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BuckeyeKid789
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This is looks exactly like the pic of Ted Ginn's 84 yard punt return in The Game 2004.
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Cleveland PD
1/3
Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 20
A desert bloom
Ginn, Smith make plays to torment the Irish
Tuesday, January 03, 2006Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Tempe, Ariz. -- On a podium, kissing a trophy, surrounded by a sea of red in the Arizona desert, the Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday night conjured memories of their national championship team of three years ago, and it wasn't just in their celebration.
Hitting big pass plays they planned for a month and attacking the quarterback like they have all season, the No. 4 Buckeyes played like one of the best teams in the country, beating Notre Dame, 34-20, in the Fiesta Bowl. The win sent out their 16 seniors, who were freshmen when the Buckeyes overcame Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, with a perfect 4-0 bowl record.
But by allowing the Fighting Irish to hang close in a game the Buckeyes were dominating, Ohio State showed why it was in the Fiesta Bowl for the third time in four seasons and not playing for a national championship in two days.
In the end, Antonio Pittman's 60-yard touchdown run in the final two minutes sacked the game away, sending the 10-2 Buckeyes into the off-season with a seven-game winning streak and a high that, for the moment, they wouldn't trade.
"Sure, we'd love another game," said linebacker A.J. Hawk, named the defensive player of the game.
"We feel we're playing our best football right now, and you've got to move on."
"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason," said Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, the offensive player of the game. "We had to suffer the losses to become the team we are today. I wouldn't take anything back from that."
Ohio State outgained Notre Dame, 617 yards to 348, winning not just the confrontation between Notre Dame's fourth-ranked offense and the Buckeyes' dominating defense, but the offensive comparison as well. Smith completed 19 of 28 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns, and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn was 29-of-45 for 286 yards and no touchdowns.
While Notre Dame's passing game, with a pair of 6-5 receivers, offers big-play potential, it was the Buckeyes who scored four touchdowns of at least 56 yards.
Smith hit touchdown passes to Ted Ginn Jr. for 56 yards and Santonio Holmes for 85 yards, while Ginn ran a reverse 68 yards for a score before Pittman finished off the Irish.
"That was a huge part of our game plan," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "We thought big plays could happen, and we talked about making sure we didn't overthrow the deep pass."
Smith followed the script, lofting passes and also escaping pressure, running when he needed to and generally rationalizing the worries of Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis.
"It was my biggest fear going into the game," Weis said of Smith. "If they're nickel-and-diming you, and getting 5 and 10 [yards], you can live with it, but when you give up that many big plays, that was disappointing."
Weis tried to conjure up his own big plays, changing his offense at halftime after he felt it stagnated in the second quarter. The Irish, feeling lucky to be down only 21-7 at the half, did close the lead to 27-20 with 5:27 to play on Darius Walker's third touchdown run, moving down the field by throwing quick slants with a no-huddle offense.
That should have created fear among the Buckeyes, who started the season with national title dreams before what-could-have-been losses to Texas and Penn State. Smith had fumbled twice and two Josh Huston field goals had been blocked, and now Notre Dame was knocking.
But the defense stayed in Quinn's face and stiffened when it had to, making up for the absence of injured linebacker Bobby Carpenter.
"They played extremely hard and they've done that all year long," Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said. "I don't know how many sacks we had, but we got after them pretty good."
Ohio State sacked Quinn five times, two of them by Hawk, who backed up his claim that he'd have no trouble taking down his girlfriend's brother.
"Any time you hit a quarterback it feels great," Hawk said. "We wanted to come out and pressure him. We felt we had defensive backs who could play them tight and then make them throw it quick."
The Buckeyes also received the game's biggest break when it looked like Notre Dame (9-3) had tied it. Ohio State receiver Anthony Gonzalez appeared to fumble late in the third quarter, and Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski returned it 89 yards for a touchdown.
But a review by the officials determined that Gonzalez's bobble and drop was actually an incomplete pass. Weis called it the play of the game. Huston kicked a 40-yard field goal on the next play for a 24-13 Buckeyes lead.
And the Buckeyes were headed toward a familiar celebration.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4748
1/3
Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 20
A desert bloom
Ginn, Smith make plays to torment the Irish
Tuesday, January 03, 2006Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter
Tempe, Ariz. -- On a podium, kissing a trophy, surrounded by a sea of red in the Arizona desert, the Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday night conjured memories of their national championship team of three years ago, and it wasn't just in their celebration.
