Now we'll have to, they'll be starting one of their backups! :(
Crap. I hope Mack Brown doesn't bench more players, or we're really screwed.
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- Thread starter 3yardsandacloud
- Start date
Crap. I hope Mack Brown doesn't bench more players, or we're really screwed.
OmahaBeef
Intergalactic Planetary Planetary Intergalactic
I dont like it when player suspensions cause some fans to say a win isn't legitmate because of who isn't playing. A team is still a team, even when off the field.
If they make a mistake on the field, they will pay for it. If they make a mistake off the field, they will also have to face the consequences.
If they make a mistake on the field, they will pay for it. If they make a mistake off the field, they will also have to face the consequences.
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timBUCK2
Tim the Enchanter... WOLVERINE SLAYER!!
Texas players suspended; books yet to adjust
Link
Covers seems to think Brown's absense will effect the line.
Two Texas football players suspended
Associated Press
Tue, Sep 5, 2006
AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas starting cornerback Tarell Brown and backup linebacker and special teams player Tyrell Gatewood were suspended for Saturday`s game against No. 1 Ohio State after their arrest on misdemeanor charges.
Before the announcement, oddsmakers had the Longhorns as 2 1/2-point home favorites with the total set at 51.
The loss of Brown, a senior and Texas` top cover corner, is a big blow to a defense counting on him to match up with the Buckeyes` top receiver, Ted Ginn. Gatewood made one tackle on special teams in the No. 2 Longhorns` season opener against North Texas....
Link
Covers seems to think Brown's absense will effect the line.
Two Texas football players suspended
Associated Press
Tue, Sep 5, 2006
AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas starting cornerback Tarell Brown and backup linebacker and special teams player Tyrell Gatewood were suspended for Saturday`s game against No. 1 Ohio State after their arrest on misdemeanor charges.
Before the announcement, oddsmakers had the Longhorns as 2 1/2-point home favorites with the total set at 51.
The loss of Brown, a senior and Texas` top cover corner, is a big blow to a defense counting on him to match up with the Buckeyes` top receiver, Ted Ginn. Gatewood made one tackle on special teams in the No. 2 Longhorns` season opener against North Texas....
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Carmen Ohio
All-American
What They're Saying
Player press conference quotes: September 4
Selvin Young
RB Selvin Young
On how exciting this week is for the team: Twice in the last three games we have played the No. 1 team. It's big and fun, it's the reason you come to Texas to get these types of opportunities – to play alongside guys that are as talented as we are, to go out and compete against teams with the same talent level is fun – it's what you dream of. When boxers go out, they try to fight the best boxers there are to show themselves that they're the best. We get opportunities like this early and it's fun.
On if it is strange that Ohio State is ranked #1 when Texas won the National Championship: No it's not strange. It's kind of good because we can just go out and do what we do and have fun doing it. It won’t change our approach to anything. We want to be physical to win the turnover margin and to win explosive plays. If we continue to do those things, we'll continue to win football games.
On how the team did last week: Everything went well. We came out with minimal injuries. The first game you want to go in and have fun, play hard and go all out every play so you can go and watch film and see what it's like and to look at your adjustments. After game one, you kind of sink down to it and you see what it's going to be like until the end of the season. We have a lot of stuff on film to look at. Offensively, thanks to Aaron Ross, we didn’t get too many offensive plays because he kept taking the ball on their side of the 50 (on punt returns). We were sitting on the sideline full of energy. We were hoping the game could go a little longer, but we have to bottle that in and have a little more fun this Saturday.
On how he felt last week: I felt good last week. From the running back position, I felt like we accomplished our goals. We didn’t turn over the ball and we had more rushing yards than the opponent. From that perspective, we were good. As a team, I feel like we came out and we were physical from start to finish. It looked like the guys were having a lot of fun. The heat was not a factor to any of us because we have been in that for the last four months. It was kind of like another work out.
On what he feels he will bring to this game: I'm not really looking to show those guys anything. I show that I'm having fun by showing myself. I like to sit back on my way home and think about some of the things I did, but on the way home from the game last year, I didn’t have much to think about. I had my leg wrapped up with ice on the airplane, I had to tell Coach that I couldn’t walk and had to sit down at halftime, and that I couldn’t play anymore, and I had a fumble. I didn’t have much to think about myself during that game, but opportunities like this don't come twice and for me, it feels like everything is a second opportunity for me. I'm blessed to have this opportunity again and hopefully I won’t be doing the same thing that I did last year.
On the game last year: All that mattered to me was that we won. I went to Jamaal (Charles), and I said all those jitters, you guys have to shake them off. I squirted a little water in his face and he was ready to go. I was in his ear and I felt like I was feeding everything I knew into him, knowing that I would not be able to do much that game anyway because I had missed a couple of days of practice, and I didn’t get to finish the first game of the season last year. I was aware that my time was going to be limited and I am not a selfish person and every week of practice and everything I saw, I was trying to help the other guys that would have an opportunity to play to make sure that they understood what was going on and what their defense would do. It gave me an opportunity to sit back and watch how they play and their defense and their tendencies and things they like to do. I feel like that is going to give me an edge coming into this game. I'm prepared and I can’t wait.
S Michael Griffin
On how his brother did against North Texas: He did very well, I can’t complain. It was fun playing with him out there; we kind of fed off each other. If I made a play, then he made a play, and I would try to make a play right after him, and it was kind of like a friendly competition that brothers have growing up. I think he did a great job and he had a lot of great hits. He had two PBUs; he used up some blocks that allowed a lot of other players to get free on tackles. He did a great job and he contributed a lot on special teams. He did a lot out there on Saturday.
On stopping Ohio State: I don’t think you can really stop Troy Smith because he is a tremendous player and a great athlete. I think the thing we need to do is contain them. We want to try to keep him in the pocket and make him make deep throws. I don’t think we want him to get out there running; he is like another back in the backfield with Pittman and Wells. He is a great athlete who can do a lot of great things with his legs and his arms, so I think we want to force him to do one thing rather than letting him throw and pass.
On Ted Ginn, Jr: Ted Ginn just like Troy, he's a great athlete. He has a lot of speed, he can catch the ball, and he can run after the catch, he can do it all. I think we will have to go out there and execute.
On focusing on one player: We really can’t go out there and focus on just Troy Smith or focus on Ted Ginn. They have two great backs that they recruited, one freshman that came in at the U.S. Army game, he was out there and he did a great job. They have [Antonio] Pittman there too. Pittman had a great year last year and you can't over look [Anthony] Gonzales because he is a great receiver. You can’t just look at those two and ignore the rest of the team; it is a whole great team all around. They have a great offensive line, great fullbacks, running backs, great receivers, tight ends, they have it all. It's a great team; they are one of the top teams in the Big 10 every year, so you can’t just focus on one or two players. Just like if you were playing us last year you couldn’t just focus on Vince Young, you have to focus on Jamaal Charles, Selvin Young, Limas Sweed, and David Thomas. You can’t focus on just one player you have to look at them all.
On if this will be the best offenses they face: I mean, as of yet, I believe so. We still have a lot of great teams to face, we still have Iowa State, but I'm not trying to look at the past and the future, I'm trying to look to the game that we have to play this Saturday. We have to prepare for that game.
On if he expects to see a sharper Ted Ginn: I think every year, players improve on different things. They know what they need to work on in the offseason and I saw that this weekend. I saw Teddy Ginn improve a lot on his route running, and I also think he improved on his speed. He has tremendous speed, and I think he worked on it more, he probably worked on his strength, and he probably worked on his game overall, not just those two things. Every year with the more experience you gain, the better you get. I think he worked on a lot of things and that he is a much-improved receiver.
On excitement for this game: This is a game; it's another game. I really can’t make this any bigger than any other game because after this game, win or lose, we still have to go out there and play Rice next week. I can’t dwell on this game; you have to go game-by-game, step-by-step. You can’t dwell on the last step of the last game. I can’t continue to look at the USC team and think how we won that big game. We have to go game by game. You are only as good as your last play of your last game. We beat North Texas, but if we lose to Ohio State, and we continue to dwell on, it we might lose to Rice and we can continue to lose, every time we think about what happened last. You have to go step by step and think forward.
WR Limas Sweed
On the changes he's seen since the game winning catch vs. Ohio State: Playing on a stage like that and doing what I did to help this team, it was a big confidence builder for me. Obviously, I've brought that over to this season, and I'm playing with a tremendous amount of confidence.
On the last play: Originally, the ball could have gone to any guy; it was basic four read on streaks and in that formation, the ball usually goes to the tight end, but I had my guy beat and the safety was playing it slow, so he saw me and through it my way and I just made the best of the opportunity.
Oh the feeling after the catch: At the time, I didn’t realize what was going on, I was just doing what I do, which is catch passes and make plays. After that, when we were sitting on the plane, Billy Pittman -- who also had a big game -- and I were talking, and it kind of hit us - that we did something to help this team out.
On the impact on his confidence: A player can definitely grow a lot from a play like that. Being on the big stage like that, making that catch and having it be at the end of the game. It can definitely help a player out.
On this week's game: I'm just excited to be playing in this game. There are two great teams, Ohio State is ranked number one, they're a great team and we're a great team. I'm just excited to go out there and play.
On playing at the top of his game versus North Texas: I wouldn't say at the top of my game, but I'm definitely trying to get there. I'm playing at a great level right now, I'm feeling really confident and also the guys around me are doing a great job and playing at a great level also.
On the play of the younger receivers: I thought the receiving core did well. Myron Hardy had a nice catch for a nice gain, Jordan Shipley had a couple nice catches, Nate had a few nice catches; Quan [Crosby] had a few nice catches. The guys, overall as a unit is doing a whole lot better.
On Myron Hardy's similarity to himself: [I've tried to help Myron improve] without a doubt. Here at Texas, the older guys try to pass their knowledge on to the younger guys. It's the same thing here [with Myron]. The older receivers, Sloan (Thomas), B.J. (Johnson) and Roy (Williams), passed their knowledge down. It doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to understand it all [at the time they pass it down]. Things take tim,e and it takes time for players to develop and that's what I'm doing for Myron right now. Just passing on the knowledge and seeing that the coaches' teachings are passed on to him -- Myron is a great athlete, a big guy that can make plays.
On Colt McCoy: We always say that things go back to the summer time and just being with him all summer, during the after hours and we may scrimmage 7-on-7 a couple hours. After that the receiving corps will stay after maybe another hour, just running routes over and over again, making the right reads. Doing all the things you know you have to do to be successful during the season. He made the right reads, which is what quarterbacks do. He was just making the right reads and throwing accurate passes, that's something that I was very proud of.
On the difference in atmosphere for Ohio State: We always prepare the same for each team, but there are some teams out there where your blood pressure is going to rise a little bit more and this is definitely one of those games where the buzz is a higher and guys are jumping around a practice a little bit more.
On whether he's got a target on his back this week: I wouldn't know. They may, but if they do, we have other guys like Selvin Young, Jamaal Charles and Billy Pittman and Quan -- other guys also -- that will have big games.
On having to calm down the younger players: I don't think we have to calm them down. In practice we can let them be wild and lose, but there will probably be some times in the game where guys may get kind of riled up and the older guys -- we'll just tell them to be calm and be cool. It's doing the same thing that a lot of the older guys did for me. Vince was one, obviously one of the loosest guys I've ever been around and in tight situations he would just be so calm and relaxed. It helped me out a lot and I'd just like to do the same thing for these younger guys.
OG Kasey Studdard
On preparations made for the game this week against Ohio State: You have to prepare just like every other game, but it is a bigger game, it’s huge. They’ve got a great program; we’ve got a great program. Just from last year, I know that they’re going to come out there and they’re going to play every single play 100 percent. You can’t let your guard down; you’ve got to go play every play. You can’t take any plays off with them.
On Ohio State giving up some yards against Northern Illinois last Saturday: Well, it was their opening game so you can’t really base your opinion on that one game. When they come down here, they’re going to be fired up and they’re probably going to play their best game.
On how he thought Selvin Young looked against North Texas: I thought he looked great. Seeing the way he just ran outside, ran inside, taking hits and hitting people. In the opening kickoff, he didn’t get the ball, but he went down there and laid somebody out. It was just good seeing him get his jukes back and everything in the end zone.
