voted the Buckeyes No. 1, but the basic point remains valid: Tressel was letting his team know that as the defending national champions, he thought the Longhorns were the nation?s best until someone knocked them off.
"I think to go play the defending national champions at home, I would think we would be the underdog," fullback Stan White Jr. said.
Clearly, the 2002 team had the most right to feel disrespected. Miami not only was the heavy favorite, but Ohio State had won a lot of close, lowscoring games, leading some to call them the "Luckeyes."
"Teams like being underdogs because there?s not a lot of pressure on them," said former tailback Maurice Hall, a member of the title team. "Nobody expected Ohio State to win that game, and we knew that."
OSU is 3-0 in No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups, of course, thanks to the 27-16 win over USC in 1969 and the 31-24 double-overtime triumph in 2003.
Last night was the first time the Buckeyes have been involved in a regular-season meeting of the nation?s top two teams.
[email protected]

Dispatch

COMMENTARY
Game might be afterthought by Week 12

Sunday, September 10, 2006

BOB HUNTER

</IMG>


AUSTIN, Texas — The stadium is rocking, a national TV audience is watching and there are, by some accounts, about a million Ohio State fans without tickets hanging out in the parking lots and streets outside.
But, hey, this is a once-in-alifetime experience, right?
Well, no. There is no disputing that the Ohio State-Texas game last night was a huge one, but by now you’d think everyone would realize that these once-in-alifetime meetings are no such thing. Depending upon how the season goes, it might not even be a once a year.
Have you already forgotten the frenzy over the Fiesta Bowl game last season against Notre Dame? The national championship game against Miami in 2003? The whopper against Michigan that preceded the game against Miami? Those two Notre Dame games in 1995 and ’96?
If you’re a little older, you might remember even more. It wasn’t that long ago that Ohio State played a once-in-a-lifetime game against Oklahoma in Ohio Stadium. Remember that matchup for the ages of Woody Hayes and Bear Bryant in the Sugar Bowl? How about those games with Penn State before the Nittany Lions were in the Big Ten? Remember when freshman Art Schlichter surprised everybody by jaunting onto the field as the starting quarterback against Penn State and the crowd screamed so loud that it made your hair stand up?
These games all seemed a lot more important at the time, but they were more important when they were so few and far between. It seems like the Buckeyes play one every other year now.
When Ohio State played Notre Dame in 1935, that might have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of those fans because there was nothing to compare it to. The game the two schools played the following year in South Bend, Ind., didn’t seem nearly as big, and there was nothing like that on the OSU schedule for decades.
As soon as the game last night ended, some fans probably started talking about that home-andhome series Ohio State has scheduled with Southern California in 2008 and 2009, or maybe even the two games with Oklahoma in 2016 and 2017.
And being honest, do any of these once-in-a-lifetime nonconference games really compare with a game against Michigan when the whole season is at stake?
"It doesn’t (compare with Michigan)," quarterback Troy Smith said last week. "That’s a game unto itself."
There is more to this than just the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry. In the second or third week of the season, no game can carry as much weight as the ones later, because the stakes haven’t been established. Until the last game of the season, we don’t know how the games will look on the pages of history.
When coach Jim Tressel was asked about how the practices this week have compared with the spirited sessions his team has against Michigan, he was careful how he explained that they are different animals.
"It’s so much different because it’s so early," Tressel said. "We’re still trying to feel our way and figure out how to get lined up. … Usually by the end of the year when you’re playing your 11 th or 12 th game the practices are so much shorter, you’ve been through so many more things. A little bit less teaching goes on fundamentally, so it’s different.
"Now the hype, the excitement and I’m sure the anxiety is very similar. But … the weeks are very different, from beginning to the end."
It sounded like a nice way of saying that it’s not as intense.
Bob Hunter is a sports columnist for The Dispatch.
[email protected]

 

[Taosman]

And our punter,AJ Trapasso, averaged something like 52 yds a punt!
And was a major weapon! Texas were impressed with him.
Just a soph!