Hitting big pass plays they planned for a month and attacking the quarterback like they have all season, the No. 4 Buckeyes played like one of the best teams in the country, beating Notre Dame, 34-20, in the Fiesta Bowl. The win sent out their 16 seniors, who were freshmen when the Buckeyes overcame Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, with a perfect 4-0 bowl record.
But by allowing the Fighting Irish to hang close in a game the Buckeyes were dominating, Ohio State showed why it was in the Fiesta Bowl for the third time in four seasons and not playing for a national championship in two days.
In the end, Antonio Pittman's 60-yard touchdown run in the final two minutes sacked the game away, sending the 10-2 Buckeyes into the off-season with a seven-game winning streak and a high that, for the moment, they wouldn't trade.
"Sure, we'd love another game," said linebacker A.J. Hawk, named the defensive player of the game.
"We feel we're playing our best football right now, and you've got to move on."
"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason," said Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, the offensive player of the game. "We had to suffer the losses to become the team we are today. I wouldn't take anything back from that."
Ohio State outgained Notre Dame, 617 yards to 348, winning not just the confrontation between Notre Dame's fourth-ranked offense and the Buckeyes' dominating defense, but the offensive comparison as well. Smith completed 19 of 28 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns, and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn was 29-of-45 for 286 yards and no touchdowns.
While Notre Dame's passing game, with a pair of 6-5 receivers, offers big-play potential, it was the Buckeyes who scored four touchdowns of at least 56 yards.
Smith hit touchdown passes to Ted Ginn Jr. for 56 yards and Santonio Holmes for 85 yards, while Ginn ran a reverse 68 yards for a score before Pittman finished off the Irish.
"That was a huge part of our game plan," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "We thought big plays could happen, and we talked about making sure we didn't overthrow the deep pass."
Smith followed the script, lofting passes and also escaping pressure, running when he needed to and generally rationalizing the worries of Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis.
"It was my biggest fear going into the game," Weis said of Smith. "If they're nickel-and-diming you, and getting 5 and 10 [yards], you can live with it, but when you give up that many big plays, that was disappointing."
Weis tried to conjure up his own big plays, changing his offense at halftime after he felt it stagnated in the second quarter. The Irish, feeling lucky to be down only 21-7 at the half, did close the lead to 27-20 with 5:27 to play on Darius Walker's third touchdown run, moving down the field by throwing quick slants with a no-huddle offense.
That should have created fear among the Buckeyes, who started the season with national title dreams before what-could-have-been losses to Texas and Penn State. Smith had fumbled twice and two Josh Huston field goals had been blocked, and now Notre Dame was knocking.
But the defense stayed in Quinn's face and stiffened when it had to, making up for the absence of injured linebacker Bobby Carpenter.
"They played extremely hard and they've done that all year long," Buckeyes defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said. "I don't know how many sacks we had, but we got after them pretty good."
Ohio State sacked Quinn five times, two of them by Hawk, who backed up his claim that he'd have no trouble taking down his girlfriend's brother.
"Any time you hit a quarterback it feels great," Hawk said. "We wanted to come out and pressure him. We felt we had defensive backs who could play them tight and then make them throw it quick."
The Buckeyes also received the game's biggest break when it looked like Notre Dame (9-3) had tied it. Ohio State receiver Anthony Gonzalez appeared to fumble late in the third quarter, and Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski returned it 89 yards for a touchdown.
But a review by the officials determined that Gonzalez's bobble and drop was actually an incomplete pass. Weis called it the play of the game. Huston kicked a 40-yard field goal on the next play for a 24-13 Buckeyes lead.