On the importance of utilizing the running game against Ohio State: Well you need to have a balanced offense regardless of what team it is. It’s going to be huge [to have a good running game], but we’ve got Colt [McCoy] back there who can throw the ball too, and receivers that can catch it. The run is a big part of your offense, and that’s what you need to win games.
On how he’d grade the offensive line’s performance against North Texas: I’d give it a B. We should have picked up some more things. We still won and we still ran the ball well, but it’s just the little things we need to work on.
C Lyle Sendlein
On how his ankle is feeling: Oh, it’s fine. I just had a little sprain. I went back out there in the second quarter, felt like we were getting ahead and doing well, and I started treatment at the half. I just got treatment to try to prepare for next week and to have it in the best shape that it possibly could be.
On the frustration of not being 100 percent for the Ohio State game: It’s frustrating. I’ve been working since January to get out there and have fun hitting somebody else, but we’ve got the best training facilities and the best trainers, so I’m sure they’ll do everything they can to get me to 100 percent.
On how long the team has been looking forward to this match-up: Ever since last Saturday, after that game was over. You can’t overlook anybody in college football now. Now we’re just going to prepare like any other week, go out there and study a lot of film and just prepare for them.
On Colt McCoy and some of the younger guys’ performances so far: I think that everybody played pretty well for it being the first game. We have a long ways to go trying to get everybody on the same page, getting everybody’s assignments right. I thought Colt [McCoy] and Jevan [Snead] did a great job getting the ball out. At first, they were putting a lot of people in the box to make us throw the ball, when they did, they pulled people out so then we started running the ball.
On the running game against North Texas: I felt like we were real close on a lot of runs to having them break loose. I think we could have a lot more explosive plays in the running game, but that was our first week.
On Ohio State’s defensive front: Their scheme was something that we had never seen before last year. It took us a little while to get adjusted to it, but that is something we do on the sidelines. Obviously, I’m impressed with their physical capabilities. They’re all big, strong, quick on the defensive front. We kind of expect them to do the same thing – just try to slow down our offense.
On his plan for recovering his ankle: I haven’t been running on it. Just right now, I’m trying to get the swelling down. I’ll do as much as they’ll let me. I’m going to try practice as much as I can this week to prepare for Saturday. Maybe just put some extra tape on it or something. It would take a lot more than an ankle sprain to keep me out of this game.
S Marcus Griffin
On his brother’s (Michael Griffin) performance against North Texas: I think he went out there and played his game; I think he played great. I think it was a great experience [for us]. He gave me a few tips before the game started, I settled down a little bit, and went out there and played the game and everything took care of itself.
On starting in the upcoming game against Ohio State: I think this is anybody’s childhood dream; it’s why to come to a place like The University of Texas. Playing big games like this is amazing and I think it’s going to be a great experience.
On playing against Ohio State WR Ted Ginn next week: I just want to go and contribute like I did this past weekend and let everything take care of itself. I know they have a player like Ted Ginn, but they also have some other good athletes out there on the offense. They have a tremendous weapon, Ted Ginn, but they also have Gonzales and a great running game. We’re going to have to really dial in, trust our eyes, and just believe what we see.
On the opportunity of this week’s game: I think it’s just another stepping-stone towards our goals that we have set for ourselves this year. I think we just need to take one week at a time. We had a challenge against North Texas last week, and I think we made out pretty fair, and I think this is our next challenge.
On all the media and hype surrounding the upcoming game: I think every week is like this. This week is a little bit easier for myself; I’m not really an outgoing person, so I don’t really listen to all the outside aspects. People say all kinds of things, but the fact is, it just comes down to the game at 7:00 on Saturday.
On playing in Austin: Coming from South Austin, a lot of people can recognize, I guess, they may even feel like a part of us, because this is our (Marcus and Michael Griffin) hometown. I don’t think it’s pressure though; it’s more of support.
OT Justin Blalock
On playing with Cedric Dockery last week: Well, we must have been doing something right, but having not looked at the film yet, I can’t be as specific as I would like to be. I think both combinations worked, and there was even a point we were both out there together and were pretty productive.
On QB Colt McCoy: He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to get worked up about anything. He says the most nervous he gets is when he comes out here [to do press]. I don’t think next week will affect him as much as people would expect from a freshman especially. It’s just not his nature to be uptight; I’ve never really seen him get frustrated in practice or get angry about anything. It’s really just not in his character to be like that.
On the excitement leading up to this week’s game: I’m pretty excited every week. I really enjoy what I’m doing so it’s not really tough to get excited about it. There’s a little extra excitement this week with the No. 1 team coming to town, but I mean, any time you get a chance to play against top competition, it’s going to make you perform that much better. I’m really excited to get out there.
On Ohio State’s defensive line last year: In the last game, their job was to clear the linebackers so they could make a lot of plays, and they obviously did a good job as far as keeping their jerseys clean. But as far as this year, they have two big space heaters in the middle and good athletes across the line, as well. At a school like that when you lose players, you just put in guys with just as much talent that are just lacking some experience.
DE Tim Crowder
On chasing down Troy Smith last year: It was a wonderful experience, you know, he is a great player- really smart. Like I was telling the guys earlier, he could probably be a tailback if he wanted to because he runs so hard. It will be a great game this year also.
On comparing Troy Smith to other quarterbacks: You know, you can kind of compare him to Vince (Young), Brad Smith, Reggie McNeal; he kind of brings it all to the table.
On the importance of putting pressure on Troy Smith: It is very important to get pressure on him, but that’s with any quarterback. If you put pressure on them and get right upfront, it will make it difficult for them.
On this week’s match-up against Ohio State: It’s going to be a great game, and we want to see what we are really made of. We’re going up a good offense, and we want to see how we handle adversity and see what our whole team is about.
On the team’s attitude going into this week’s game: There is pretty much the same attitude going into every game. We’re very excited, very excited to be in a match-up like this. The reason why a lot of guys came to Texas is to play in big games like this. It’s going to be a great challenge for us and we’re ready for it.
On matching up against Ohio State’s offensive line last year: They were big, strong, and athletic. We kind of mixed it up upfront with them; we kind of did a lot of stunts and kind of messed around a little with them. At the end, it was a great offensive line.
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Player press conference quotes: September 4
Selvin Young
RB Selvin Young
On how exciting this week is for the team: Twice in the last three games we have played the No. 1 team. It's big and fun, it's the reason you come to Texas to get these types of opportunities – to play alongside guys that are as talented as we are, to go out and compete against teams with the same talent level is fun – it's what you dream of. When boxers go out, they try to fight the best boxers there are to show themselves that they're the best. We get opportunities like this early and it's fun.
On if it is strange that Ohio State is ranked #1 when Texas won the National Championship: No it's not strange. It's kind of good because we can just go out and do what we do and have fun doing it. It won’t change our approach to anything. We want to be physical to win the turnover margin and to win explosive plays. If we continue to do those things, we'll continue to win football games.
On how the team did last week: Everything went well. We came out with minimal injuries. The first game you want to go in and have fun, play hard and go all out every play so you can go and watch film and see what it's like and to look at your adjustments. After game one, you kind of sink down to it and you see what it's going to be like until the end of the season. We have a lot of stuff on film to look at. Offensively, thanks to Aaron Ross, we didn’t get too many offensive plays because he kept taking the ball on their side of the 50 (on punt returns). We were sitting on the sideline full of energy. We were hoping the game could go a little longer, but we have to bottle that in and have a little more fun this Saturday.
On how he felt last week: I felt good last week. From the running back position, I felt like we accomplished our goals. We didn’t turn over the ball and we had more rushing yards than the opponent. From that perspective, we were good. As a team, I feel like we came out and we were physical from start to finish. It looked like the guys were having a lot of fun. The heat was not a factor to any of us because we have been in that for the last four months. It was kind of like another work out.
On what he feels he will bring to this game: I'm not really looking to show those guys anything. I show that I'm having fun by showing myself. I like to sit back on my way home and think about some of the things I did, but on the way home from the game last year, I didn’t have much to think about. I had my leg wrapped up with ice on the airplane, I had to tell Coach that I couldn’t walk and had to sit down at halftime, and that I couldn’t play anymore, and I had a fumble. I didn’t have much to think about myself during that game, but opportunities like this don't come twice and for me, it feels like everything is a second opportunity for me. I'm blessed to have this opportunity again and hopefully I won’t be doing the same thing that I did last year.
On the game last year: All that mattered to me was that we won. I went to Jamaal (Charles), and I said all those jitters, you guys have to shake them off. I squirted a little water in his face and he was ready to go. I was in his ear and I felt like I was feeding everything I knew into him, knowing that I would not be able to do much that game anyway because I had missed a couple of days of practice, and I didn’t get to finish the first game of the season last year. I was aware that my time was going to be limited and I am not a selfish person and every week of practice and everything I saw, I was trying to help the other guys that would have an opportunity to play to make sure that they understood what was going on and what their defense would do. It gave me an opportunity to sit back and watch how they play and their defense and their tendencies and things they like to do. I feel like that is going to give me an edge coming into this game. I'm prepared and I can’t wait.
S Michael Griffin
On how his brother did against North Texas: He did very well, I can’t complain. It was fun playing with him out there; we kind of fed off each other. If I made a play, then he made a play, and I would try to make a play right after him, and it was kind of like a friendly competition that brothers have growing up. I think he did a great job and he had a lot of great hits. He had two PBUs; he used up some blocks that allowed a lot of other players to get free on tackles. He did a great job and he contributed a lot on special teams. He did a lot out there on Saturday.
On stopping Ohio State: I don’t think you can really stop Troy Smith because he is a tremendous player and a great athlete. I think the thing we need to do is contain them. We want to try to keep him in the pocket and make him make deep throws. I don’t think we want him to get out there running; he is like another back in the backfield with Pittman and Wells. He is a great athlete who can do a lot of great things with his legs and his arms, so I think we want to force him to do one thing rather than letting him throw and pass.
On Ted Ginn, Jr: Ted Ginn just like Troy, he's a great athlete. He has a lot of speed, he can catch the ball, and he can run after the catch, he can do it all. I think we will have to go out there and execute.
On focusing on one player: We really can’t go out there and focus on just Troy Smith or focus on Ted Ginn. They have two great backs that they recruited, one freshman that came in at the U.S. Army game, he was out there and he did a great job. They have [Antonio] Pittman there too. Pittman had a great year last year and you can't over look [Anthony] Gonzales because he is a great receiver. You can’t just look at those two and ignore the rest of the team; it is a whole great team all around. They have a great offensive line, great fullbacks, running backs, great receivers, tight ends, they have it all. It's a great team; they are one of the top teams in the Big 10 every year, so you can’t just focus on one or two players. Just like if you were playing us last year you couldn’t just focus on Vince Young, you have to focus on Jamaal Charles, Selvin Young, Limas Sweed, and David Thomas. You can’t focus on just one player you have to look at them all.
On if this will be the best offenses they face: I mean, as of yet, I believe so. We still have a lot of great teams to face, we still have Iowa State, but I'm not trying to look at the past and the future, I'm trying to look to the game that we have to play this Saturday. We have to prepare for that game.
On if he expects to see a sharper Ted Ginn: I think every year, players improve on different things. They know what they need to work on in the offseason and I saw that this weekend. I saw Teddy Ginn improve a lot on his route running, and I also think he improved on his speed. He has tremendous speed, and I think he worked on it more, he probably worked on his strength, and he probably worked on his game overall, not just those two things. Every year with the more experience you gain, the better you get. I think he worked on a lot of things and that he is a much-improved receiver.
On excitement for this game: This is a game; it's another game. I really can’t make this any bigger than any other game because after this game, win or lose, we still have to go out there and play Rice next week. I can’t dwell on this game; you have to go game-by-game, step-by-step. You can’t dwell on the last step of the last game. I can’t continue to look at the USC team and think how we won that big game. We have to go game by game. You are only as good as your last play of your last game. We beat North Texas, but if we lose to Ohio State, and we continue to dwell on, it we might lose to Rice and we can continue to lose, every time we think about what happened last. You have to go step by step and think forward.