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

Voters had it right
Buckeyes affirm top ranking with high-stakes game of Texas hold 'em

BY JIM VERTUNO | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUSTIN, Texas - Troy Smith and the Ohio State Buckeyes showed the defending champions who's No. 1.
Now comes the burden of holding on to the top spot.
In the first regular-season matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in a decade, Smith riddled Texas for 269 yards passing and two touchdowns, leading the Buckeyes to a 24-7 win Saturday night.
The victory keeps the Buckeyes (2-0) in perfect position for a run to a national title. Keep winning and they should stay right where they are.
The Buckeyes defense, which had to replace nine starters this season, looked championship caliber, holding a Texas team that had scored at least 40 points in 12 consecutive games to a single touchdown.
As for No. 2 Texas (1-1), which saw its 21-game winning streak snapped, the Longhorns will need some help if they hope to defend their 2005 championship at the end of the season.
Colt McCoy was no Vince Young in the rematch of last season's 25-22 Texas win in Columbus. The Longhorns' new starting QB threw for 154 yards with an interception and a touchdown.
"It's not a revenge thing, any and every win we get during the course of the season is a good win," said Smith, who split time at quarterback in last year's game, his first after a suspension.
The last time 1-2 met in the regular season, No. 2 Florida State beat No. 1 Florida, but the Gators won the rematch in the Sugar Bowl to win the national championship.
Smith was everything Texas feared this time: a leader and a playmaker.
He threw first half touchdown passes of 14 yards to Anthony Gonzalez and 29 yards to best friend and high school teammate Ted Ginn Jr. The second was a perfect strike just before halftime that sucked the life out of the home crowd.
Gonzalez had eight catches for 142 yards, both career highs, against a defense concentrating on stopping Ginn, who finished with five catches for 97 yards.
"We didn't make the plays we needed to make," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "We had our chances there, even in the fourth quarter. Everyone tried, everyone played hard. Give Ohio State credit."
The Longhorns used their win in Columbus last season as the springboard to their first undisputed national title since 1969. But that win and that season came with Young at quarterback.
McCoy, the redshirt freshman from West Texas, showed he can take a hit, but he couldn't pull off the type of comeback that Young had made legendary in his Texas career.
Saturday's game was an unusual early-season blockbuster with two of college football's heavyweights on the field and in tradition.
Ohio State was the first No. 1 to come to Austin since SMU in 1950.
The Buckeyes' defense set up the first score of the game with a big play on its own goal line.
The Longhorns unveiled a nifty option with McCoy and Jamaal Charles and were picking up big chunks of yardage on the ground. Texas drove to the Ohio State 7 before receiver Billy Pittman fumbled at the 2.
Donald Washington returned the ball to midfield and might have gone all the way if McCoy didn't track him down on the sideline to save the TD.