And the Buckeyes were headed toward a familiar celebration.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4748
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Cleveland PD
1/3
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[FONT=arial,sans-serif] [/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]
[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Former Glenville High stars formidable in OSU victory [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Tuesday, January 03, 2006[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Bill Livingston[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Plain Dealer Columnist [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Tempe, Ariz. - [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] The skittering quarterback and his moving target both come from Glenville, a Cleveland neighborhood known more for what it lacks than what it has. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Troy Smith and Ted Ginn Jr., two teammates on the Tarblooders years ago, two teammates on the Ohio State Buckeyes now, were the two players who met the moment in the Fiesta Bowl Monday night against Notre Dame and made it Cleveland's own. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Smith was the running quarterback who saved the Buckeyes last season, then reinvented himself after toil and trouble as a passing quar terback this season. He was the Most Valuable Offensive Player in the Buckeyes' 34-20 victory over Notre Dame. Smith, a jun ior, passed for two touchdowns and a career-high 342 yards. He was a threat when he ran for 66 yards. When it was third down and Irish eyes were close to smiling, he turned the lights out on the game, converting a preposterous eight of 12 such situations. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Ginn, prematurely forecast in his sophomore season as a contender for the Heisman Trophy, emblematic of the best player in college football, grew into the role slowly this season. It is hardly the pace at which Ginn plays football or runs track, but his early auditions as a marquee player, despite a Sports Illustrated cover photo, were halting and jittery. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Monday, he caught eight of Smith's passes for 167 yards, ran twice for 73 yards, returned two punts for 20 yards, and scored two touchdowns, on a 68-yard run and a 56-yard pass. Ginn basically teamed with Smith to provide everything but the turtle doves and partridges found during the 12 days of Christmas. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] It is never a simple, straight-forward plot with Smith, so he also had a wild pitchout on an option play, one aimed at Ginn, that stifled one drive inside the Notre Dame 10. Smith also fumbled when he was sacked, a miscue that had Notre Dame knocking at the door of the Ohio State goal, only to be turned away. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Clearly, though, Smith made a triumphant, if belated, debut on the stage of a college bowl game. Nothing beats the Bowl Championship Series Championship Game, but the Notre Dame-Ohio State matchup was the best available consolation prize. Smith was not even eligible for the Alamo Bowl in 2004, after being suspended for taking $500 from an OSU booster. Monday night, he made his first bowl game one that will be remembered, because of the mystique that surrounds the Fighting Irish, as fondly as his bookend blockbusters against Michigan. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Ginn, of course, was the MVP of the Alamo Bowl in Smith's absence. Ginn could have been the MVP again here, had he gotten into the end zone once more. It was his first touchdown that showed how fully Ohio State would realize its big-play potential. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "We worked on not overthrowing the deep pass because we knew they would be open," said Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.
[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] With Ohio State trailing, 7-0, Ginn ran past the Notre Dame defenders with college football's best speed, and Smith's pass was deep, soft and true. That play tied the score, and Ginn soon untied it with his 68-yard touchdown on a reverse. He took a pitch from Smith as the quarterback went thisaway and smoothly accelerated thataway. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "If they're running one way and Teddy is running the other, they have a problem," Tressel said. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said the biggest problem, though, was Smith. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] He threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, who ran the last 9 yards with one finger held up, signaling the No. 1 ranking Ohio State was so close to achieving. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] That was justifiably ruled taunting. For the rest of the night, Smith's legs left Irish tacklers with their arms wrapped around nothing, and his arm picked the coverage schemes to pieces. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Monday night, Smith widely outplayed his more heralded counterpart, Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. No brag, just fact. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "I didn't think about the Alamo Bowl as much as you might think," Smith said. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "The whole game plan was set up to hit big plays. The rest of the time, I tried to keep plays alive." [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] He never did that better than when it was 27-20, third-and-11 at the OSU 25, just over 2 minutes to play, and the Irish were still dreaming of a last drive to tie and force overtime. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Notre Dame defensive end Ronald Talley had Smith in his sights, but Smith spun away from what seemed a sure sack to inflame the Irish fans and connected with Anthony Gonzalez for a 15-yard gain along the sideline. One play later, Antonio Pittman's 60-yard touchdown run put the game away. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] The BCS championship game will be here next year - OSU's Happy New Year home, the site where the Buckeyes won it all three years ago, the place where they have won three times in just the past four years. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "We know that," Smith said, smiling. "We like that a lot." [/FONT][/FONT]
1/3