WR Limas Sweed
On the changes he's seen since the game winning catch vs. Ohio State: Playing on a stage like that and doing what I did to help this team, it was a big confidence builder for me. Obviously, I've brought that over to this season, and I'm playing with a tremendous amount of confidence.
On the last play: Originally, the ball could have gone to any guy; it was basic four read on streaks and in that formation, the ball usually goes to the tight end, but I had my guy beat and the safety was playing it slow, so he saw me and through it my way and I just made the best of the opportunity.
Oh the feeling after the catch: At the time, I didn’t realize what was going on, I was just doing what I do, which is catch passes and make plays. After that, when we were sitting on the plane, Billy Pittman -- who also had a big game -- and I were talking, and it kind of hit us - that we did something to help this team out.
On the impact on his confidence: A player can definitely grow a lot from a play like that. Being on the big stage like that, making that catch and having it be at the end of the game. It can definitely help a player out.
On this week's game: I'm just excited to be playing in this game. There are two great teams, Ohio State is ranked number one, they're a great team and we're a great team. I'm just excited to go out there and play.
On playing at the top of his game versus North Texas: I wouldn't say at the top of my game, but I'm definitely trying to get there. I'm playing at a great level right now, I'm feeling really confident and also the guys around me are doing a great job and playing at a great level also.
On the play of the younger receivers: I thought the receiving core did well. Myron Hardy had a nice catch for a nice gain, Jordan Shipley had a couple nice catches, Nate had a few nice catches; Quan [Crosby] had a few nice catches. The guys, overall as a unit is doing a whole lot better.
On Myron Hardy's similarity to himself: [I've tried to help Myron improve] without a doubt. Here at Texas, the older guys try to pass their knowledge on to the younger guys. It's the same thing here [with Myron]. The older receivers, Sloan (Thomas), B.J. (Johnson) and Roy (Williams), passed their knowledge down. It doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to understand it all [at the time they pass it down]. Things take tim,e and it takes time for players to develop and that's what I'm doing for Myron right now. Just passing on the knowledge and seeing that the coaches' teachings are passed on to him -- Myron is a great athlete, a big guy that can make plays.
On Colt McCoy: We always say that things go back to the summer time and just being with him all summer, during the after hours and we may scrimmage 7-on-7 a couple hours. After that the receiving corps will stay after maybe another hour, just running routes over and over again, making the right reads. Doing all the things you know you have to do to be successful during the season. He made the right reads, which is what quarterbacks do. He was just making the right reads and throwing accurate passes, that's something that I was very proud of.
On the difference in atmosphere for Ohio State: We always prepare the same for each team, but there are some teams out there where your blood pressure is going to rise a little bit more and this is definitely one of those games where the buzz is a higher and guys are jumping around a practice a little bit more.
On whether he's got a target on his back this week: I wouldn't know. They may, but if they do, we have other guys like Selvin Young, Jamaal Charles and Billy Pittman and Quan -- other guys also -- that will have big games.
On having to calm down the younger players: I don't think we have to calm them down. In practice we can let them be wild and lose, but there will probably be some times in the game where guys may get kind of riled up and the older guys -- we'll just tell them to be calm and be cool. It's doing the same thing that a lot of the older guys did for me. Vince was one, obviously one of the loosest guys I've ever been around and in tight situations he would just be so calm and relaxed. It helped me out a lot and I'd just like to do the same thing for these younger guys.
OG Kasey Studdard
On preparations made for the game this week against Ohio State: You have to prepare just like every other game, but it is a bigger game, it’s huge. They’ve got a great program; we’ve got a great program. Just from last year, I know that they’re going to come out there and they’re going to play every single play 100 percent. You can’t let your guard down; you’ve got to go play every play. You can’t take any plays off with them.
On Ohio State giving up some yards against Northern Illinois last Saturday: Well, it was their opening game so you can’t really base your opinion on that one game. When they come down here, they’re going to be fired up and they’re probably going to play their best game.
On how he thought Selvin Young looked against North Texas: I thought he looked great. Seeing the way he just ran outside, ran inside, taking hits and hitting people. In the opening kickoff, he didn’t get the ball, but he went down there and laid somebody out. It was just good seeing him get his jukes back and everything in the end zone.
On the importance of utilizing the running game against Ohio State: Well you need to have a balanced offense regardless of what team it is. It’s going to be huge [to have a good running game], but we’ve got Colt [McCoy] back there who can throw the ball too, and receivers that can catch it. The run is a big part of your offense, and that’s what you need to win games.
On how he’d grade the offensive line’s performance against North Texas: I’d give it a B. We should have picked up some more things. We still won and we still ran the ball well, but it’s just the little things we need to work on.
C Lyle Sendlein
On how his ankle is feeling: Oh, it’s fine. I just had a little sprain. I went back out there in the second quarter, felt like we were getting ahead and doing well, and I started treatment at the half. I just got treatment to try to prepare for next week and to have it in the best shape that it possibly could be.
On the frustration of not being 100 percent for the Ohio State game: It’s frustrating. I’ve been working since January to get out there and have fun hitting somebody else, but we’ve got the best training facilities and the best trainers, so I’m sure they’ll do everything they can to get me to 100 percent.
On how long the team has been looking forward to this match-up: Ever since last Saturday, after that game was over. You can’t overlook anybody in college football now. Now we’re just going to prepare like any other week, go out there and study a lot of film and just prepare for them.
On Colt McCoy and some of the younger guys’ performances so far: I think that everybody played pretty well for it being the first game. We have a long ways to go trying to get everybody on the same page, getting everybody’s assignments right. I thought Colt [McCoy] and Jevan [Snead] did a great job getting the ball out. At first, they were putting a lot of people in the box to make us throw the ball, when they did, they pulled people out so then we started running the ball.
On the running game against North Texas: I felt like we were real close on a lot of runs to having them break loose. I think we could have a lot more explosive plays in the running game, but that was our first week.
On Ohio State’s defensive front: Their scheme was something that we had never seen before last year. It took us a little while to get adjusted to it, but that is something we do on the sidelines. Obviously, I’m impressed with their physical capabilities. They’re all big, strong, quick on the defensive front. We kind of expect them to do the same thing – just try to slow down our offense.
On his plan for recovering his ankle: I haven’t been running on it. Just right now, I’m trying to get the swelling down. I’ll do as much as they’ll let me. I’m going to try practice as much as I can this week to prepare for Saturday. Maybe just put some extra tape on it or something. It would take a lot more than an ankle sprain to keep me out of this game.
S Marcus Griffin
On his brother’s (Michael Griffin) performance against North Texas: I think he went out there and played his game; I think he played great. I think it was a great experience [for us]. He gave me a few tips before the game started, I settled down a little bit, and went out there and played the game and everything took care of itself.
On starting in the upcoming game against Ohio State: I think this is anybody’s childhood dream; it’s why to come to a place like The University of Texas. Playing big games like this is amazing and I think it’s going to be a great experience.
On playing against Ohio State WR Ted Ginn next week: I just want to go and contribute like I did this past weekend and let everything take care of itself. I know they have a player like Ted Ginn, but they also have some other good athletes out there on the offense. They have a tremendous weapon, Ted Ginn, but they also have Gonzales and a great running game. We’re going to have to really dial in, trust our eyes, and just believe what we see.
On the opportunity of this week’s game: I think it’s just another stepping-stone towards our goals that we have set for ourselves this year. I think we just need to take one week at a time. We had a challenge against North Texas last week, and I think we made out pretty fair, and I think this is our next challenge.
On all the media and hype surrounding the upcoming game: I think every week is like this. This week is a little bit easier for myself; I’m not really an outgoing person, so I don’t really listen to all the outside aspects. People say all kinds of things, but the fact is, it just comes down to the game at 7:00 on Saturday.
On playing in Austin: Coming from South Austin, a lot of people can recognize, I guess, they may even feel like a part of us, because this is our (Marcus and Michael Griffin) hometown. I don’t think it’s pressure though; it’s more of support.
OT Justin Blalock
On playing with Cedric Dockery last week: Well, we must have been doing something right, but having not looked at the film yet, I can’t be as specific as I would like to be. I think both combinations worked, and there was even a point we were both out there together and were pretty productive.
On QB Colt McCoy: He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to get worked up about anything. He says the most nervous he gets is when he comes out here [to do press]. I don’t think next week will affect him as much as people would expect from a freshman especially. It’s just not his nature to be uptight; I’ve never really seen him get frustrated in practice or get angry about anything. It’s really just not in his character to be like that.
On the excitement leading up to this week’s game: I’m pretty excited every week. I really enjoy what I’m doing so it’s not really tough to get excited about it. There’s a little extra excitement this week with the No. 1 team coming to town, but I mean, any time you get a chance to play against top competition, it’s going to make you perform that much better. I’m really excited to get out there.
On Ohio State’s defensive line last year: In the last game, their job was to clear the linebackers so they could make a lot of plays, and they obviously did a good job as far as keeping their jerseys clean. But as far as this year, they have two big space heaters in the middle and good athletes across the line, as well. At a school like that when you lose players, you just put in guys with just as much talent that are just lacking some experience.
DE Tim Crowder
On chasing down Troy Smith last year: It was a wonderful experience, you know, he is a great player- really smart. Like I was telling the guys earlier, he could probably be a tailback if he wanted to because he runs so hard. It will be a great game this year also.
On comparing Troy Smith to other quarterbacks: You know, you can kind of compare him to Vince (Young), Brad Smith, Reggie McNeal; he kind of brings it all to the table.
On the importance of putting pressure on Troy Smith: It is very important to get pressure on him, but that’s with any quarterback. If you put pressure on them and get right upfront, it will make it difficult for them.
On this week’s match-up against Ohio State: It’s going to be a great game, and we want to see what we are really made of. We’re going up a good offense, and we want to see how we handle adversity and see what our whole team is about.
On the team’s attitude going into this week’s game: There is pretty much the same attitude going into every game. We’re very excited, very excited to be in a match-up like this. The reason why a lot of guys came to Texas is to play in big games like this. It’s going to be a great challenge for us and we’re ready for it.
On matching up against Ohio State’s offensive line last year: They were big, strong, and athletic. We kind of mixed it up upfront with them; we kind of did a lot of stunts and kind of messed around a little with them. At the end, it was a great offensive line.
Email a Friend Printer Friendly Other Headlines »
- Mack Brown Monday press conference: September 4
- Mack Brown statement on Tarell Brown and Tyrell Gatewood
- Colt McCoy Q&A: September 4
- Texas teleconference: September 4
- 2006-07 Wallpaper
- ESPN College GameDay in Austin
- Longhorns chronicles: North Texas
- Derek of all trades
- Longhorns top North Texas, 56-7
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JXC
17-4 since 2001
With or without Brown, this is the best team in the country that's not Ohio State...and we will see which team is the best of the two. I still think without Brown Texas has the best defense in the country, and Ohio State has the best offense in the country. That's really exciting. I just feel really comfortable knowing Troy Smith will be out there. Everyone thought that the Michigan and Notre Dame games were Troy's coming out party...I think after this one is done...this will be seen as his coming out party. Troy Smith IS the best player in college football.
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texasfight06
All-American
This is pretty much a general response to the events and comments over the past few days:
Losing Brown is a major hit to the secondary, most likely will see more of Ross covering Ginn than we would have. Brown is a physical guy, a physical specimen, so it might be an easier game for Ginn IF we were going to play Ginn up front at the line, smack him a bit, but then you risk the chance of him beating you deep. But I am hoping that there was not going to be a ton of single coverage on Ginn anyway, so taking Brown out of the equation doesn't make much of a difference to me. I would rather have him, but hey, I don't know how great Palmer/Foster might play this game anyway. I also thought we had problems at depth at corner before this, so I defintely am worried about it moreso.
Mack stated that this decision was made yesterday, prior to practice, so the fun started last night. Akina is supposed to address some questions tomorrow, so hopefully he will calm down the masses, but not give away too much of the "new" secondary game plan.
IF UT does lose this game, and tries to give Brown's suspension as a reason, that will be pretty damn weak. After all the crap and hype that many of the UT fans talk about our backups and depth, losing one corner should not be the end all be all of the outcome of the game, and if it is, then UT did not truly deserve to win the game in the first place.
