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Game Thread Ohio State 6, Penn State 13 (Oct. 25)

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PSU Daily Collegian
Defense preps for running game

PHOTO: Michael Felletter
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Linebacker Michael Mauti dives during Saturday's game against Michigan. The Lions' defense needs to curb the Buckeyes' running game this upcoming Saturday.




By Andrew Wible
Collegian Staff Writer

Ohio State's backfield tandem of Terrelle Pryor and Chris "Beanie" Wells is one of the quickest combos in the Big Ten, if not the country, according to Penn State coach Joe Paterno.
The two combine to average 175 yards rushing per game and are coming off a week when they surpassed the 200-yard mark and combined for three touchdowns against Michigan State.
Penn State strong safety Anthony Scirrotto said the Buckeye offense is not the same one that lost by 32 at USC five-and-a-half weeks ago.
He said it'll be important for the Lion defense to stifle the running game and force the freshman quarterback to beat them with the passing game.
"I see great athletes with Chris Wells and Terrelle Pryor, [who] week-by-week has gotten better and he's doing what's asked of him," Scirrotto said.
With Pryor's and Wells' ability to get to the corner and pick up chunks of yardage, it'll be Penn State's linebackers' jobs to try to stop the backfield mates.
When the Lions fell behind Michigan 17-7, Bani Gbadyu and Mike Mauti were substituted at linebacker. The switch brought more speed to the defense that had given up 129 yards rushing in a little more than a quarter against the Wolverines.

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PSU Daily Collegian
Injuries hamper football team

By Josh Langenbacher


Collegian Staff Writer

Give Joe Paterno the choice between him getting over his sore right leg and hip or safety Anthony Scirrotto regaining his health, and Paterno knows which he would choose.
"Let's get Scirrotto healthy," Paterno said.
Indications are Scirrotto, who suffered a mild concussion against Michigan, will be able to play at 8 p.m. Saturday when No. 3 Penn State squares off against No. 10 Ohio State at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
Paterno's health is another matter.
He acknowledged he will get his ailing right leg and hip checked out when the Nittany Lions have their bye week after this weekend's game.
Paterno has said he injured himself demonstrating a kicking drill in practice before Penn State's season opener, and there has been little steady improvement in his mobility.
"This thing is one of those things," Paterno said. "Next week, when we've got the open week, I'm gonna let a couple people take a look at it and we'll make some decisions. ... I'll let the doctors take a look at it and we'll see where we go from there."
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PSU Daily Collegian
Pryor's comments will haunt him

By Travis Johnson
Collegian Staff Writer

All hope was lost last February. Was there any real hope in the first place?
Terrelle Pryor was never coming to Penn State. No, Pryor wanted to wear the scarlet and gray. He wanted to be a Buckeye.
But it wasn't that simple. Pryor dragged out his commitment, teasing Nittany Nation with the notion Penn State was still alive in the hunt for his services and God-given athletic abilities, even though he canceled an official visit to State College.
In the end, he shunned the Lions for the Bucks and created a fair amount of bulletin board material along the way. On Saturday night, his words may come back to haunt him. When Penn State's pass rushers line up across from him, you'd better believe Pryor's actions and words will be in the back of their minds.
Pryor told the New York Times during his recruitment that he didn't like the State College area. He didn't like Penn State's offense. He didn't believe Penn State coaches would use him in a way that would take full advantage of his abilities.
When Pryor led No. 9 Ohio State to a 45-7 thumping of Michigan State last weekend, he offered another tidbit that should light an even bigger fire under Penn State players this weekend.
After completing 7 of 11 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 72 more yards and another score, Pryor sounded off when asked about playing a team that recruited him from his home state of Pennsylvania.
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PSU Daily Collegian

'Happy' huddle atmosphere helps offense focus

PHOTO: Peter Tesoriero
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Deon Butler responds to questions during Tuesday's press conference.