CPD

OSU still the one

Buckeyes shine in heart of Texas

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter

Austin, Texas -- This Ohio State-Texas game didn't come down to one play, one star or one defining moment. In college football's first regular season No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in a decade, the top-ranked Buckeyes were first in every way, ambling to an efficient 24-7 win Saturday night.
"Our special teams were great, our defense was relentless and our offense didn't make any mistakes," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "To hold someone to seven points in their stadium -- incredible."
Troy Smith threw touchdown passes to Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn Jr., and James Laurinaitis created two turnovers as the inexperienced Buckeyes defense limited an inexperienced Texas quarterback. Colt McCoy threw one interception to Laurinaitis and spent the rest of the night dumping off underneath as the Buckeyes (2-0) controlled any damage, holding him to 19-of-32 passing for 154 yards.
The crowd of 89,422 at Royal-Memorial Stadium, including Ohio State sideline visitor LeBron James, wasn't dazzled but had to be impressed. With a game-time temperature of 85 degrees and the humidity at 51 percent, the Texas heat was a nonfactor. The Buckeyes continued their planned defensive rotation, playing 21 defenders in the first half, including eight defensive linemen, eight defensive backs and five linebackers.
They seemed to barely break a sweat.
"They played hard and I thought on the sidelines they were into it," OSU defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said. "They made a lot of big plays when they needed to."
Smith completed 17 of 26 passes for 269 yards and two scores. Gonzalez caught a career-high eight passes for 142 yards, while Ginn grabbed five for 97 yards. Ohio State won by the pass, while Antonio Pittman chipped in 74 rushing yards, but the throws came in well-planned chunks. At points, Gonzalez felt the offense could do whatever it wanted.
"I had a pretty good idea what coverages they were running," Gonzalez said, "and if I know what someone's doing, it makes it a lot easier."
Ginn, limited to two catches for 9 yards against Texas a year ago, had his moments. On the second play of the game, he turned a short crossing route into a 46-yard gain, blazing across the field and down the right sideline. But that drive ended with a missed 28-yard field goal from Aaron Pettrey.
Ginn reached the end zone himself just before the half, juking past corner Aaron Ross at the line and sprinting to the end zone, where Smith lofted a 29-yard touchdown.
That gave Ohio State a 14-7 lead. The Buckeyes had broken on top on a 14-yard Gonzalez catch late in the first quarter. It was just one of the times he beat backup cornerback Brandon Foster, Gonzalez gaining 122 yards in the first half.
On defense, the Buckeyes seemed intent on introducing McCoy to prime time, burying him several times just after he released the ball and popping him on option plays. Jay Richardson was called for roughing the passer on one hit, a play that kept alive the drive that led to the Longhorns' only points. Texas tied it on a 2-yard McCoy pass to Billy Pittman with 1:55 left in the first half.
But the Buckeyes responded with a five-play, 66-yard drive in 1:39 that ended with Ginn's touchdown, a Heisman highlight for both quarterback and receiver.
"He had an inside release on that play, and he did a great job using his speed to get over the top," Smith said.
Pettrey added a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter and Pittman rammed in the final touchdown from 2 yards out in the fourth quarter.
But the Buckeyes had broken the Longhorns' spirit by then, starting when they denied what looked like a sure go-ahead score in the first quarter. As Pittman caught a short pass and headed for the goal line on the ninth play of a drive, Brandon Mitchell grabbed him and Laurinaitis arrived to force a fumble. Donald Washington returned it to midfield, and it would be the Buckeyes who scored first.
"Once I saw it was a fumble, I was like, OK, let's score,' " Mitchell said. "That changed the momentum."
Maybe the greatest indication that this was Ohio State's night came early in the fourth quarter. On first down, McCoy lobbed a pass toward Limas Sweed in the front corner of the end zone. Last year, Sweed jumped over Buckeye Nate Salley to grab a 24-yard touchdown in the front corner of the end zone, the game-winner in a 25-22 Texas victory.
This time, sophomore Malcolm Jenkins was step for step with Sweed, got his hand on the ball and they tumbled out of bounds together, still fighting for the ball, as it was ruled incomplete.
"When he fell on top of me, that whole play flashed through my mind from last year," Jenkins said. "All I wanted to do was get the ball out."
Three players later, Texas kicker Greg Johnson hooked a 45-yard field-goal attempt and the Buckeyes maintained their 10-point lead with 12:18 to play.
The night belonged to the Buckeyes, their fans singing "Carmen Ohio" as the players left the field, every moment, every minute, under every star in the Texas sky defined by an Ohio State win.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4479

CPD

<H1 class=red>Key play of the game

</H1>

Sunday, September 10, 2006


OSU: Ted Ginn's 29-yard TD catch
Second quarter, 22 seconds left
The setup: The Buckeyes used a formation to set up speedster Ted Ginn Jr. (7) with single coverage by Texas cornerback Aaron Ross (31). With the ball spotted on the right hash mark, they sent Ginn alone left to the wide side of the field. Two other OSU receivers, Anthony Gonzalez and Brian Robiskie, were flanked wide to the right and are not seen here. What's important is they drew two Texas defensive backs to the right side of the formation, leaving the rest of the field for Ginn.
On the snap: OSU quarterback Troy Smith (10) took the snap in the shotgun formation. The Buckeyes kept tight end Rory Nicol (88) on the line to block, and OSU running back Antonio Pittman (25) also stayed in the backfield to block and give Smith time. Ginn took a jab step to the left, then tore straight down the field, gaining a few yards of separation on Ross as he ran.
What happened next: Texas free safety Matt Melton (18) was focused on Smith and positioned toward the short side of the field. When he saw Smith's pass, he tried to get over to the wide side of the field to help out Ross, but he was late arriving. Smith's pass dropped into Ginn's hands just over the goal line.
The result: The play helped OSU to a 14-7 lead with 16 seconds left in the half.