Lastly, Tarell Brown has had a tough life, his mother's unsolved murder has been fairly well documented, and I hope that any suspension is not for more than a game or so, as I am rooting for this kid to stay on the right path and make it to the NFL. Maybe some people perceive his actions as thuggery, and stupidity, but I for one am giving the guy a second chance, and hope he gets that chance this season. Ramonce didn't learn from his first mistakes, but hopefully TB will do the opposite.
Losing Brown is a major hit to the secondary, most likely will see more of Ross covering Ginn than we would have. Brown is a physical guy, a physical specimen, so it might be an easier game for Ginn IF we were going to play Ginn up front at the line, smack him a bit, but then you risk the chance of him beating you deep. But I am hoping that there was not going to be a ton of single coverage on Ginn anyway, so taking Brown out of the equation doesn't make much of a difference to me. I would rather have him, but hey, I don't know how great Palmer/Foster might play this game anyway. I also thought we had problems at depth at corner before this, so I defintely am worried about it moreso.
Mack stated that this decision was made yesterday, prior to practice, so the fun started last night. Akina is supposed to address some questions tomorrow, so hopefully he will calm down the masses, but not give away too much of the "new" secondary game plan.
IF UT does lose this game, and tries to give Brown's suspension as a reason, that will be pretty damn weak. After all the crap and hype that many of the UT fans talk about our backups and depth, losing one corner should not be the end all be all of the outcome of the game, and if it is, then UT did not truly deserve to win the game in the first place.
Lastly, Tarell Brown has had a tough life, his mother's unsolved murder has been fairly well documented, and I hope that any suspension is not for more than a game or so, as I am rooting for this kid to stay on the right path and make it to the NFL. Maybe some people perceive his actions as thuggery, and stupidity, but I for one am giving the guy a second chance, and hope he gets that chance this season. Ramonce didn't learn from his first mistakes, but hopefully TB will do the opposite.
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DDN
OSU will try to tackle Texas in 1 vs. 2 battle
Bucks must halt Texas tailbacks a week after struggling against NIU star Wolfe.
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
COLUMBUS — Normally long-winded Ohio State coach Jim Tressel acted surprised and hurt when the school's media relations chief asked him to shoot for brevity while fielding questions during his weekly press conference Tuesday.
"I'm going to do a Bill Parcells," Tressel quipped.
"Nope."
"Yep."
"Because I want to."
The media chuckled at the imitation of the cranky Dallas Cowboys coach. And while Tressel still managed to drone on about some subjects — one sentence from the interview transcript measured 109 words — he was succinct when discussing the most troubling aspect of his team's showing against Northern Illinois last week.
The Buckeye defense was carved up like a basted turkey by tailback Garrett Wolfe, who rushed 26 times for 171 yards — the most by an OSU foe since Penn State's Eric McCoo tallied 211 in 1999.
"Garrett Wolfe can play in our league, no question," Tressel said. "But we have to improve our tackling."
The Buckeye run-stuffers will be put to the test Saturday against Texas, which has three top-shelf tailbacks, including the Big 12 offensive freshman of the year last season in Jamaal Charles (878 yards, 11 TDs).
The OSU-Texas game will be the first regular-season meeting between the consensus No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation since 1996.
College football has produced only 20 games between the two top-ranked teams in the regular season, none of them involving the Buckeyes.
The Longhorns have appeared in two, beating Oklahoma in 1963 and '84.
DDN
Texas star suspended; would have faced Ginn
By Staff and Wire Reports
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
The Texas Longhorns will be without one of their key football players Saturday night when they face Ohio State.
Senior cornerback Tarell Brown, who was arrested early Monday morning on misdemeanor weapon and drug charges, was suspended on Tuesday by Texas coach Mack Brown.
Extras
Backup linebacker Tyrell Gatewood, who was arrested on a marijuana charge in the same incident, also was suspended. The coach would not say if the players will be out for more than one game.
Before the season, The Sporting News called Brown the nation's fifth-best cornerback. The three-year starter had 70 tackles, eight pass break-ups and one interception last season. He was expected to be matched against OSU star receiver Ted Ginn Jr.
OSU coach Jim Tressel said he doesn't believe the incident will be a distraction for the Longhorns.
"I'm sure they're disappointed ... but it's not hard to focus for this type of game," he said.
OSU undecided on kicker
Ohio State wants to avoid a long-term kicking competition between Aaron Pettrey and Ryan Pretorius, but the auditions will last at least a few more days.
Pettrey, a redshirt freshman, produced deep kickoffs against Northern Illinois last week but missed his only field-goal try, from 44 yards. Pretorius, a 27-year-old sophomore, missed a 51-yarder on his sole field goal attempt.
"If the game were today, there's no question in my mind Aaron Pettrey would kick off and he would probably do the field goals, but there isn't a game today," coach Jim Tressel said.
"We probably won't make any proclamation ... until Thursday."
Hall still hobbled
Ohio State's third receiver, Roy Hall, is still nursing an ankle injury and is questionable for the Texas game. But back-ups Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline filled in admirably in the season-opening victory over Northern Illinois, combining for four receptions.
"They've got good physical characteristics — excellent speed, good size, excellent hands," Tressel said. "They're both going to be good players."
DDN
Tom Archdeacon: Texas loss burned into Barton's life
By Tom Archdeacon
Dayton Daily News
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
COLUMBUS — He's watched his copy of the ABC broadcast "at least 50 times."
He said he thinks about the game — how Texas came into Ohio Stadium an underdog and marched out with a come-from-behind 25-22 victory — "every single day."
"Sometimes the thoughts just creep up," Kirk Barton said quietly. "Sometimes I'm not even thinking about their program. I might just see Vince Young playing for the Titans now, and that shoots me right back to the game.''
Suddenly, the veteran Ohio State tackle wasn't sitting in a shirt and tie at OSU's media session Tuesday at the Jack Nicklaus Museum. He was back in the shell-shocked OSU dressing room last September after Young's hook-up with Limas Sweed for the winning TD pass with 2:38 left.
"I must have sat there 15 minutes with my jersey pulled over my head. There was dead silence. ... You feel like you've been hit by a truck. ... And you just hope you wake up tomorrow."
Well, tomorrow's here.
OSU's rematch with Texas on Saturday night in Austin is bigger than last year's showcase game.
This time the No. 1 Buckeyes are meeting No. 2 Texas — defending national champions, winners of 21 straight — in a sold-out, nationally televised game that marks the first regular-season meeting of college football's top two teams in 10 years.
The game may draw some 40,000 OSU fans to Texas, even though almost half won't be able to get one of those $85 nosebleed tickets now selling for close to $500.
"This will be kind of like last year when we went into Penn State, and they billed the game as their football team's coming-out party," said Barton, named the Buckeyes' top offensive lineman in OSU's season-opening 35-12 romp over Northern Illinois last Saturday.
"If you go into a place like that and make a big play, all of a sudden you go from not being able to hear yourself to being able to hear a pin drop. That's an exciting feeling.
"This will be THE game Saturday. Everyone's watching. It's your stage and it either makes you or breaks you.
"Last year you couldn't go anywhere without hearing 'Beat Texas.' You go out to eat and hear it. Guys came home from Iraq and watched our practice and said, 'You gotta beat Texas. I live with five guys from Texas over there.' You want to deliver for guys like that."
Ohio State didn't, so Barton keeps the memory in his craw:
"It's not a good feeling. You don't want to live it again, and you've got to reinforce that. You can't just watch it once and say 'maybe it didn't happen.' It's got to be in the front of your mind."
Whether it's a similar mind motivation for his team — or he truly believes it — OSU coach Jim Tressel claimed Tuesday he's voted Texas, not his Buckeyes, as the nation's No. 1 team.
Barton didn't disagree: "Like (wrestler) Rick Flair says, 'To be the man, you gotta beat the man.' "
And what would a win against the Longhorns mean?
"You can tell your family, your kids, your employees — everybody — how we went down to Austin and beat Texas," Barton grinned. "Beat a Notre Dame, a Michigan — a Texas — those are the ones that stay crystal clear in the memory banks forever."
They're the ones that make you quit worrying about tomorrows.
OSU will try to tackle Texas in 1 vs. 2 battle
Bucks must halt Texas tailbacks a week after struggling against NIU star Wolfe.
By Doug Harris
Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
COLUMBUS — Normally long-winded Ohio State coach Jim Tressel acted surprised and hurt when the school's media relations chief asked him to shoot for brevity while fielding questions during his weekly press conference Tuesday.
"I'm going to do a Bill Parcells," Tressel quipped.
"Nope."
"Yep."
"Because I want to."
The media chuckled at the imitation of the cranky Dallas Cowboys coach. And while Tressel still managed to drone on about some subjects — one sentence from the interview transcript measured 109 words — he was succinct when discussing the most troubling aspect of his team's showing against Northern Illinois last week.
The Buckeye defense was carved up like a basted turkey by tailback Garrett Wolfe, who rushed 26 times for 171 yards — the most by an OSU foe since Penn State's Eric McCoo tallied 211 in 1999.
"Garrett Wolfe can play in our league, no question," Tressel said. "But we have to improve our tackling."
The Buckeye run-stuffers will be put to the test Saturday against Texas, which has three top-shelf tailbacks, including the Big 12 offensive freshman of the year last season in Jamaal Charles (878 yards, 11 TDs).
The OSU-Texas game will be the first regular-season meeting between the consensus No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation since 1996.
College football has produced only 20 games between the two top-ranked teams in the regular season, none of them involving the Buckeyes.
The Longhorns have appeared in two, beating Oklahoma in 1963 and '84.
DDN
Texas star suspended; would have faced Ginn
By Staff and Wire Reports
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
The Texas Longhorns will be without one of their key football players Saturday night when they face Ohio State.
Senior cornerback Tarell Brown, who was arrested early Monday morning on misdemeanor weapon and drug charges, was suspended on Tuesday by Texas coach Mack Brown.
Extras
Backup linebacker Tyrell Gatewood, who was arrested on a marijuana charge in the same incident, also was suspended. The coach would not say if the players will be out for more than one game.
Before the season, The Sporting News called Brown the nation's fifth-best cornerback. The three-year starter had 70 tackles, eight pass break-ups and one interception last season. He was expected to be matched against OSU star receiver Ted Ginn Jr.
OSU coach Jim Tressel said he doesn't believe the incident will be a distraction for the Longhorns.
"I'm sure they're disappointed ... but it's not hard to focus for this type of game," he said.
OSU undecided on kicker
Ohio State wants to avoid a long-term kicking competition between Aaron Pettrey and Ryan Pretorius, but the auditions will last at least a few more days.
Pettrey, a redshirt freshman, produced deep kickoffs against Northern Illinois last week but missed his only field-goal try, from 44 yards. Pretorius, a 27-year-old sophomore, missed a 51-yarder on his sole field goal attempt.
"If the game were today, there's no question in my mind Aaron Pettrey would kick off and he would probably do the field goals, but there isn't a game today," coach Jim Tressel said.
"We probably won't make any proclamation ... until Thursday."
Hall still hobbled
Ohio State's third receiver, Roy Hall, is still nursing an ankle injury and is questionable for the Texas game. But back-ups Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline filled in admirably in the season-opening victory over Northern Illinois, combining for four receptions.
"They've got good physical characteristics — excellent speed, good size, excellent hands," Tressel said. "They're both going to be good players."
DDN
Tom Archdeacon: Texas loss burned into Barton's life
By Tom Archdeacon
Dayton Daily News
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
COLUMBUS — He's watched his copy of the ABC broadcast "at least 50 times."
He said he thinks about the game — how Texas came into Ohio Stadium an underdog and marched out with a come-from-behind 25-22 victory — "every single day."
"Sometimes the thoughts just creep up," Kirk Barton said quietly. "Sometimes I'm not even thinking about their program. I might just see Vince Young playing for the Titans now, and that shoots me right back to the game.''
Suddenly, the veteran Ohio State tackle wasn't sitting in a shirt and tie at OSU's media session Tuesday at the Jack Nicklaus Museum. He was back in the shell-shocked OSU dressing room last September after Young's hook-up with Limas Sweed for the winning TD pass with 2:38 left.