By Andrew Wible
Collegian Staff Writer

If Penn State's offense finds itself in a tough spot anytime Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio, Nittany Lion wide receiver Deon Butler knows he can still find a "happy place," even amongst the more than 102,000 rabid scarlet- and gray-clad Buckeye fans.
All Butler has to do, he said, even in the most hostile of environments, is make his way to the Lions' offensive huddle and find Rich Ohrnberger and A.Q. Shipley. The Lion linemen will take care of the rest.
"When we're in clutch situations, the wideouts stand in front of the linemen, and [Ohrnberger's] pulling guys close to him, 'Hey, hey come here. Come in the huddle,' " Butler said. "It's just joking around but it keeps the huddle loose instead of being real panicky.
"Rich is smiling and laughing and A.Q. is laughing. It's a fine line, they're not too loose with it, but they keep a happy atmosphere in the huddle."
It's that kind of attitude Butler said Penn State needs from the opening kick against the Buckeyes.
Many of the Lions admitted they came out too energized against Michigan last weekend. The result was a 10-point deficit a little more than 10 minutes into the game.
Penn State safety Anthony Scirrotto said although it's tough, he and his teammates need to just worry about the game and not get sidetracked by the gameday atmosphere. That's what separates good teams from great teams, he said, the ability to just focus on football, even in hostile environments.
"It's hard because it's exciting obviously for everyone, but you do have to control your emotions and focus more on the game instead of everything around you," Scirrotto said. "Sometimes you get caught up in some distractions.
"But the great teams, the team that we wanna be, they pull through. They win on the road. They do those things and that's what it takes to be national champions."
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Penn State hasn?t fit in ?Shoe

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 12:56 AM EDT
By Jason Lloyd
Journal Register News Service
COLUMBUS ? The last time Penn State marched into Ohio Stadium and walked out with a victory, the Buckeyes were starting a highly touted freshman at quarterback.

Sound familiar?

Of course, that was 30 years ago. And in 1978, Art Schlichter threw five interceptions in Ohio State?s season opener, when Penn State rolled to a 19-0 victory.

Saturday night, in a game that will likely decide the Big Ten champion, Ohio State will again be led by a freshman. But don?t expect Terrelle Pryor to throw five interceptions ? he only has two in his first five starts.
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Dispatch
Climb to top again reaches obstacle
Penn State offers stiff challenge for team on rebound
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 3:17 AM
By Ken Gordon


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
To the rest of America, these Ohio State Buckeyes are like zombies in a horror movie: They just won't die. The team that was mugged and left for dead Sept. 13 in Los Angeles? They're baaaack.
The Buckeyes endured a major makeover -- changing quarterbacks and offensive styles -- and have won five straight games to stand 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten.
The coaches and media members who vote in the polls have done their best to suppress this OSU uprising. The Buckeyes have climbed only three spots, to 10th, after those five wins.
Earlier this year, OSU tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells was asked why he thought so many people disliked his team.
"Because it's such a great university," he said with a grin. "I'm thinking those people applied to Ohio State and couldn't get in."
That's a good line, but the truth is that nobody wants to see Ohio State make the Bowl Championship Series title game after the Buckeyes have been demolished in the past two games by an aggregate score of 79-38.
Been there, done nothing.
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Dispatch
Paterno likely will watch from upstairs
Injuries might not allow coach to be on sideline Saturday in Horseshoe
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 3:19 AM
By Bob Baptist


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
1022_paterno_sp_10-22-08_C2_6HBLU8L.jpg
Joe Paterno


Penn State coach Joe Paterno was asked yesterday about the status of several of his injured players, among them free safety Anthony Scirrotto, who missed most of the game against Michigan last week because of a concussion. "Indications are that he'll probably be OK," Paterno said.
And what about Paterno himself? Will the 81-year-old legend remain in the press box for a fifth consecutive game Saturday night in Ohio Stadium because of an ailing right leg and hip that has forced him to walk using a cane?
Paterno, who suffered the injury Aug. 28 while demonstrating an onside kick during practice, implied that it's likely he won't be on the field.
"If we get a choice of who's better healthwise, Scirrotto or Paterno," he said, "let's get Scirrotto out there."
The Big Ten championship could hinge on the outcome of the game between the No. 3-ranked Nittany Lions and No. 10 Ohio State. They are the only remaining unbeatens in conference play.
Ohio State has won the Big Ten title outright the past two years. Penn State and Ohio State shared it in 2005.
A spot in the Bowl Championship Series title game also could be at stake for the Nittany Lions, who are undefeated overall. Ohio State has lost once, at Southern California on Sept. 13.
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Dispatch
Night crawl
Patience, politeness urged for OSU's first evening home game in three years
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 3:18 AM
By Charlie Boss and Ted Decker


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
homecoming_10-22-08_A1_2KBLUB7.jpg
KARL KUNTZ | DISPATCH
Buckeyes swarm the field after winning a 2003 night game against Purdue. Police and university groups are being proactive before Saturday's Penn State game.