CPD

OHIO STATE INSIDER
Texas' plan overlooks key factor


Sunday, September 10, 2006

Cody Hale
Special to The Plain Dealer

Austin, Texas- Texas' preparation this week for the Buckeyes mainly was focused on the talents of quarterback Troy Smith and flanker/receiver Ted Ginn Jr.
Maybe the Longhorns should have re-evaluated that game plan.
Receiver Anthony Gonzalez had a career night in Austin with eight receptions for 142 yards and one touchdown. Though he did take advantage of the absence of defensive back Tarell Brown, Gonzalez found the holes in Texas' defense all night, eluding many defenders en route to a career performance.
"From a production standpoint, it was probably the best game I ever had," Gonzalez said. "I can't think of a game where I caught so many balls. I don't know how many passes I caught tonight."
Said Smith of Gonzalez: "Gonzo did a great job making the big plays for us tonight, especially when he was the No. 1 receiver in my progression."
Friendly game of football:
Heading into the 2006 season, Texas urged every Longhorns fan around the country to "make us proud." But in a game of this caliber, the trash talk trickled all the way down to the younger generation.
Outside the gates, children rooting for both teams gathered for a nice game of football, which involved some friendly banter as well. When a Buckeyes fan wearing a Ginn jersey dropped a pass, he received a nice ovation from a Longhorns youngster.
"Just like a Buckeye dropping that pass," said the Longhorns fan.
But the trash talk began long before Saturday, when Buckeyes and Longhorns fans began to set up their tailgating parties on Thursday afternoon.
The Buck-I Guy:
One of the first Buckeyes fans arrived in Austin on Wednesday. John Chubb, who calls himself the "Buck-I Guy," was dressed in scarlet and gray from head to toe and was also draped in an Ohio State flag. Chubb got off his plane on Wednesday and headed directly for Royal-Memorial Stadium.
"I am loud and I am proud," Chubb said. "It's an honor and a privilege to see where Earl Campbell, Vince Young and Ricky Williams all ran the ball."
Chubb commended both teams for playing a high-profile game early in the season, and wishes more teams had the "gall" to schedule tough games early.
Battle of the bands:
This is the first time that both the Longhorns and Buckeyes bands have been fully introduced. The Longhorns traveled to Columbus with only a portion of their band last season, but this year the Buckeyes were able to bring their entire band - with some help, to say the least.
Walt Dennis donated $225,000 to the band, Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith said. Smith also noted the generosity by Dennis was partially inspired by the band playing at a friend's birthday party.
The band usually travels to only one away game. But Dennis wanted the band to attend this game in their new wool uniforms purchased for this season.
Charges dropped:
After passing a university-administered drug test, Longhorns defensive back Tarell Brown and special teams' backup Tyrell Gatewood had their misdemeanor charges dropped on Friday.
Both players were suspended for Saturday's game after being arrested last Sunday and charged with marijuana possession. Brown also was charged with a misdemeanor for carrying a loaded 9mm handgun.
Campbell statue unveiled:
Before the game, Texas showcased the new statue of former Longhorns running back Earl Campbell, who won the Heisman trophy in 1977.
The 9-foot, 1,500-pound statue by artist Ken Bjorge was placed on the southwest corner of Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium looking toward the Texas campus.
Nicknamed the Tyler Rose, Campbell was drafted No. 1 by the Houston Oilers and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
No. 1 vs. No. 2:
This is the first time a No. 1 vs. No. 2 has played in Royal-Memorial Stadium, and the first 1-2 matchup since 1996, when Florida and Florida State met.
Texas has played in five 1-2 contests since the Associated Press poll started in 1936 and is 4-1 in those five games.
Cowboys fly over:
Six Marine F/A-18 Hornets performed a flyover before the game.
The "Cowboys," based in Fort Worth, Texas, are part of the VMFA-112 unit and were assisted by ground controllers Capt. Mike Raths, Maj. Randel Gilette, and Lt. Troy Roberts.
Redshirt alert:
Ohio State brought 70 players to the game. Coach Jim Tressel said earlier in the week the Buckeyes would keep home freshmen the team wants to redshirt.
"You get in a game like that, you look to the sideline and you need some help and you throw them in there," Tressel said, "so we want to make sure we left those guys at home who are up in the air for that."
The only real surprise was that linebacker Tyler Moeller, who impressed during camp, stayed in Columbus while linebacker Thaddeus Gibson made the trip
The freshmen who did not make the trip were linebackers Moeller and Mark Johnson, offensive linemen Bryant Browning, Connor Smith and Josh Kerr, defensive backs Grant Schwartz and Chimdi Chekwa, defensive end Walter Dublin, tight end Andy Miller, defensive lineman Dexter Larimore, fullback Aram Olson and quarterback Antonio Henton.
The true freshmen at the game were running back Chris Wells, receiver Roy Small, linebackers Ross Homan and Thaddeus Gibson, defensive end Robert Rose, tight end Jake Ballard, defensive back Kurt Coleman and safety Aaron Gant.
Plain Dealer reporter Doug Lesmerises contributed to this report.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Telegraph-Forum