"I must have sat there 15 minutes with my jersey pulled over my head. There was dead silence. ... You feel like you've been hit by a truck. ... And you just hope you wake up tomorrow."
Well, tomorrow's here.
OSU's rematch with Texas on Saturday night in Austin is bigger than last year's showcase game.
This time the No. 1 Buckeyes are meeting No. 2 Texas — defending national champions, winners of 21 straight — in a sold-out, nationally televised game that marks the first regular-season meeting of college football's top two teams in 10 years.
The game may draw some 40,000 OSU fans to Texas, even though almost half won't be able to get one of those $85 nosebleed tickets now selling for close to $500.
"This will be kind of like last year when we went into Penn State, and they billed the game as their football team's coming-out party," said Barton, named the Buckeyes' top offensive lineman in OSU's season-opening 35-12 romp over Northern Illinois last Saturday.
"If you go into a place like that and make a big play, all of a sudden you go from not being able to hear yourself to being able to hear a pin drop. That's an exciting feeling.
"This will be THE game Saturday. Everyone's watching. It's your stage and it either makes you or breaks you.
"Last year you couldn't go anywhere without hearing 'Beat Texas.' You go out to eat and hear it. Guys came home from Iraq and watched our practice and said, 'You gotta beat Texas. I live with five guys from Texas over there.' You want to deliver for guys like that."
Ohio State didn't, so Barton keeps the memory in his craw:
"It's not a good feeling. You don't want to live it again, and you've got to reinforce that. You can't just watch it once and say 'maybe it didn't happen.' It's got to be in the front of your mind."
Whether it's a similar mind motivation for his team — or he truly believes it — OSU coach Jim Tressel claimed Tuesday he's voted Texas, not his Buckeyes, as the nation's No. 1 team.
Barton didn't disagree: "Like (wrestler) Rick Flair says, 'To be the man, you gotta beat the man.' "
And what would a win against the Longhorns mean?
"You can tell your family, your kids, your employees — everybody — how we went down to Austin and beat Texas," Barton grinned. "Beat a Notre Dame, a Michigan — a Texas — those are the ones that stay crystal clear in the memory banks forever."
They're the ones that make you quit worrying about tomorrows.
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0
CPD
Texas looks to defense
Teams reverse roles from last meeting
Wednesday, September 06, 2006Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- The defining player for Texas right now is the ghost of Vince Young.
That's why the suspension of Tarell Brown, the starting Longhorns cornerback who had been expected to cover Ohio State's Ted Ginn Jr., is far more damaging to Texas than it would have been in 2005. Young beat the Buckeyes with a touchdown pass in the final three minutes last year, but if you're looking for a quarterback comeback on Saturday night when No. 1 Ohio State visits No. 2 Texas, you can't take your eyes off Buckeye Troy Smith.
Because when Young departed early for the NFL, he left the Longhorns' offense in the hands of redshirt freshman Colt McCoy and the chances of repeating as national champions in the hands of the Texas defense.
"I remember after he announced he was leaving, it was kind of bittersweet," Ohio State defensive end Jay Richardson said. "It was like, 'We won't have to see him next year, I guess that's kind of good.' But at the same time, you wanted another shot at him after what he did to us."
For Texas coach Mack Brown, there was no sweet. So, he turned to a unit that had suffered losses of its own, with three All-Big 12 players, safety Michael Huff (first round), cornerback Cedric Griffin (second round) and defensive Rodrique Wright (seventh round) plucked by the NFL.
"I have been vocal about this defense," said Brown, "expecting more out of them because we had key losses on offense and defense, but more on offense. We've asked our defense to hang in there and play to a high standard until we have a chance to grow up with our offense."
At least the defense has a good daddy. Co-defensive coordinator Gene Chizik is on a personal 29-game winning streak, having arrived for Texas' unbeaten season a year ago after serving as
the defensive coordinator during Auburn's 13-0 run in 2004, the streak having started with two wins at the end of 2003.
So, while the Ohio State offensive players have been asked if they have to carry a young defense, the Texas defensive players want that burden of protecting a young offense.
"I kind of think they are leaning on us right now," said Texas senior defensive end Tim Crowder. "You know, we've got a really good defense right now. We can be great. I like the pressure on us."
The pressure on Ohio State will start with Crowder and a big defensive line that features 320-pound plug Frank Okam in the middle of it
"They're just smashmouth," said Ohio State guard T.J. Downing. "They're trying to push you in the backfield and collapse the pocket on pass plays and shut you down with their power. When guys like that match your strength, it's a really fun test."
"I don't see them as being a reactionary defense," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "They say, 'Hey, here we come, see if you can block us. Hey, we're covering you, see if you can get open.' "
Ohio State fullback Stan White Jr. said the Longhorn linebackers run like defensive backs. And the secondary, like Northern Illinois last week, features a pair of twins in the starting lineup, this time safeties Michael and Marcus Griffin. Unlike NIU, the Longhorns have the speed to hang with Ginn and friends, though none of the replacements for Brown has ever started a game.
Tressel, however, knows all the Longhorn defenders have dealt with size and speed before.
"All those kids that are playing," said Tressel, "have faced Vince Young every day in practice for the last three years."
CPD
BIG TIME A big-picture look at the Ohio State and Texas football programs
Even scores come big in Texas
Wednesday, September 06, 2006 Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- They call it the "Godzillatron." Only in Texas.
The beast in question is the new 55-by-134 foot scoreboard that has sprouted in the south end zone at Texas' Royal-Memorial Stadium this season. It's the largest scoreboard in college football, dwarfing the 30-by-90 scoreboard installed in Ohio Stadium in 2000.
The Buckeye board was the largest of its time, but was bypassed a few months later by the University of Arkansas. OSU can only bow in deference to the newest big board. Not that a King Kongtron is headed to Ohio.
"The Godzillatron would not look pleasing in the Shoe," Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith said. "I've never seen one in person, but down there it can look tasteful because they have an open-ended stadium."
"I see no reason to have anything bigger," said OSU's electrical superintendent, Wayne Stevens. "We have 105,000 people in here, and other than the people right underneath it, I think everyone can see it just fine. It's plenty big. And it's still state-of-the-art."
The Longhorns are still working out the kinks. Already, fans are complaining about video ads shown on the board.
Ohio State has four large rotating billboards next to the screen, but no video ads. Also, during the board debut on Saturday, Texas used a split screen, with game action only on one side of the board. Expanding to full-screen replays is in the future.
"We're going to continue to tweak it," said Texas associate athletic director Jim Baker. "We're not where we want to be yet. We just got it in two weeks ago. But we're happy with it. It gives us a lot more flexibility."
Stevens said he still prefers the picture on Ohio State's board - something about pixel spacing. But he understands if the Longhorns want to brag on their board come Saturday.
"You spend that much money," he said, "you've got to pat yourself on the back a little bit."
CPD
AP FOOTBALL POLL
Texas to do (No.) 2 step with Ohio State
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Associated Press
As if Ohio State at Texas wasn't already a big enough game, now it's No. 1 vs. No. 2.
The Longhorns moved up one spot to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, right behind the top-ranked Buckeyes.
The two powerhouses will square off in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, a much-anticipated rematch of last year's 25-22 Texas victory in Columbus.
It will be the first time since 1996 that the top two teams in the AP poll will meet in a regular-season game. That year, No. 2 Florida State beat No. 1 Florida, 24-21, in mid-November.
Ohio State is 2-0 in 1-2 games, the last coming in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl. The No. 2 Buckeyes beat top-ranked Miami in that game to win their last national title.
Texas is 4-0 in games involving No. 1 vs. No. 2, and has gone on to win the Associated Press poll title each time.
Texas looks to defense
Teams reverse roles from last meeting
Wednesday, September 06, 2006Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- The defining player for Texas right now is the ghost of Vince Young.
That's why the suspension of Tarell Brown, the starting Longhorns cornerback who had been expected to cover Ohio State's Ted Ginn Jr., is far more damaging to Texas than it would have been in 2005. Young beat the Buckeyes with a touchdown pass in the final three minutes last year, but if you're looking for a quarterback comeback on Saturday night when No. 1 Ohio State visits No. 2 Texas, you can't take your eyes off Buckeye Troy Smith.
Because when Young departed early for the NFL, he left the Longhorns' offense in the hands of redshirt freshman Colt McCoy and the chances of repeating as national champions in the hands of the Texas defense.
"I remember after he announced he was leaving, it was kind of bittersweet," Ohio State defensive end Jay Richardson said. "It was like, 'We won't have to see him next year, I guess that's kind of good.' But at the same time, you wanted another shot at him after what he did to us."
For Texas coach Mack Brown, there was no sweet. So, he turned to a unit that had suffered losses of its own, with three All-Big 12 players, safety Michael Huff (first round), cornerback Cedric Griffin (second round) and defensive Rodrique Wright (seventh round) plucked by the NFL.
"I have been vocal about this defense," said Brown, "expecting more out of them because we had key losses on offense and defense, but more on offense. We've asked our defense to hang in there and play to a high standard until we have a chance to grow up with our offense."
At least the defense has a good daddy. Co-defensive coordinator Gene Chizik is on a personal 29-game winning streak, having arrived for Texas' unbeaten season a year ago after serving as
the defensive coordinator during Auburn's 13-0 run in 2004, the streak having started with two wins at the end of 2003.
So, while the Ohio State offensive players have been asked if they have to carry a young defense, the Texas defensive players want that burden of protecting a young offense.
"I kind of think they are leaning on us right now," said Texas senior defensive end Tim Crowder. "You know, we've got a really good defense right now. We can be great. I like the pressure on us."
The pressure on Ohio State will start with Crowder and a big defensive line that features 320-pound plug Frank Okam in the middle of it
"They're just smashmouth," said Ohio State guard T.J. Downing. "They're trying to push you in the backfield and collapse the pocket on pass plays and shut you down with their power. When guys like that match your strength, it's a really fun test."
"I don't see them as being a reactionary defense," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "They say, 'Hey, here we come, see if you can block us. Hey, we're covering you, see if you can get open.' "
Ohio State fullback Stan White Jr. said the Longhorn linebackers run like defensive backs. And the secondary, like Northern Illinois last week, features a pair of twins in the starting lineup, this time safeties Michael and Marcus Griffin. Unlike NIU, the Longhorns have the speed to hang with Ginn and friends, though none of the replacements for Brown has ever started a game.
Tressel, however, knows all the Longhorn defenders have dealt with size and speed before.
"All those kids that are playing," said Tressel, "have faced Vince Young every day in practice for the last three years."
CPD
BIG TIME A big-picture look at the Ohio State and Texas football programs
Even scores come big in Texas
Wednesday, September 06, 2006 Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Columbus- They call it the "Godzillatron." Only in Texas.
The beast in question is the new 55-by-134 foot scoreboard that has sprouted in the south end zone at Texas' Royal-Memorial Stadium this season. It's the largest scoreboard in college football, dwarfing the 30-by-90 scoreboard installed in Ohio Stadium in 2000.
The Buckeye board was the largest of its time, but was bypassed a few months later by the University of Arkansas. OSU can only bow in deference to the newest big board. Not that a King Kongtron is headed to Ohio.
"The Godzillatron would not look pleasing in the Shoe," Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith said. "I've never seen one in person, but down there it can look tasteful because they have an open-ended stadium."
"I see no reason to have anything bigger," said OSU's electrical superintendent, Wayne Stevens. "We have 105,000 people in here, and other than the people right underneath it, I think everyone can see it just fine. It's plenty big. And it's still state-of-the-art."
The Longhorns are still working out the kinks. Already, fans are complaining about video ads shown on the board.
Ohio State has four large rotating billboards next to the screen, but no video ads. Also, during the board debut on Saturday, Texas used a split screen, with game action only on one side of the board. Expanding to full-screen replays is in the future.
"We're going to continue to tweak it," said Texas associate athletic director Jim Baker. "We're not where we want to be yet. We just got it in two weeks ago. But we're happy with it. It gives us a lot more flexibility."
Stevens said he still prefers the picture on Ohio State's board - something about pixel spacing. But he understands if the Longhorns want to brag on their board come Saturday.
"You spend that much money," he said, "you've got to pat yourself on the back a little bit."