1022_HOMECOMIG_OSu_mn_10-22-08_A4_TKBLS24.jpg
Week's activities

Homecoming weekend at Ohio State University runs through Sunday. Festivities include:

  • The World's Largest Pillow Fight. South Oval, 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
  • Homecoming Parade. Ohio State athletes and coaches in the Beijing Olympics will be grand marshals. Begins at Ohio Stadium, heads east on Woody Hayes Drive, south on High Street and west on 12th Avenue to the South Oval. 6 p.m. Friday.
  • Homecoming tailgate and pep rally after parade. South Oval, 7 p.m. Friday.
  • Fun Recreational Evening Events (FREE) at Morrill Tower. Includes a video-game tournament. 9 p.m. Friday.
  • Football game versus Penn State. Ohio Stadium, 8 p.m. Saturday.
  • Out of the Darkness Walk at Fred Beekman Park, 9 a.m. Sunday.
  • Step, Stride or Swim for the Spielman Fund. Complete laps and do the South stands steps at Ohio Stadium, walk or run a half-mile loop at the Recreation and Physical Activity Center or swim laps at the McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion pool. Noon Sunday.
Source: Ohio State University


While Buckeyes fans focus on Saturday's showdown with Penn State, Ohio State University officials and Columbus police will study the action off the field. Police officials are planning to beef up patrols and enforce a parking ban on some campus-area streets to limit property damage and give officers more room to keep an eye on fans.
The 8 p.m. game is the first night game at Ohio Stadium since the school hosted the University of Texas in 2005.
With homecoming week festivities and both teams in the race for the Big Ten championship, university officials and student groups are taking the same precautions they have for other high-profile matchups in the past two years.
"We want to make sure we're out there in full force," said Maggie Sweeney, president of the Ohio State Sportsmanship Council. "We don't know what's going to happen, but we want to be on the safe side."
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Dispatch

Coaches adjust thinking on QBs
Tressel, Paterno let dual-threat players run their offenses
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 3:11 AM
By Tim May


THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
It's no stretch to say that Joe Paterno and Jim Tressel are two of the more control-minded coaches in college football. So why would they turn their offenses over to throwing/running/sometimes free-wheeling quarterbacks this season? Kirk Herbstreit knows the answer. He has watched junior Daryll Clark direct one of the more explosive offenses in the country, elevating Penn State out of the gloom of the Anthony Morelli era. Herbstreit has also watched freshman Terrelle Pryor help Ohio State win five straight games since taking over for senior Todd Boeckman.
"They're playing the guy they believe gives their team the best chance to win," said Herbstreit, a college football analyst for ESPN and ABC.
Although it might seem to be a radical departure for Paterno and Tressel, both did similar things a few years ago. Tressel turned his offense over to the playmaking Troy Smith, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2006. Paterno gave the ball to Michael Robinson, who rose to Big Ten MVP in 2005.
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QBs center stage in big Big Ten clash

AL LESAR
Tribune Staff Writer

Historically, the Big Ten football championship is decided in either Columbus or Ann Arbor on the last day of the season.

This year, the calendar has been turned up a bit.

For all practical purposes, Penn State?s trip to Ohio State on Saturday night will decide the title.

Both are undefeated in league play. Both have sensational quarterbacks starting for the first season. Both top the league charts in nearly every offensive and defensive category.

This has the makings of as good a Big Ten game as will be played this season.

?Penn State is an outstanding football team,? Buckeye coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday during the Big Ten coaches? teleconference. ?Their team chemistry is good and their units are playing in harmony.?

After last Saturday?s convincing 45-7 win over Michigan State, Tressel said he still had doubts about his team (7-1, 4-0 in the Big Ten).

?You don?t really ever know about your team ?til January,? Tressel said. ?That?s when you can look back at the full body of work. At the end of the season, that?s who you find out who you are.?

Since a pasting at Southern Cal in mid-September, the face of the Ohio State team has been that of freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Last year?s high school player of the year has lived up to the hype so far.

?Pryor?s an excellent player, but that comes with being the top player in high school football last year,? said Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio. ?Pryor and (running back Beanie) Wells made the plays that were the difference in our game.?
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