[FONT=arial,sans-serif]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif] [/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Former Glenville High stars formidable in OSU victory [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Tuesday, January 03, 2006[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Bill Livingston[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif]Plain Dealer Columnist [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Tempe, Ariz. - [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] The skittering quarterback and his moving target both come from Glenville, a Cleveland neighborhood known more for what it lacks than what it has. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Troy Smith and Ted Ginn Jr., two teammates on the Tarblooders years ago, two teammates on the Ohio State Buckeyes now, were the two players who met the moment in the Fiesta Bowl Monday night against Notre Dame and made it Cleveland's own. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Smith was the running quarterback who saved the Buckeyes last season, then reinvented himself after toil and trouble as a passing quar terback this season. He was the Most Valuable Offensive Player in the Buckeyes' 34-20 victory over Notre Dame. Smith, a jun ior, passed for two touchdowns and a career-high 342 yards. He was a threat when he ran for 66 yards. When it was third down and Irish eyes were close to smiling, he turned the lights out on the game, converting a preposterous eight of 12 such situations. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Ginn, prematurely forecast in his sophomore season as a contender for the Heisman Trophy, emblematic of the best player in college football, grew into the role slowly this season. It is hardly the pace at which Ginn plays football or runs track, but his early auditions as a marquee player, despite a Sports Illustrated cover photo, were halting and jittery. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Monday, he caught eight of Smith's passes for 167 yards, ran twice for 73 yards, returned two punts for 20 yards, and scored two touchdowns, on a 68-yard run and a 56-yard pass. Ginn basically teamed with Smith to provide everything but the turtle doves and partridges found during the 12 days of Christmas. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] It is never a simple, straight-forward plot with Smith, so he also had a wild pitchout on an option play, one aimed at Ginn, that stifled one drive inside the Notre Dame 10. Smith also fumbled when he was sacked, a miscue that had Notre Dame knocking at the door of the Ohio State goal, only to be turned away. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Clearly, though, Smith made a triumphant, if belated, debut on the stage of a college bowl game. Nothing beats the Bowl Championship Series Championship Game, but the Notre Dame-Ohio State matchup was the best available consolation prize. Smith was not even eligible for the Alamo Bowl in 2004, after being suspended for taking $500 from an OSU booster. Monday night, he made his first bowl game one that will be remembered, because of the mystique that surrounds the Fighting Irish, as fondly as his bookend blockbusters against Michigan. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Ginn, of course, was the MVP of the Alamo Bowl in Smith's absence. Ginn could have been the MVP again here, had he gotten into the end zone once more. It was his first touchdown that showed how fully Ohio State would realize its big-play potential. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "We worked on not overthrowing the deep pass because we knew they would be open," said Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.
[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] With Ohio State trailing, 7-0, Ginn ran past the Notre Dame defenders with college football's best speed, and Smith's pass was deep, soft and true. That play tied the score, and Ginn soon untied it with his 68-yard touchdown on a reverse. He took a pitch from Smith as the quarterback went thisaway and smoothly accelerated thataway. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "If they're running one way and Teddy is running the other, they have a problem," Tressel said. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said the biggest problem, though, was Smith. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] He threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, who ran the last 9 yards with one finger held up, signaling the No. 1 ranking Ohio State was so close to achieving. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] That was justifiably ruled taunting. For the rest of the night, Smith's legs left Irish tacklers with their arms wrapped around nothing, and his arm picked the coverage schemes to pieces. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Monday night, Smith widely outplayed his more heralded counterpart, Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. No brag, just fact. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "I didn't think about the Alamo Bowl as much as you might think," Smith said. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "The whole game plan was set up to hit big plays. The rest of the time, I tried to keep plays alive." [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] He never did that better than when it was 27-20, third-and-11 at the OSU 25, just over 2 minutes to play, and the Irish were still dreaming of a last drive to tie and force overtime. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] Notre Dame defensive end Ronald Talley had Smith in his sights, but Smith spun away from what seemed a sure sack to inflame the Irish fans and connected with Anthony Gonzalez for a 15-yard gain along the sideline. One play later, Antonio Pittman's 60-yard touchdown run put the game away. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] The BCS championship game will be here next year - OSU's Happy New Year home, the site where the Buckeyes won it all three years ago, the place where they have won three times in just the past four years. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=arial,sans-serif][FONT=arial,sans-serif] "We know that," Smith said, smiling. "We like that a lot." [/FONT][/FONT]
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
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1/3/06
1/3/06
OSU in Fiesta frolic
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Ray Stein
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle></IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>NEAL C . LAURON | DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Soaked by a celebratory shower from T.J. Downing and other Buckeyes, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel watches time run down in the 34-20 win over Notre Dame. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
TEMPE, Ariz. — His ears were still ringing with the distinctive sounds of an Ohio State marching band he had heard for the first time.
His right cheek proudly displayed the OSU logo, a press-on decal that he promised was not going to be washed off any time soon.
His wide-open eyes soaked in the sight of six skydivers steadily parachuting to the football field below.
And when it came time to describe the experience of his first college football game, 7-year-old Trent Kurkcu chose his words carefully.
"This is awesome," he said.
By the end of yesterday evening, Ohio State football fans shared similar feelings about the Buckeyes’ latest performance in the Fiesta Bowl.