Texas quarterback not good enough to beat OSU



AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Colt McCoy did a pretty good job for a redshirt freshman facing the nation's No. 1 team in his second career start. Problem was, No. 2 Texas needed more than pretty good Saturday night. They needed Vince Young kind of good.
McCoy completed 19 of 32 passes for 154 yards with a touchdown and an interception, keeping the Longhorns close but never leading in a 24-7 loss to Ohio State. Texas ended its winning streak at 21 games and now faces long odds to repeat as national champion.

Running four times for 8 yards and never backing down no matter how hard he was hit, McCoy was solid. But he wasn't spectacular _ a la Young _ on a night when that's what the Longhorns needed.

"I thought Colt did a good job," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "He won't have any more pressure than this probably his whole career. I thought he played with confidence and played well."

McCoy made only one really bad pass, an interception on the third snap of the third quarter. The Buckeyes turned it into a field goal and a 17-7 lead, which was more than enough for an experienced quarterback like Troy Smith.

When Young was around, opponents might've worried more about needing to pad the lead. He seemed to always be on the verge of doing something spectacular and, as Southern California discovered in the Rose Bowl, no lead against Texas was safe.

McCoy can't be blamed for not doing something dramatic. After all, none of his teammates did, either.

"We've got to step up and make more plays for him," said senior running back Selvin Young, who has tried becoming the off-field leader Vince Young, his friend and former roommate, was.

McCoy's teammates not only could've done more to help him, they could've done less to make things so tough _ like Billy Pittman fumbling a potential 7-0 lead at the 2 and the Buckeyes returning it to the 50 (with McCoy making the tackle) and the defense allowing a go-ahead touchdown just before halftime right after McCoy had tied it.

The kid also would've appreciated if his defense and special teams had let him start a drive farther up the field than his own 23-yard line before the fourth quarter. Brown noted that both teams had roughly the same amount of yards and that the Longhorns actually had eight more snaps, so "the difference was we started with a long field and they started with a short field."

McCoy, a coach's kid from the tiny town of Tuscola in West Texas, wasn't about to point any fingers. He praised Ohio State, lamented missed opportunities and avoided any type of self-analysis.

"I don't want to get into any of that," he said. "This is my second game."

Teammates who've teased about McCoy's voice cracking in the huddle all came away praising their new leader.

"He was like, 'Come on, get your heads up,'" senior guard Kasey Studdard said. "He was poised."

"He showed heart," said junior receiver Limas Sweed. "This game will definitely help him out and be a confidence-builder for him."

Offensive coordinator Greg Davis said he wanted to have more deep throws, but the Buckeyes sagged their secondary to prevent them. Two downfield attempts were incomplete yet noteworthy _ cornerback Malcolm Jenkins knocking a ball from Limas Sweed in the end zone and tight end Jermichael Finley dropping about a 20-yarder after a long scramble by McCoy.

McCoy was at his best on a drive that ate up 7:05 of the second quarter. He moved the team 78 yards in 13 plays, overcoming a helmet-to-helmet blow from Ohio State defensive end Jay Richardson to throw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Pittman that tied the game at 7 with 1:55 left in the second quarter.