CPD
AP FOOTBALL POLL
Texas to do (No.) 2 step with Ohio State
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Associated Press
As if Ohio State at Texas wasn't already a big enough game, now it's No. 1 vs. No. 2.
The Longhorns moved up one spot to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, right behind the top-ranked Buckeyes.
The two powerhouses will square off in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, a much-anticipated rematch of last year's 25-22 Texas victory in Columbus.
It will be the first time since 1996 that the top two teams in the AP poll will meet in a regular-season game. That year, No. 2 Florida State beat No. 1 Florida, 24-21, in mid-November.
Ohio State is 2-0 in 1-2 games, the last coming in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl. The No. 2 Buckeyes beat top-ranked Miami in that game to win their last national title.
Texas is 4-0 in games involving No. 1 vs. No. 2, and has gone on to win the Associated Press poll title each time.
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[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]OSU: Now it’s official: No. 1 faces No. 2[/FONT]
Wednesday, September 6, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER [/FONT]
Ohio State at Texas
8 p.m.
Saturday
TV ABC (Channel 5)
RADIO: WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WKNR-AM 850, WJER-FM 101.7
COLUMBUS No disrespect to his own team, but Jim Tressel doesn’t feel like Ohio State deserves to be the No. 1 team in the country.
Tressel said as much Tuesday during his lunch with reporters when he revealed he doesn’t even vote the Buckeyes No. 1 on his coaches’ poll ballot.
Ohio State, which tops both the coaches and media polls, travels to Austin on Saturday night to face Texas, now No. 2 in both polls, and settle the No. 1 issue on the field. It’s the first time the top two teams in the country have met this early since 1989, when No. 1 Notre Dame beat No. 2 Michigan.
OSU tuned up — and looked bored at times — in a rout of Northern Illinois.
“The next step is much larger, so our improvement is going to have to be dramatic,” Tressel said. “They’re the defending national champions. I’ve got them ranked No. 1 on our ballot because I think they deserve that. I think they deserve that from ... a program standpoint.”
Tressel’s personal rankings only carry so much weight, in his own locker room as well.
Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith smiled when informed that Tressel didn’t vote his own team No. 1.
“I think there’s something subliminal in there,” said Smith, who didn’t hesitate when asked if he’d vote the Buckeyes No. 1. “I’d vote us No. 1. ... There is something behind why he said that. He’ll keep you on your toes. He’s going to stay a couple steps ahead of you.”
Tressel told the players in a meeting where he put Texas. The message, perhaps, is Ohio State deserves to be No. 1 if the Buckeyes earn it on the field against the Longhorns.
Offensive tackle Kirk Barton agrees. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound junior from Perry High School said Texas should be No. 1.
“Like (pro wrestler) Ric Flair said, ‘If you want to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man,’ ” Barton said. “Right now, they’re 1-0 as defending national champions. (Tressel’s vote) doesn’t bother me at all.”
Ohio State is treating this game as a must-win if it wants to win a national championship. The Buckeyes won the 2002 national title with a 14-0 record. A one-loss team, even the No. 1 losing to No. 2 in the second week of the season, may be on the outside of the BCS national championship game.
“I would assume that,” Tressel said. “I think you make the assumption going into the year that the teams that meet for the title are going to be undefeated. That’s the assumption I always make.
“But if that’s why we want to do well, then we don’t have our focus on the right things.”
Last year, when Ohio State played Iowa after being trounced, 33-7, in 2004, Tressel had that score posted all over the locker room.
He said he won’t do that this week.
Texas returns 16 starters from the team that beat USC for the title last year. But the one big loss is quarterback Vince Young. The Buckeyes lost, 25-22, after the Longhorns rallied and Young completed a near impossible pass to Limus Sweed for the game winner.
“We haven’t had the score up, but I think they know it,” Tressel said. “Coming off the preseason and the onus on teaching, and trying to figure out who we are, it’s been more about that quite honestly than it has about last year’s games or anything like that. I’m sure they all could tell you what the score was, though.”
Texas returns an experienced defense, including five of its front seven. The trade-off, however, is the Longhorns start inexperienced redshirt freshman Cody McCoy at quarterback.
Would Tressel rather have his defense from a year ago if it meant not having Troy Smith at quarterback?
“I wouldn’t trade Troy for anybody,” Tressel said. “I’d like to have both. What we have is an experienced quarterback, who can continue to get better.
“We have a young defense that will continue to get better, and Sept. 9 will tell us how much better we got. ... At the end of it all, it’s going to be a matter of which of our, say 42 guys who play in the game, and which of their 42 do their particular roles, and if our coaches do our roles.”
Then, maybe then, Ohio State will have earned the No. 1 vote from its own coach.
[FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]OSU: Now it’s official: No. 1 faces No. 2[/FONT]
Wednesday, September 6, 2006 [FONT=Verdana,Times New Roman,arial,helvetica,sans-serif]By Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER [/FONT]
Ohio State at Texas
8 p.m.
Saturday
TV ABC (Channel 5)
RADIO: WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WKNR-AM 850, WJER-FM 101.7
COLUMBUS No disrespect to his own team, but Jim Tressel doesn’t feel like Ohio State deserves to be the No. 1 team in the country.
Tressel said as much Tuesday during his lunch with reporters when he revealed he doesn’t even vote the Buckeyes No. 1 on his coaches’ poll ballot.
Ohio State, which tops both the coaches and media polls, travels to Austin on Saturday night to face Texas, now No. 2 in both polls, and settle the No. 1 issue on the field. It’s the first time the top two teams in the country have met this early since 1989, when No. 1 Notre Dame beat No. 2 Michigan.
OSU tuned up — and looked bored at times — in a rout of Northern Illinois.
“The next step is much larger, so our improvement is going to have to be dramatic,” Tressel said. “They’re the defending national champions. I’ve got them ranked No. 1 on our ballot because I think they deserve that. I think they deserve that from ... a program standpoint.”
Tressel’s personal rankings only carry so much weight, in his own locker room as well.
Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith smiled when informed that Tressel didn’t vote his own team No. 1.
“I think there’s something subliminal in there,” said Smith, who didn’t hesitate when asked if he’d vote the Buckeyes No. 1. “I’d vote us No. 1. ... There is something behind why he said that. He’ll keep you on your toes. He’s going to stay a couple steps ahead of you.”
Tressel told the players in a meeting where he put Texas. The message, perhaps, is Ohio State deserves to be No. 1 if the Buckeyes earn it on the field against the Longhorns.
Offensive tackle Kirk Barton agrees. The 6-foot-6, 310-pound junior from Perry High School said Texas should be No. 1.
“Like (pro wrestler) Ric Flair said, ‘If you want to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man,’ ” Barton said. “Right now, they’re 1-0 as defending national champions. (Tressel’s vote) doesn’t bother me at all.”
Ohio State is treating this game as a must-win if it wants to win a national championship. The Buckeyes won the 2002 national title with a 14-0 record. A one-loss team, even the No. 1 losing to No. 2 in the second week of the season, may be on the outside of the BCS national championship game.
“I would assume that,” Tressel said. “I think you make the assumption going into the year that the teams that meet for the title are going to be undefeated. That’s the assumption I always make.
“But if that’s why we want to do well, then we don’t have our focus on the right things.”
Last year, when Ohio State played Iowa after being trounced, 33-7, in 2004, Tressel had that score posted all over the locker room.
He said he won’t do that this week.
Texas returns 16 starters from the team that beat USC for the title last year. But the one big loss is quarterback Vince Young. The Buckeyes lost, 25-22, after the Longhorns rallied and Young completed a near impossible pass to Limus Sweed for the game winner.
“We haven’t had the score up, but I think they know it,” Tressel said. “Coming off the preseason and the onus on teaching, and trying to figure out who we are, it’s been more about that quite honestly than it has about last year’s games or anything like that. I’m sure they all could tell you what the score was, though.”
Texas returns an experienced defense, including five of its front seven. The trade-off, however, is the Longhorns start inexperienced redshirt freshman Cody McCoy at quarterback.
Would Tressel rather have his defense from a year ago if it meant not having Troy Smith at quarterback?
“I wouldn’t trade Troy for anybody,” Tressel said. “I’d like to have both. What we have is an experienced quarterback, who can continue to get better.
“We have a young defense that will continue to get better, and Sept. 9 will tell us how much better we got. ... At the end of it all, it’s going to be a matter of which of our, say 42 guys who play in the game, and which of their 42 do their particular roles, and if our coaches do our roles.”
Then, maybe then, Ohio State will have earned the No. 1 vote from its own coach.
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Pettrey taking the lead over Pretorius
JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer
09/06/2006
http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1699&dept_id=46370&newsid=17156437
COLUMBUS -- Even though he missed his only field goal attempt last week, it appears redshirt freshman Aaron Pettrey is distancing himself from Ryan Pretorius in the race to be Ohio State's kicker.
Coach Jim Tressel said before Saturday's game against Northern Illinois that there wasn't much separation between the two, and that Pettrey would get the first opportunity, but Pretorius would play.
Against the Huskies, Pretorius missed a 51-yarder and Pettrey missed a 44-yarder, both in the second quarter. But three of Pettrey's four kickoffs went for touchbacks, and yesterday Tressel stopped short of promising Pretorius would get into the game against Texas.
''If the game were today, there is no question in my mind Aaron Pettrey would kick off and he would probably do the field goals,'' Tressel said. ''But there isn't a game today.''
Big one won
Last year about this time, Texas coach Mack Brown was getting peppered with questions about whether or not he could win the big one.
A road win at Ohio State and a win over USC for the national championship quieted those criticisms immediately.
''There was a certain amount of pressure on the players who were getting asked about that,'' Brown said. ''But it's not about me. I'm not playing Jim Tressel. I'm glad there's less talk this week about the two coaches and more about the two teams.''
Dual quarterbacks?
Brown has proven over time he's not against playing two quarterbacks. The most infamous pair was Chris Simms and Major Applewhite, but Brown has used it at different stages throughout many seasons.
Redshirt freshman Colt McCoy shared time with freshman Jevan Snead in last week's 56-7 win over North Texas, but most everyone assumed that was because it was the opener and a blowout.
But Brown didn't rule out the possibility of playing both again on Saturday.
''We've had success playing two quarterbacks,'' Brown said. ''What we'll do is start Colt and let the game dictate who plays and when they play. We'll try to work it out to do anything we feel needs to be done to give us the best chance to win.''
Role reversal
Vince Young is long gone, but he could still have an impact on Saturday's game. Tressel said the mere fact the Longhorns' defense went against him every day in practice all those years will give them a good idea of how to defend Troy Smith.
It's just the opposite from last year, when Ohio State's stout defense had to defend Young's ability to pass and throw. Now Texas' defense is forced to do the same with Smith.
''Their awareness level of a quarterback keeping a play alive and staying with your receiver will be good,'' Tressel said. ''I think they're very well-schooled.''
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Pettrey taking the lead over Pretorius
JASON LLOYD, Morning Journal Writer
09/06/2006
http://www.zwire.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=1699&dept_id=46370&newsid=17156437
COLUMBUS -- Even though he missed his only field goal attempt last week, it appears redshirt freshman Aaron Pettrey is distancing himself from Ryan Pretorius in the race to be Ohio State's kicker.
Coach Jim Tressel said before Saturday's game against Northern Illinois that there wasn't much separation between the two, and that Pettrey would get the first opportunity, but Pretorius would play.
Against the Huskies, Pretorius missed a 51-yarder and Pettrey missed a 44-yarder, both in the second quarter. But three of Pettrey's four kickoffs went for touchbacks, and yesterday Tressel stopped short of promising Pretorius would get into the game against Texas.
''If the game were today, there is no question in my mind Aaron Pettrey would kick off and he would probably do the field goals,'' Tressel said. ''But there isn't a game today.''
Big one won
Last year about this time, Texas coach Mack Brown was getting peppered with questions about whether or not he could win the big one.
A road win at Ohio State and a win over USC for the national championship quieted those criticisms immediately.
''There was a certain amount of pressure on the players who were getting asked about that,'' Brown said. ''But it's not about me. I'm not playing Jim Tressel. I'm glad there's less talk this week about the two coaches and more about the two teams.''
Dual quarterbacks?