Winning in Sun Devil Stadium for the third time in four years, Ohio State rolled to a 34-20 victory over Notre Dame. Quarterback Troy Smith was among the many stars for the Buckeyes, passing for a career-high 342 yards and two touchdowns as OSU rolled up a bowl-game record 617 yards of offense.
For the OSU fans who were a vocal majority in the crowd of 76,196, the Buckeyes’ fourth consecutive bowl win was especially sweet because it came against Notre Dame, one of the preeminent college football programs in the country. OSU now has won the past three games against the Fighting Irish (1995, ’96 and this year) after losing the first two (1935 and ’36).
To young Trent Kurkcu and other children in attendance, those previous OSU-Notre Dame games were not only before their time, they were completely immaterial. For Trent, as well as his 4-year-old brother, Trevor, the opposition at hand didn’t mean as much as the first chance to root on the Buckeyes.
"They’ve been sort of following our lead as Ohio State fans," Karen Kurkcu, the boys’ mother, said of herself and her husband, Cengiz. The family lives in Canton, where Cengiz Kurkcu is a president at the Timken Co.
The Kurkcus watch OSU games on television all the time, cheering the Buckeyes from start to finish.
"When they lost to Texas, I got mad," Trent said. "I got so mad I threw pillows."
Trent’s favorite player is Smith, the junior quarterback. Trevor’s is senior linebacker A.J. Hawk. "He’s tough," Trevor said.
When the Fiesta Bowl matchup was announced last month, the Kurkcus booked flights and reserved hotel rooms immediately, confident that they could secure tickets. Some friends came through with four in Section 209, Row 31, about 10 rows below the press box at about the 25-yard line.
Before the game, Trent was confident that Ohio State would pull through for him.
"I think the Buckeyes are going to win," he said. "I think the score’s going to be 50,000 to nothing."
It didn’t work out that way, obviously, and the Kurkcu boys were like a lot of other fans in that they got a little anxious as the game played out.
Ohio State led 21-7 at halftime on three big plays — Smith touchdown passes of 56 and 85 yards to Ted Ginn Jr. and Santonio Holmes, respectively, and a sweet 68-yard reverse by Ginn.
But OSU missed opportunities to put the game away and Notre Dame showed typical gumption in keeping it close. Led by quarterback Brady Quinn, a Dublin Coffman High School graduate, the Fighting Irish trailed only 27-20 after Darius Walker’s touchdown run with 4:45 remaining.
The Buckeyes then went on a decisive drive, Smith twice picking up key first downs with passes and Antonio Pittman providing the clincher with a 60-yard touchdown run with 1:46 to play.
"Troy Smith is still my favorite player. But that was my favorite play of the game," Trent Kurkcu said.
Moments later, the game ended with another round of fireworks and the Kurkcu boys had the experience of their young lives.
"I thought it was going to be awesome," Trent said. "It turned out to be amazing."
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OSUBasketballJunkie
Never Forget 31-0
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1/3/06
1/3/06
Kings of the desert
Buckeyes win third Fiesta Bowl in four years
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle></IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>MIKE MUNDEN | DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Ted Ginn Jr. scores on a 68-yard end around in the second quarter that gave Ohio State a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>
</IMG> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
TEMPE, Ariz. — One by one, they found each other amid the postgame bedlam on the Sun Devil Stadium field. They slapped each other on the shoulder pads, they hugged, they hollered. Tears streamed down a few cheeks.
For the Ohio State seniors, their school record-tying 43 rd victory was something to savor.
This familiar setting, the stadium surrounded by saguaro-studded hills, was where they began their career with a national championship and where they ended it with a fourth straight bowl win, 34-20 over Notre Dame yesterday.
"Words can’t even describe it," defensive end Mike Kudla said. "Our seniors got together early on, and we talked about when we came in (in 2002), those seniors did a good job of taking us all the way and showing us how to win with class and to never give up.
"And for us to come through here and show these young guys how to win . . . that means more to me, because you’re carrying on that tradition."
Fourth-ranked Ohio State (10-2) blitzed fifth-ranked Notre Dame (9-3) with 617 yards of offense, the most ever surrendered by the Fighting Irish.
Quarterback Troy Smith threw for a career-high 342 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 66 yards. He also helped the Buckeyes convert two key late third downs (8 of 12 overall).
Ted Ginn had eight catches for 167 yards and a 56-yard TD reception and also scored on a 68-yard end around. Santonio Holmes (five catches for 124 yards, TD) scored on an 85-yard pass, and Antonio Pittman contributed 136 rushing yards and the clinching 60-yard score.