Smith and the Ohio State defense never let McCoy feel that good again.

Maybe Vince Young could have. But he's gone.

If Texas fans didn't fully grasp the ramifications of that before Saturday, they do now.


Originally published September 10, 2006

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Buckeyes back up their No. 1 ranking
Sunday, September 10, 2006
[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER[/FONT]

View another photo
Ohio State flanker Ted Ginn Jr. (7) celebrates his second-quarter 29-yard touchdown catch against Texas with teammate Anthony Gonzalez (11) on Saturday at Austin, Texas. Ginn finished the game with five catches for 96 yards.​

AUSTIN, Texas Everything in Texas is bigger, including Troy Smith?s arm, his game and now his Heisman hype.
Not to mention the rest of Ohio State?s season.
Smith led his team into the heart of Texas and the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes handed the Longhorns a 24-7 smack across the face. The largest crowd in the Lone Star State?s history, 89,422, saw the loss in one of the biggest regular-season games in college football history.
The loss ended Texas? 21-game winning streak.
?This was a big one,? said running back Antonio Pittman, who gained 74 tough yards and scored a touchdown. ?We had to come in here and get this one. We owed them. This means a lot for us.?
Smith completed 17-of-26 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He did not throw an interception, and has now thrown 112 passes without a pick going back to last season.
?He proved tonight he?s a legitimate passer. We went into the game expecting a lot from his run game, and he threw it,? Texas Defensive Coordinator Gene Chizik said. ?He was excellent. I don?t know if he could?ve played a better game.?
The Buckeyes never fumbled the ball, either.
Turnovers cost the Longhorns. Longhorn redshirt freshman Colt McCoy was picked off and Texas also fumbled at the Buckeye 5. Ohio State turned those gifts into 10 points.
?Troy Smith made play after play and Ted Ginn Jr. is as advertised,? Texas Head Coach Mack Brown said. ?They deserve to be No. 1.?
Smith who never got rattled. He didn?t force passes, hold the ball too long or tuck and run too soon.
Heisman Trophy candidates aren?t supposed to.
?Troy Smith did a great job leading,? Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel said. ?His composure was great. To come into someone else?s house and lead the way he led and keep his composure is a tough thing to do.?
The Buckeyes got off to the fast start they wanted. On the second play of the game, Smith connected with Ted Ginn Jr. on a short pass that Ginn turned into a 46-yard gain to the Texas 31.
The drive stalled inside the Longhorns? 20. On third-and-3 from the Texas 12, Smith took a shotgun snap, looked to pass, but instead ran with it. He slipped and gained a yard.
OSU had to settle for a field goal ? it settled for five of them in this game last year ? but Aaron Pettrey didn?t hook the ?Horns. He hooked the 28-yard attempt wide left.
Texas? opening drive stalled when McCoy bounced an incomplete pass to Quan Cosby on second-and-long. McCoy was pressured from Vernon Gholston on third down. Gholston nearly sacked him.
The first big play of the game was crushing to Texas. McCoy completed a short pass to Billy Pittman inside the OSU 10. Pittman was hit by Brandon Mitchell and linebacker Jame Laurinaitis popped the ball out at the Buckeye 1. Donald Washington scooped it up and returned it 49 yards to the 50. It turned out to be a 14-point swing.
Ohio State tasted blood, and Smith grew fangs. He completed a 25-yard crossing pass to Anthony Gonzalez to the Texas 25. He went back to Gonzalez for 18 yards on second-and-15. On second-and-12 from the Texas 14, Gonzalez ran a perfect route and Smith hit him in the chest in the right, front corner of the end zone for the first score. Pettrey?s kick made it 7-0 near the end of the first quarter.
Smith completed 3-of-4 (one was dropped) passes for 57 yards on the drive. Gonzalez was being covered by Brandon Foster, who started in place of suspended Tarell Brown.
The Longhorns, prior to the fumble, moved the ball down the field with ease using the option. They went 87 yards in eight plays, not including a pass interference call that set them up with first-and-goal at Buckeye 7.
Texas finally got in the end zone at the end of the first half. McCoy hit Cosby on a 2-yard pass. However, that drive was aided a great deal on an iffy roughing the passer penalty after an incomplete pass on third-and-6 from the Buckeye 9. McCoy was leveled by defensive end Jay Richardson just before McCoy threw the pass.
Referee Bill LeMonnier, of the Big Ten, called the penalty. After Texas? TD, between commercial breaks, Tressel gave the officials an earful. According to the coach, LeMonnier said he was ?protecting the quarterback.? Meanwhile, the Longhorns didn?t commit a penalty in the first half.
The Longhorn offense, though, converted three third down plays during that drive. And McCoy grew up a little. He was nails on a 14-yard completion on second-and-11 with Curtis Terry breathing fire on a blitz. That pass took it to the OSU 14.
With the game tied at 7, Smith worked his magic with less than 1:50 left in the first half when the Buckeyes got the ball. On second-and-17 after a holding penalty, he threw a laser to Gonzalez for 14 yards.
Then he hit Ginn for a 7-yard gain to convert the first down at midfield. Smith went back to Gonzalez for a 23-yard pass. It was the junior?s seventh catch for 122 yards, both career highs.
With Gonzalez established, Aaron Ross fell asleep covering Ginn.
Big mistake.
Smith lofted a perfect pass to his former high school teammate for a 29-yard TD with 16 seconds left before halftime for a 14-7 OSU lead, which could?ve been 14-3 without the roughing penalty.
With a full Heisman press on during a nationally televised primetime game, Smith completed 13-of-19 passes for 219 yards a pair of TDs in the first half.
McCoy made his first freshman mistake at the start of the third quarter, getting picked off by linebacker James Laurinaitis, who returned it to the Texas 21. The Buckeyes settled for a 31-yard field goal by Aaron Pettrey to take a 17-7 lead.
The game-clinching drive started with 12:18 left in the game.
Ohio State went 72 yards in nine plays. Tressel mixed the run and the pass. A key play in that drive was a 12-yard rocket Smith threw to Brian Robiskie on third-and-8. Running back Antonio Pittman scored from the 2-yard line two plays later.
The game was clinched. Ohio State evened the score. The Buckeyes? national title hopes are alive. Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]