Brown has proven over time he's not against playing two quarterbacks. The most infamous pair was Chris Simms and Major Applewhite, but Brown has used it at different stages throughout many seasons.
Redshirt freshman Colt McCoy shared time with freshman Jevan Snead in last week's 56-7 win over North Texas, but most everyone assumed that was because it was the opener and a blowout.
But Brown didn't rule out the possibility of playing both again on Saturday.
''We've had success playing two quarterbacks,'' Brown said. ''What we'll do is start Colt and let the game dictate who plays and when they play. We'll try to work it out to do anything we feel needs to be done to give us the best chance to win.''
Role reversal
Vince Young is long gone, but he could still have an impact on Saturday's game. Tressel said the mere fact the Longhorns' defense went against him every day in practice all those years will give them a good idea of how to defend Troy Smith.
It's just the opposite from last year, when Ohio State's stout defense had to defend Young's ability to pass and throw. Now Texas' defense is forced to do the same with Smith.
''Their awareness level of a quarterback keeping a play alive and staying with your receiver will be good,'' Tressel said. ''I think they're very well-schooled.''
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Mack does right thing this time
By GIL LEBRETON
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
At the University of Texas, they apparently have it all these days.
The national championship football trophy.
The adulation of the state.
Full-ride scholarships.
And, it appears, all the lawyers, guns and marijuana that a college football team could want.
Fortunately for the Longhorns, however, they also now have a head coach who isn't afraid to care.
Coach Mack Brown did the right thing Tuesday, suspending starting cornerback Tarell Brown and backup safety Tyrell Gatewood. The two players were supposed to be preparing this week for Saturday's marquee showdown with Ohio State, and weed and a loaded handgun are not often considered good study tools.
Mack did the right thing. But don't think that he did the only thing.
My old friends on the KTCK/1310 AM (The Ticket) morning show, Craig Miller and George Dunham, used to amuse us with the weekly telephone visit of Tom Foolery, fictional head coach of the adolescently fictitious Lolligag High. Coach Foolery's accent and weekly travails were designed to paint him as the quintessential Texas coach, ensconced at the quintessential Texas high school.
One week Lolligag's star player ran afoul of the law. And broke several team rules. And, if I recall, violated a majority of the 10 Commandments. Coach Foolery was distraught.
"What are you going to do?" Dunham and Miller asked the coach.
"Well, I'm thinking about not starting him," Tom Foolery answered.
The radio guys feigned astonishment at the ridiculously light punishment.
"Hey," the coach explained, "we need him."
Art was only imitating life.
Two seasons and one Vince Young ago, Mack Brown had enough insecurities to think along the same lines as Coach Tom. He knew better, no doubt, but there were enough monkeys on Brown's back -- the Oklahoma monkey, the big game monkey, the BCS bowl monkey -- for him to be clouded by his own brand of tomfoolery.
Emboldened from last season, however, Brown has displayed the courage of his convictions. So far.
And trust me, Longhorns fans, you're going to thank him one day -- maybe not Saturday -- for doing this.
Tarell Brown and Gatewood, along with former UT player Aaron Harris, were arrested in the wee hours of Monday morning and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Police also allege that cornerback Brown was found sleeping in the back seat of the car, holding a loaded handgun.
By Tuesday the usual disclaimers were being issued. The gun belonged to Gatewood and was registered. The dope didn't belong to the current players. None of them had been smoking the pot. Etcetera, etcetera.
As a comic, almost Tom Fooleryesque aside, the lawyer apparently representing the players is Jamie Balagia of Manor. On his Web site, Balagia is known as the DWI Dude. His office phone number is 210-DWI-DUDE.
Hmm. Something even a football player could remember.
The new state flower of Austin, it appears, is the marijuana leaf. Nobody can convince me that the weed didn't forever fog Ricky Williams' brain. And then there was the incident in May, when Ramonce Taylor, who scored 15 touchdowns for the national champs last season, was arrested with live ammunition in his car and a backpack containing approximately five pounds of marijuana.
What's with the guns, Longhorns? It can't be that dangerous to be an adored football player in Austin these days.
Call me old-fashioned, but, if they're packing heat in the dorms and apartments at the University of Texas, the last thing I want is for my child to go to school there.
Didn't they used to expel students who had guns or used drugs? The UT residence halls handbook even states that, under Texas law, possession of firearms on a college campus is a third-degree felony.
With all due respect to the DWI Dude, the fact that the gun was registered doesn't comfort me. Weapons have no business on a college campus, especially at UT where a tragic incident occurred in the school's past.
If Coach Brown really wanted to send his team a message, he would have kicked Tarell Brown and Gatewood off the team. Forever.
Texas likes to brag that it has tough admissions standards these days. How can it deny some students admission, when these clowns are allowed to stay in school and remain on full-ride scholarships?
No, Coach Mack likely will let the DWI Dude do his thing. Tarell Brown and Gatewood could end up back at practice next week.
But Mack Brown deserves sincere recognition -- for his timing, above all else. The big game is Saturday, and he just suspended his best cornerback.
The old Mack, it says here, would have been conflicted. The new Mack is more secure. Wealthier. Happier. Monkey free. He's on a yearlong honeymoon.
He did the right thing Tuesday. I applaud the trend.
Mack does right thing this time
By GIL LEBRETON
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
At the University of Texas, they apparently have it all these days.
The national championship football trophy.
The adulation of the state.
Full-ride scholarships.
And, it appears, all the lawyers, guns and marijuana that a college football team could want.
Fortunately for the Longhorns, however, they also now have a head coach who isn't afraid to care.
Coach Mack Brown did the right thing Tuesday, suspending starting cornerback Tarell Brown and backup safety Tyrell Gatewood. The two players were supposed to be preparing this week for Saturday's marquee showdown with Ohio State, and weed and a loaded handgun are not often considered good study tools.
Mack did the right thing. But don't think that he did the only thing.
My old friends on the KTCK/1310 AM (The Ticket) morning show, Craig Miller and George Dunham, used to amuse us with the weekly telephone visit of Tom Foolery, fictional head coach of the adolescently fictitious Lolligag High. Coach Foolery's accent and weekly travails were designed to paint him as the quintessential Texas coach, ensconced at the quintessential Texas high school.
One week Lolligag's star player ran afoul of the law. And broke several team rules. And, if I recall, violated a majority of the 10 Commandments. Coach Foolery was distraught.
"What are you going to do?" Dunham and Miller asked the coach.
"Well, I'm thinking about not starting him," Tom Foolery answered.
The radio guys feigned astonishment at the ridiculously light punishment.
"Hey," the coach explained, "we need him."
Art was only imitating life.
Two seasons and one Vince Young ago, Mack Brown had enough insecurities to think along the same lines as Coach Tom. He knew better, no doubt, but there were enough monkeys on Brown's back -- the Oklahoma monkey, the big game monkey, the BCS bowl monkey -- for him to be clouded by his own brand of tomfoolery.
Emboldened from last season, however, Brown has displayed the courage of his convictions. So far.
And trust me, Longhorns fans, you're going to thank him one day -- maybe not Saturday -- for doing this.
Tarell Brown and Gatewood, along with former UT player Aaron Harris, were arrested in the wee hours of Monday morning and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Police also allege that cornerback Brown was found sleeping in the back seat of the car, holding a loaded handgun.
By Tuesday the usual disclaimers were being issued. The gun belonged to Gatewood and was registered. The dope didn't belong to the current players. None of them had been smoking the pot. Etcetera, etcetera.
As a comic, almost Tom Fooleryesque aside, the lawyer apparently representing the players is Jamie Balagia of Manor. On his Web site, Balagia is known as the DWI Dude. His office phone number is 210-DWI-DUDE.
Hmm. Something even a football player could remember.
The new state flower of Austin, it appears, is the marijuana leaf. Nobody can convince me that the weed didn't forever fog Ricky Williams' brain. And then there was the incident in May, when Ramonce Taylor, who scored 15 touchdowns for the national champs last season, was arrested with live ammunition in his car and a backpack containing approximately five pounds of marijuana.
What's with the guns, Longhorns? It can't be that dangerous to be an adored football player in Austin these days.
Call me old-fashioned, but, if they're packing heat in the dorms and apartments at the University of Texas, the last thing I want is for my child to go to school there.
Didn't they used to expel students who had guns or used drugs? The UT residence halls handbook even states that, under Texas law, possession of firearms on a college campus is a third-degree felony.
With all due respect to the DWI Dude, the fact that the gun was registered doesn't comfort me. Weapons have no business on a college campus, especially at UT where a tragic incident occurred in the school's past.
If Coach Brown really wanted to send his team a message, he would have kicked Tarell Brown and Gatewood off the team. Forever.
Texas likes to brag that it has tough admissions standards these days. How can it deny some students admission, when these clowns are allowed to stay in school and remain on full-ride scholarships?
No, Coach Mack likely will let the DWI Dude do his thing. Tarell Brown and Gatewood could end up back at practice next week.
But Mack Brown deserves sincere recognition -- for his timing, above all else. The big game is Saturday, and he just suspended his best cornerback.
The old Mack, it says here, would have been conflicted. The new Mack is more secure. Wealthier. Happier. Monkey free. He's on a yearlong honeymoon.
He did the right thing Tuesday. I applaud the trend.
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Top 5 ways to beat Ohio State
1. Control the clock
The Longhorns have the tools and talent to air it out on an Ohio State secondary that will likely feature four new starters. But Texas would be better suited to turn the contest into a time-wasting ground fest, its strong suit no less. Let Selvin Young and Jamaal Charles ride the coattails of one of the best offensive lines in the nation as long as they can without becoming one dimensional so that Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Antonio Pittman, Chris Wells, Anthony Gonzalez, etc. remain on the sideline.
2. If forced to punt, punt anywhere and everywhere, except towards Ten Ginn Jr.
There aren't too many people that would not say that Ginn is the most dangerous player in the nation. Mack Brown says he is scared to death anytime he touches the ball, and why not? Ginn is only three punt return touchdowns away from tying the NCAA record of eight - and he has two years left to do it. Aim for one of the water coolers on the sidelines and kick towards it.
3. Hope Longhorns fans come early, be loud, stay late and yell like [crazy]
Brown said that the Ohio State game last season was the best atmosphere he has ever coached in. "It was so loud he couldn't hear anything," he said.
While Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium can't contend with the 106,000 fans that packed Ohio Stadium to watch last year's grudge match, Texas should demolish the attendance record of 85,123 fans set against North Texas. Ohio State was allotted 5,000 tickets but with an estimated 30,000 fans coming down from Columbus, you can bet there will be more than that scattering the stands. The crowd will make a difference.
4. Control the point of attack, control the game
The specialty players often get the kudos for making the long run or hauling in the tough catch and rightfully so. But those plays probably don't happen if the offensive line isn't pulling its weight. Luckily for the Longhorns three potential All-Americans bolster the line which will have to fend off two talented Buckeyes defensive tackles, David Patterson and Quinn Pitcock.
5. Put the suspensions behind them
It may be hard, but try to turn the suspensions of Tarell Brown and Tyrell Gatewood into a positive. Here is the opportunity for a young defensive back to make a name for himself. Keep Ted Ginn on lock down all day and suddenly your name becomes well known amongst the Longhorns faithful and across the nation. There is nothing any of the players can do about the situation. Forget about it, and focus on Ginn, because before you know it he is already behind you.
Top 5 ways to beat Ohio State
1. Control the clock
The Longhorns have the tools and talent to air it out on an Ohio State secondary that will likely feature four new starters. But Texas would be better suited to turn the contest into a time-wasting ground fest, its strong suit no less. Let Selvin Young and Jamaal Charles ride the coattails of one of the best offensive lines in the nation as long as they can without becoming one dimensional so that Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr., Antonio Pittman, Chris Wells, Anthony Gonzalez, etc. remain on the sideline.
2. If forced to punt, punt anywhere and everywhere, except towards Ten Ginn Jr.
There aren't too many people that would not say that Ginn is the most dangerous player in the nation. Mack Brown says he is scared to death anytime he touches the ball, and why not? Ginn is only three punt return touchdowns away from tying the NCAA record of eight - and he has two years left to do it. Aim for one of the water coolers on the sidelines and kick towards it.