"The scheme today was we set out to make big plays," Smith said.
Coach Jim Tressel came close to what for him qualifies as trash-talking when he said, "We wanted to make sure we didn’t overthrow the deep ball because we knew they’d be open."
The Buckeyes defense held Notre Dame to 348 yards, 141 less than its average. Irish quarterback Brady Quinn came in with a school-record streak of 17 games with a TD pass, but OSU snapped it.
Quinn finished 29-of-45 passing for 286 yards. He was sacked five times, three by Kudla and two by linebacker A.J. Hawk.
Darius Walker rushed for 90 yards and all three Notre Dame scores.
For all of those seemingly lopsided statistics, though, the Irish looked like they had rallied from a two-touchdown halftime deficit.
Ahead 21-13 in the third quarter, OSU faced a third-and-12 from the Notre Dame 23. Smith hooked up on an inside slant with Anthony Gonzalez, who squirted close to the first-down marker but lost the ball as he landed.
Irish safety Tom Zbikowski scooped up the ball and raced 88 yards for an apparent touchdown. A two-point conversion could tie it, and more than 17 minutes of football remained.
But the Irish were called for an illegal block on the return. Then the play was reviewed and officials determined Gonzalez never had possession.
On the bench, a relieved Gonzalez leaned back and held both his arms above his head, looking not unlike Touchdown Jesus.
"That’s the best drop I’ve had in my whole life," Gonzalez said. "I usually do like 10 push-ups or something every time I drop a ball, but that one, I’ve never been so happy for that."
Josh Huston’s field goal made it 24-13 and capped a potential 11-point swing.
"It was obviously a big play," Irish coach Charlie Weis said. "What I said to the official on the field was, ‘I hope your guy upstairs was right, because that changed the whole complexion of the game.’ "
The game still was not completely in hand. Quinn led an 80-yard drive to cut it to 27-20 with 5:27 left, and Ohio State faced two third-and-long situations on the ensuing drive.
On third-and-9, Smith fired a 10-yard pass to Pittman in the flat. On third-and-11, Smith pulled off one of his patented duckand-dodge pirouettes and then found Gonzalez for 15 yards.
Pittman’s touchdown run on the next play sealed it.
"The No. 1 goal we had was to make sure our seniors left here with some wonderful memories and that we had a chance to let them know how much we’ve appreciated the years they’ve been here," Tressel said.
In the locker room, they stripped their scarlet and gray jerseys off for the last time and walked out into the warm desert evening air, these brothers bonded by years of pain and sweat.
"It’s great to be just slapping hands with your senior buddies, and you’ve been through so much with the guys the last couple years," Kudla said. "You can’t put a measure on it what it means."
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Cleveland PD
1/3
Buckeyes dominate game in every category
<table class="byln" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="428"> <tbody><tr valign="bottom"> <td class="byln" width="328">1/2/2006, 11:50 p.m. ETBy MEL REISNER
The Associated Press</td><td width="3"> </td><td width="97">
</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — What figured to be one of the closest and hard-fought of all the bowl games turned out to be an Ohio State romp. Everything in the Fiesta Bowl went the Buckeyes' way.
The performance was the most compelling of the season for a team that seemed to get better every game.
After the 34-20 victory over Notre Dame on Monday night, some of the Buckeyes had to be wishing for another shot at No. 2 Texas. The Longhorns beat Ohio State 25-22 in the Buckeyes' second game of the season.
<script language="JavaScript"></script> <noscript> </noscript>"Sure, we would love another game," said linebacker A.J. Hawk, the Lombardi Award winner. "But you can't dwell on what happened earlier this season. We feel like we're playing our best football now. And you got to move on."
The Buckeyes had playmakers aplenty. Troy Smith, forced to miss last season's Alamo Bowl and this season's opener for accepting $500 from a booster, threw for a career-high 342 yards. Ted Ginn caught eight passes for 167 yards and carried twice for 73. Santonio Holmes had five grabs for 124 yards and Antonio Pittman gaining 136 yards on 21 carries, the last a 60-yard scoring run with 1:46 remaining.
That's just on offense. Defensive end Mike Kudla sacked Brady Quinn three times and Hawk got him twice.
"The scheme today was we set out to make big plays," Smith said. "The guys stepped up today, and the offensive line did a great job withstanding the blitzes that came, and I was fortunate to connect on a couple of deep passes."
Under coach Jim Tressel, Ohio State is 50-13 and has two Big Ten Conference co-championships in five years.
