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Game Thread Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 20 (final)

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12/14/05

WEIS IMPRESSED Count Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis among those impressed with No. 4 Ohio State. The Irish and Buckeyes will play for just the fifth time at the Fiesta Bowl. Weis is in his first year and has turned Notre Dame’s program around with a 9-2 record and BCS berth. “They do a real good job on third down, converting at 38 percent, and they have only given up 17 sacks for the year,” Weis said. “One of the most impressive statistics in my research is that they have outscored their opponents 180-79 in the second half of the season. Obviously, they have shown that they are strong.” Weis, too, must be impressed with his own offense. The Irish have converted 49 percent on third down, allowed just 16 sacks and scored 192 second-half points.

EBAY There are dozens of Fiesta Bowl ticket options on an Internet auction site, which is the best way to score a couple of seats to the Jan. 2 game. Ohio State and Notre Dame won’t offer general public sales, and the Fiesta Bowl has sold out. As of late Tuesday night, tickets on the Internet were going from $300 to more than $1,200 for four seats.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE With exams out of the way, Ohio State will practice this week and break Monday. Tressel is giving his team a week off for Christmas. The team will meet in Columbus on Dec. 26 and fly to Tempe and practice there the remainder of the month before the Fiesta Bowl.
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12/13/05

Linemen appreciate recognition

Smith, Pittman are quick to sing praises of big guys up front

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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Even at Ohio State, where the competition for backup punter makes headlines, offensive linemen are largely anonymous.

Guard T.J. Downing was chuckling about this recently during an interview session.

"I have two (reporters) around me, and Antonio Pittman has 10 guys around him," Downing said, gesturing toward the OSU running back. "As an offensive lineman, you know you’re not going to get that exposure and attention, so it’s just something you live with."

That’s the nature of the job. The cameras — and our televisiontrained eyes — follow the ball.

It doesn’t mean, however, that linemen have to like it. As Downing points out, "without us, nothing would be happening — the ball wouldn’t move, the game wouldn’t even start."

Good thing for him, then, that he plays for a team on which the glamour boys appreciate the big lugs up front.

After every game this season, without fail, quarterback Troy Smith and Pittman made a point of lavishing praise on the offensive line.

Smith in particular was predictable on this subject. No matter what the first question, he found a way to answer, "Hats off to my offensive line."
The cynical may consider this a page out of the "Quarterback 101" manual. Chapter One: Always credit your offensive line.

Smith doesn’t argue with that motive. It’s common sense.

"I don’t like being hit," he said. "And those are the guys who first and foremost keep the guys off me, so I feel as if they need it (credit), they deserve it, they have to have it. And if no one else gives it to them, I’m going to be the first guy that will."

Downing said he saw Smith’s interview on ABC after the Michigan victory and, of course, Smith was quick to credit the line.

"For him to come out there on national TV in front of the whole country and even the world and say that, it really made us feel good," Downing said. "And honestly, going back and watching the game, I did feel it was our offensive line’s best game of the year, and I’m glad he made the statement he did."

Indeed, it is not hollow praise. In every offensive category, the Buckeyes’ numbers are vastly improved over the past two years. Even compared with the 2002 national-title season, the 2005 numbers are better.

Statistics such as time of possession, average yards per carry and sacks allowed are key indicators of the line’s improved play this season.

Senior Rob Sims thought some of that was because last year the line dealt with some health and inexperience issues. Downing said the linemen had worked together enough to understand what the player next to him was going to do.

"When you’re in the guy next to you and you’re in his head and you know what he’s doing, you don’t have to worry about the crowd noise or anything," Downing said. "It makes it that much better when you don’t even have to communicate but you are without saying anything, and that’s really what helped us out a lot this year."

Like Smith, Pittman said crediting the line comes naturally to him.
"These are the guys that put their body on the line, they give it all they can for you up front," Pittman said. "Not too many running backs in college football speak of their offensive line. I see a lot of players talk about the game that they had, they’ll be like, ‘Well, I made this play happen, I made this play happen,’ but it all starts up front."

It’s a lovefest, then. And that’s fine with the line.
"We notice it," Sims said of his teammates’ praise. "And we appreciate it."
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Wednesday, December 14, 2005
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bucknuts44820 said:
They do a real good job on third down, converting at 38 percent, and they have only given up 17 sacks for the year,” Weis said. “One of the most impressive statistics in my research is that they have outscored their opponents 180-79 in the second half of the season. Obviously, they have shown that they are strong.” Weis, too, must be impressed with his own offense. The Irish have converted 49 percent on third down, allowed just 16 sacks and scored 192 second-half points.

12/14/05
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You may notice, they dont show how many points ND has GIVEN UP in the second half of games this season.
NOTRE DAMN GAVE UP 153 second half points, not counting overtimes.
 
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No misprint Taos. OSU's offense has been slicing up average defenses, and this will be no exception.

ND fans often bring up the USC game as an example of strong defense, despite yielding 10 ypc to mr bush.

needless to say I like our chances in this one :)
 
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MililaniBuckeye said:
Yeah, giving up 476 total yards, 7.2 yards per play, and 5 TDs at home is a real strong defense...
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to continue that line of thought, USC had the ball for 21 minutes in that game. 34 points in 21 minutes equals 1.68 points per minute. 1.68 points per minute times 30 minutes equals 51 points... ND didn't stop USC AT ALL. USC's defense not ever getting off the field stopped USC...
 
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lvbuckeye said:
to continue that line of thought, USC had the ball for 21 minutes in that game. 34 points in 21 minutes equals 1.68 points per minute. 1.68 points per minute times 30 minutes equals 51 points... ND didn't stop USC AT ALL. USC's defense not ever getting off the field stopped USC...
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Great points. If we can keep ND off the field even half the time, I think we can rack up 35+ points.
 
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