Canton

Tickets? OSU fans find them
Sunday, September 10, 2006 [FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]OHIO STATE NOTEBOOK TODD PORTER[/FONT]


AUSTIN, Texas - If there was a way, Ohio State fans found it to get inside Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. Some paid scalpers. Some went to Ebay. Others were more creative.
It all left Ohio State Athletics Director Gene Smith amazed.
?I?m still amazed,? Smith said before kickoff Saturday night. ?I?m not amazed by the general passion Ohio State fans have, but every once in a while you get amazed. I was told 6th Street last night (a main campus strip) was 70 percent Buckeye fans.
?Then you see the stadium, and they find a way in.?
The atmosphere in Austin on Saturday rivaled that of a bowl game. Ohio State received 4,200 tickets to sell. There were at least twice that inside the stadium.
One couldn?t walk a block around the University of Texas campus without walking past a large group of Ohio State fans.
Before the game, about 6,000 OSU fans loaded into the Frank Erwin Center for what was supposed to be a pep rally. It turned into a quasi Skull Session. The OSU Marching Band played, two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin and Smith spoke.
The Erwin Center is normally where Texas plays its basketball games. ?It was a Skull Session,? Smith said. ?It was rocking in there.?
Could you imagine Ohio State renting the Schottenstein Center to a visiting team?s alumni association?
?We could do that,? Smith said. ?It would depend on the situation and the institution. If Texas had called us last year and asked to do it, we could have done that.?