The Buckeyes rolled up 617 yards, third-most in Fiesta Bowl history, and a Fiesta record 27 first downs.
Smith didn't dwell on missing last year's 33-7 win over Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl — not after earning the offensive player of the game award.
"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason," he said. "We had to suffer the losses to become the team we are today. I wouldn't take anything away from this season."
The Buckeyes finished with a seven-game winning streak. They will return next year with Smith, Ginn and Pittman. Holmes, though, will move on.
The junior, who had 53 receptions for 977 yards this year, told reporters he will leave school early for the NFL draft. Tressel called it the correct choice.
<script language="JavaScript"></script> <noscript> </noscript>"He's a playmaker, blocker, return man," the coach said. "And I always tell my guys, 'If you're going to be in the first round, you probably need to go, and Santonio is going to be in the first round."
Good fortunate went Ohio State's way at a crucial time.
The Buckeyes survived a potentially game-turning play when Irish safety Tom Zbikowski scooped up a fumble and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
But the score nullified by a penalty and the entire play was erased after a review of video showed ruled that Anthony Gonzalez never had possession of Smith's 11-yard pass in the first place.
Ohio State got the ball and Josh Huston kicked a field goal for a 24-13 lead with 2:20 left in the third quarter. He hit another early in the fourth, and the Buckeyes went on to their third Fiesta Bowl victory in four years.
Tressel was low-key about the play.
"It looked to me like an incompletion, but I didn't know," Tressel said. "I suppose that was about a 70- or an 80-yard play. I was just looking down here on the stats. We had 617 yards, so there were some other important plays."
1/3
Buckeyes dominate game in every category
<table class="byln" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="428"> <tbody><tr valign="bottom"> <td class="byln" width="328">1/2/2006, 11:50 p.m. ETBy MEL REISNER
The Associated Press</td><td width="3"> </td><td width="97">
</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — What figured to be one of the closest and hard-fought of all the bowl games turned out to be an Ohio State romp. Everything in the Fiesta Bowl went the Buckeyes' way.
The performance was the most compelling of the season for a team that seemed to get better every game.
After the 34-20 victory over Notre Dame on Monday night, some of the Buckeyes had to be wishing for another shot at No. 2 Texas. The Longhorns beat Ohio State 25-22 in the Buckeyes' second game of the season.
<script language="JavaScript"></script> <noscript> </noscript>"Sure, we would love another game," said linebacker A.J. Hawk, the Lombardi Award winner. "But you can't dwell on what happened earlier this season. We feel like we're playing our best football now. And you got to move on."
The Buckeyes had playmakers aplenty. Troy Smith, forced to miss last season's Alamo Bowl and this season's opener for accepting $500 from a booster, threw for a career-high 342 yards. Ted Ginn caught eight passes for 167 yards and carried twice for 73. Santonio Holmes had five grabs for 124 yards and Antonio Pittman gaining 136 yards on 21 carries, the last a 60-yard scoring run with 1:46 remaining.
That's just on offense. Defensive end Mike Kudla sacked Brady Quinn three times and Hawk got him twice.
"The scheme today was we set out to make big plays," Smith said. "The guys stepped up today, and the offensive line did a great job withstanding the blitzes that came, and I was fortunate to connect on a couple of deep passes."
Under coach Jim Tressel, Ohio State is 50-13 and has two Big Ten Conference co-championships in five years.
The Buckeyes rolled up 617 yards, third-most in Fiesta Bowl history, and a Fiesta record 27 first downs.
Smith didn't dwell on missing last year's 33-7 win over Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl — not after earning the offensive player of the game award.
"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason," he said. "We had to suffer the losses to become the team we are today. I wouldn't take anything away from this season."
The Buckeyes finished with a seven-game winning streak. They will return next year with Smith, Ginn and Pittman. Holmes, though, will move on.
The junior, who had 53 receptions for 977 yards this year, told reporters he will leave school early for the NFL draft. Tressel called it the correct choice.
<script language="JavaScript"></script> <noscript> </noscript>"He's a playmaker, blocker, return man," the coach said. "And I always tell my guys, 'If you're going to be in the first round, you probably need to go, and Santonio is going to be in the first round."
Good fortunate went Ohio State's way at a crucial time.
The Buckeyes survived a potentially game-turning play when Irish safety Tom Zbikowski scooped up a fumble and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
But the score nullified by a penalty and the entire play was erased after a review of video showed ruled that Anthony Gonzalez never had possession of Smith's 11-yard pass in the first place.