3. Hope Longhorns fans come early, be loud, stay late and yell like [crazy]
Brown said that the Ohio State game last season was the best atmosphere he has ever coached in. "It was so loud he couldn't hear anything," he said.
While Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium can't contend with the 106,000 fans that packed Ohio Stadium to watch last year's grudge match, Texas should demolish the attendance record of 85,123 fans set against North Texas. Ohio State was allotted 5,000 tickets but with an estimated 30,000 fans coming down from Columbus, you can bet there will be more than that scattering the stands. The crowd will make a difference.
4. Control the point of attack, control the game
The specialty players often get the kudos for making the long run or hauling in the tough catch and rightfully so. But those plays probably don't happen if the offensive line isn't pulling its weight. Luckily for the Longhorns three potential All-Americans bolster the line which will have to fend off two talented Buckeyes defensive tackles, David Patterson and Quinn Pitcock.
5. Put the suspensions behind them
It may be hard, but try to turn the suspensions of Tarell Brown and Tyrell Gatewood into a positive. Here is the opportunity for a young defensive back to make a name for himself. Keep Ted Ginn on lock down all day and suddenly your name becomes well known amongst the Longhorns faithful and across the nation. There is nothing any of the players can do about the situation. Forget about it, and focus on Ginn, because before you know it he is already behind you.
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OSU wins one for the fibber?
Tressel ranks UT ahead of Buckeyes ... maybe
THE MANSFIELD NEWS JOURNAL
At Tuesday's press conference in Columbus, Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel created a mild stir by announcing he voted Texas, and not his Buckeyes, No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll.
The problem? USA Today says he voted OSU No. 1 and Texas No. 2, and OSU director of player development Stan Jefferson confirmed that voting order late Tuesday.
Tressel's words, according to a transcript posted on the OSU Web site: "... I've got them ranked No. 1 on our ballot because I think they deserve that. I think they deserve that top to bottom. I think they deserve that from a program standpoint. I think they deserve that from a special teams standpoint, from an offensive and a defensive standpoint."
However, Jefferson, who called USA Today with Tressel's ballot Tuesday, said it was a case of miscommunication between him and Tressel.
"When it came time to vote on the preseason poll, we voted Texas No. 1 and us No. 3 after talking about it as a staff," said Jefferson. "When I called in his poll (Tuesday morning), he did not tell me to put Ohio State No. 1. I put that down because we were No. 1 in the preseason poll that came out.
"I did not have time to get with him (Tuesday) before the press conference. It was an honest mistake on our part. It was not meant as a psychological ploy or attempt to play mind games."
Regardless of why Texas was ranked where it was by the OSU staff, the Longhorns leapfrogged Notre Dame to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll released Tuesday. The Longhorns already were No. 2 in the coaches' poll.
There have been only 20 regular-season 1-2 matchups, the last Nov. 30, 1996, when No. 2 Florida State beat No. 1 Florida.
Ohio State has been in a 1-2 game twice, both times in bowl-game wins.
Texas is 3-0-1 in 1-2 games.
If Tressel was playing mind games with his players, they didn't seem to care.
"It doesn't bother me," offensive tackle Kirk Barton said. "As (wrestler) Ric Flair said, 'If you want to be the man, you've got to beat the man.' Right now, they're No. 1 as defending champs, so it doesn't bother me at all."
OSU wins one for the fibber?
Tressel ranks UT ahead of Buckeyes ... maybe
THE MANSFIELD NEWS JOURNAL
At Tuesday's press conference in Columbus, Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel created a mild stir by announcing he voted Texas, and not his Buckeyes, No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll.
The problem? USA Today says he voted OSU No. 1 and Texas No. 2, and OSU director of player development Stan Jefferson confirmed that voting order late Tuesday.
Tressel's words, according to a transcript posted on the OSU Web site: "... I've got them ranked No. 1 on our ballot because I think they deserve that. I think they deserve that top to bottom. I think they deserve that from a program standpoint. I think they deserve that from a special teams standpoint, from an offensive and a defensive standpoint."
However, Jefferson, who called USA Today with Tressel's ballot Tuesday, said it was a case of miscommunication between him and Tressel.
"When it came time to vote on the preseason poll, we voted Texas No. 1 and us No. 3 after talking about it as a staff," said Jefferson. "When I called in his poll (Tuesday morning), he did not tell me to put Ohio State No. 1. I put that down because we were No. 1 in the preseason poll that came out.
"I did not have time to get with him (Tuesday) before the press conference. It was an honest mistake on our part. It was not meant as a psychological ploy or attempt to play mind games."
Regardless of why Texas was ranked where it was by the OSU staff, the Longhorns leapfrogged Notre Dame to No. 2 in the Associated Press poll released Tuesday. The Longhorns already were No. 2 in the coaches' poll.
There have been only 20 regular-season 1-2 matchups, the last Nov. 30, 1996, when No. 2 Florida State beat No. 1 Florida.
Ohio State has been in a 1-2 game twice, both times in bowl-game wins.
Texas is 3-0-1 in 1-2 games.
If Tressel was playing mind games with his players, they didn't seem to care.
"It doesn't bother me," offensive tackle Kirk Barton said. "As (wrestler) Ric Flair said, 'If you want to be the man, you've got to beat the man.' Right now, they're No. 1 as defending champs, so it doesn't bother me at all."
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Texas' 'Big Sweed' made career catch
9/6/2006, 12:43 a.m. PTBy JIM VERTUNO
The Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Limas Sweed has seen the highlight countless times over the last year: He leaps high to grab the ball, juggles it, then comes down with the fourth-quarter touchdown against Ohio State.
It was the kind of catch Sweed had never shown he could make.
But he did, and the junior receiver's sudden transition from underachiever to playmaker started the Longhorns' drive to a national championship.
"There are defining moments when you're a young player at a place like Texas," coach Mack Brown said. "That will be the defining moment for Limas. He's got two years and you're not sure what else will happen, (but) that's a play, because of the magnitude, that people will remember the rest of his life." It will definitely become part of Texas lore. When stories are told about the 2005 championship season, they'll likely start with the 25-22 win over the Buckeyes. Sweed's catch probably will be second on the list of the season's biggest plays behind Vince Young's winning touchdown run in the Rose Bowl.
And this week is all about Sweed. No. 1 Ohio State (1-0) and No. 2 Texas (1-0) face off in a rematch Saturday night in Austin, and "The Catch" is what everyone remembers from last year.
"I've seen it a couple of times on SportsCenter," Sweed said.
There was a time the Longhorns didn't know if he had it in him.
At 6-foot-5, "Big Sweed" came to Texas with a reputation as a playmaker. Of his 72 catches in his last three years of high school, 31 went for touchdowns.
Physically, he looked just like Roy Williams, who set most of the Longhorns' receiving records and is now with the Detroit Lions in the NFL.
After redshirting his first season, he boldly asked for Williams' No. 4 after Williams left.
His coach advised him against it.
"He didn't listen," Brown said.
Sweed had big dreams of picking up where Williams left off. But things didn't work out as planned. The passing game faltered badly in 2004 when Sweed and a crop of young receivers struggled to adjust to the college game. He caught only 23 passes with no touchdowns that season. It was easy for fans to mock him for wearing Williams' No. 4 if he couldn't live up to it.
"I wanted it because I was No. 4 for four years in high school," Sweed said.
"Also, I looked up to Roy. I knew what came with it. I knew there would be a lot expectations and a lot of pressure to live up to it. I said I'll take it. I'm a man. I can live up to it," he said.
Then Texas went to Ohio State. And the team that supposedly couldn't win by throwing the ball beat the Buckeyes on Sweed's catch in front of more than 100,000 screaming fans and a national television audience.
It was his first career touchdown and he called it the "greatest catch of my life."
It still is. Not for himself, but what it meant for the team.
"When I see the catch, I think how I helped this team to the national championship," he said.
"I didn't think he caught it; I STILL don't think he caught it," Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith joked with reporters Tuesday. "But it was a great play that he made."
Sweed finished last season with 35 catches for 545 yards and five touchdowns. He had a career-high eight receptions in the Longhorns' Rose Bowl win over Southern California.
He had a big day in the season-opening win over North Texas. He took freshman quarterback Colt McCoy's second pass 60 yards for a touchdown and scored another from 29 yards in the second half. On both plays he outran defenders to the end zone after the catch. He finished the day with five catches for 111 yards.
"Our defensive guys really tell us how he's a tough draw," offensive coordinator Greg Davis said. "He's so big and people don't realize how strong he is."
Sweed has tried to take on a role of veteran leader as well, talking a lot with McCoy at summer workouts and giving him advice, just as Vince Young did with him last year.
"A lot of older guys talked to him, let him know everything is going to be cool," Sweed said. "You may throw a pick. You may lose a fumble. It's how you respond to them."
Texas' 'Big Sweed' made career catch
9/6/2006, 12:43 a.m. PTBy JIM VERTUNO
The Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Limas Sweed has seen the highlight countless times over the last year: He leaps high to grab the ball, juggles it, then comes down with the fourth-quarter touchdown against Ohio State.
It was the kind of catch Sweed had never shown he could make.
But he did, and the junior receiver's sudden transition from underachiever to playmaker started the Longhorns' drive to a national championship.
"There are defining moments when you're a young player at a place like Texas," coach Mack Brown said. "That will be the defining moment for Limas. He's got two years and you're not sure what else will happen, (but) that's a play, because of the magnitude, that people will remember the rest of his life." It will definitely become part of Texas lore. When stories are told about the 2005 championship season, they'll likely start with the 25-22 win over the Buckeyes. Sweed's catch probably will be second on the list of the season's biggest plays behind Vince Young's winning touchdown run in the Rose Bowl.
And this week is all about Sweed. No. 1 Ohio State (1-0) and No. 2 Texas (1-0) face off in a rematch Saturday night in Austin, and "The Catch" is what everyone remembers from last year.
"I've seen it a couple of times on SportsCenter," Sweed said.
There was a time the Longhorns didn't know if he had it in him.
At 6-foot-5, "Big Sweed" came to Texas with a reputation as a playmaker. Of his 72 catches in his last three years of high school, 31 went for touchdowns.
Physically, he looked just like Roy Williams, who set most of the Longhorns' receiving records and is now with the Detroit Lions in the NFL.
After redshirting his first season, he boldly asked for Williams' No. 4 after Williams left.
His coach advised him against it.
"He didn't listen," Brown said.
Sweed had big dreams of picking up where Williams left off. But things didn't work out as planned. The passing game faltered badly in 2004 when Sweed and a crop of young receivers struggled to adjust to the college game. He caught only 23 passes with no touchdowns that season. It was easy for fans to mock him for wearing Williams' No. 4 if he couldn't live up to it.
"I wanted it because I was No. 4 for four years in high school," Sweed said.
"Also, I looked up to Roy. I knew what came with it. I knew there would be a lot expectations and a lot of pressure to live up to it. I said I'll take it. I'm a man. I can live up to it," he said.
Then Texas went to Ohio State. And the team that supposedly couldn't win by throwing the ball beat the Buckeyes on Sweed's catch in front of more than 100,000 screaming fans and a national television audience.
It was his first career touchdown and he called it the "greatest catch of my life."
It still is. Not for himself, but what it meant for the team.
"When I see the catch, I think how I helped this team to the national championship," he said.
"I didn't think he caught it; I STILL don't think he caught it," Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith joked with reporters Tuesday. "But it was a great play that he made."
Sweed finished last season with 35 catches for 545 yards and five touchdowns. He had a career-high eight receptions in the Longhorns' Rose Bowl win over Southern California.
He had a big day in the season-opening win over North Texas. He took freshman quarterback Colt McCoy's second pass 60 yards for a touchdown and scored another from 29 yards in the second half. On both plays he outran defenders to the end zone after the catch. He finished the day with five catches for 111 yards.
"Our defensive guys really tell us how he's a tough draw," offensive coordinator Greg Davis said. "He's so big and people don't realize how strong he is."
Sweed has tried to take on a role of veteran leader as well, talking a lot with McCoy at summer workouts and giving him advice, just as Vince Young did with him last year.
"A lot of older guys talked to him, let him know everything is going to be cool," Sweed said. "You may throw a pick. You may lose a fumble. It's how you respond to them."
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