BIG GAMES, BIG FALLS Smith said he doesn?t worry about the impact of a top-five ranked Ohio State team losing to another nationally ranked team early in the season when he signs contracts to play these intersectional blockbusters. ?What I think about first is the student-athlete,? Smith said. ?These kids are going to remember this game. When a senior leaves this school, he is going to remember this game for the rest of his life. He?s going to remember when No. 1 Ohio State played No. 2 Texas. ... And now they?ll have a DVD to show to their kids.?
THE KING Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James made it to the game. James, an Ohio State fan who toyed with the idea of playing basketball at OSU, was provided sideline passes as a guest of the Buckeyes. ... Eddie George was in attendance as well. Emmitt Smith, who played at Florida in college but in Dallas in the NFL, was at the game.
ROWDY PLANE A Continental Airline flight from Cleveland to Austin on Saturday morning was a full flight with mostly Ohio State fans. The captain, dressed in an Ohio State tie, played music from the Ohio State Marching Band, and ?Hang on Sloopy? during the preflight boarding process. He welcomed the OSU fans on board and even promised ?to get the couple of Texas fans to Austin? as well.
HOW?D THEY GET IN? Some Ohio State fans purchased Texas season tickets and sold all but Saturday night?s game to make the money back. Seats were selling for more than $1,000 outside the stadium five hours before kickoff.
BIG BOY The new high-definition scoreboard at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium is sharp. It is the largest high-definition video display in the nation. Made by DAKtronics (which made the scoreboard at Fawcett Stadium), the scoreboard measures 55 feet high by 134 fee wide. It cost a mere $8 million. If you?re wondering, you could buy more than 2,000 of the best HD big screens at your favorite electronics store.
MEDIA AFFAIR More than 625 credentialed media members attended Saturday night?s game. The press box at DKR-Texas Memorial seats about 120. Representatives from the Orange, Fiesta, Sugar and Rose bowls were there. Scouts from all 32 NFL teams were turned away.
GONZO GONE Ohio State WR Anthony Gonzalez was the benificiary of starting CB Tarell Brown being suspended. Gonzalez was covered by backup CB Brandon Foster. In the first half, he had seven catches for 122 yards ? both career highs.
BUCKEYES Bevo, Texas? live longhorn mascot, was in his usual spot behind the end zone. This is Bevo XIV. ... Smith entertained a group of 50 Ohio State boosters in Texas who have given millions to the school over the years. ... WR Roy Hall dressed for the game, but did not play as he?s still reecovering from an ankle injury. He took part in pregame drills. ... Kickoff temperature was 85 degrees and Head Coach Jim Tressel still wore a sweater vest. ... OSU is at Ohio Stadium on Saturday against Cincinnati. Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]

CPD

<H1 class=red>Bests of the game

</H1>

Sunday, September 10, 2006



Best hit

It was James Laurinaitis who punched the ball away from Texas receiver Billy Pittman at the 1-yard line to save a first-quarter touchdown. Donald Washington recovered the fumble and returned it to midfield. But a lot of credit has to go to safety Brandon Mitchell, who grabbed Pittman around the waist after he caught a pass in the flat and held on before Laurinaitis arrived.

Best decision

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said he wanted to play 57 players in the first quarter, and the Buckeyes may have gotten close. They played at least 21 on defense in the first half. But the best rotation was on the offensive line. The Buckeyes' first touchdown drive, their third drive of the game, came behind the second-string line: Tim Schafer at left tackle, Kyle Mitchum at left guard, Tyler Whaley at center, Ben Person at right guard and Jon Skinner at right tackle. They had a false-start penalty on the five-play, 50-yard drive, but they led the way to the end zone.

Best juke

When receiver Ted Ginn Jr. lined up against Aaron Ross in single coverage with 22 seconds left till halftime, the alert went out. Ross had done a pretty good job chasing Ginn through the first half, but then came the juke. Ginn faked outside, then cut inside Ross and was open by 3 yards. Troy Smith lofted a perfect ball that came down at the goal line, and the 29-yard touchdown gave Ohio State its 14-7 halftime lead.

Best message

Ohio State seemed to make a point of hitting Texas quarterback Colt McCoy hard. Curtis Terry buried McCoy as he released one pass, which he completed for 14 yards. Antonio Smith made sure to give him a pop after an option pitch, Jay Richardson crunched him on another pass, and Larry Grant nailed him on an option. Richardson was called for roughing the passer on his hit after falling helmet to helmet on McCoy as they went to the ground.

Best guest appearance

LeBron James -- you know, the basketball player -- appeared on Ohio State's sideline after requesting a sideline pass from the Buckeyes on Friday. In an alternate universe, James could be a senior receiver for the Buckeyes right now. The running back celebrity battle was a draw -- Eddie George for Ohio State and former Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith, a Florida grad, for Texas.

- -- Doug Lesmerises