Ohio State got the ball and Josh Huston kicked a field goal for a 24-13 lead with 2:20 left in the third quarter. He hit another early in the fourth, and the Buckeyes went on to their third Fiesta Bowl victory in four years.
Tressel was low-key about the play.
"It looked to me like an incompletion, but I didn't know," Tressel said. "I suppose that was about a 70- or an 80-yard play. I was just looking down here on the stats. We had 617 yards, so there were some other important plays."
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Cleveland PD
1/3
Big plays do in Irish's defense
Tuesday, January 03, 2006 Tom Coyne
Associated Press
Tempe, Ariz. -- The Notre Dame defense had its worst performance in its biggest game of the season.
The bend-but-don't-break Fighting Irish were shattered by Ohio State's speed, giving up one big play after another in a 34-20 Fiesta Bowl loss Monday night. Notre Dame gave up four Buckeye touchdowns of 55 yards or more and a season-high 617 yards total offense.
The Irish were repeatedly caught flatfooted by the Buckeyes, who handed Notre Dame its eighth straight bowl loss in spectacular fashion.
"Those big plays are our Achilles' heel," cornerback Mike Richardson said. "We always harp on big plays. Giving up those plays put it out of reach."
Notre Dame (9-3) was susceptible to big plays all season -- it allowed USC's Matt Leinart to throw a 61-yard pass on a fourth-and-9 to set up a game-winning play -- but nothing like Monday.
"Big plays and mental mistakes bit us in the butt," Richardson said.
The Irish repeatedly got beaten for big plays and in big-play situations. They had a chance to go three-and-out on the Buckeyes' first possession, but Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith dropped back to pass, then took off untouched for a 15-yard gain to the OSU 34. Four plays later, Ted Ginn Jr. sprinted past cornerback Ambrose Wooden and was wide open for a 56-yard TD pass from Smith.
"He just got behind me," Wooden said.
Two possessions later, Ginn did his best Reggie Bush impersonation and made the Irish defenders look foolish. Ginn took a pitch from Smith, ran left around end unchallenged until safety Chinedum Ndukwe made him cut back at the 10-yard line. But Ndukwe couldn't stop him, and neither could cornerback Mike Richardson or linebacker Corey Mays.
All three were left lying on the ground watching as Ginn ran into the end zone.
"He's fast. But I think if we would have kept our eyes on our keys and did our responsibilities, those big plays wouldn't have happened," Ndukwe said.
The Buckeyes went ahead, 21-7, when Santonio Holmes caught the ball at the 40, made Ndukwe miss, then raced in for an 85-yard touchdown catch.
The Irish had a chance to get back into the game when they closed to 27-20, but the Irish defense couldn't come up with a big play of its own. Twice Notre Dame had the Buckeyes third-and-long, but couldn't hold them either time.
On third-and-9, Smith competed a 10-yard pass to Antonio Pittman. Then on third-and-11, Notre Dame defensive end Ronald Talley had a chance to sack Smith, but the quarterback escaped and completed a 15-yard pass to Anthony Gonzalez.
The Buckeyes put the game away on the next play when Pittman scored on a 60-yard run.
"The bottom line is they came up with the big play to put the game away," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said. "We had a couple of third downs there when the game was in question where if we got the ball back we would have liked our chances to at least get it to tie and get it to overtime."
1/3
Big plays do in Irish's defense
Tuesday, January 03, 2006 Tom Coyne
Associated Press
Tempe, Ariz. -- The Notre Dame defense had its worst performance in its biggest game of the season.
The bend-but-don't-break Fighting Irish were shattered by Ohio State's speed, giving up one big play after another in a 34-20 Fiesta Bowl loss Monday night. Notre Dame gave up four Buckeye touchdowns of 55 yards or more and a season-high 617 yards total offense.
The Irish were repeatedly caught flatfooted by the Buckeyes, who handed Notre Dame its eighth straight bowl loss in spectacular fashion.
"Those big plays are our Achilles' heel," cornerback Mike Richardson said. "We always harp on big plays. Giving up those plays put it out of reach."
Notre Dame (9-3) was susceptible to big plays all season -- it allowed USC's Matt Leinart to throw a 61-yard pass on a fourth-and-9 to set up a game-winning play -- but nothing like Monday.
"Big plays and mental mistakes bit us in the butt," Richardson said.
The Irish repeatedly got beaten for big plays and in big-play situations. They had a chance to go three-and-out on the Buckeyes' first possession, but Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith dropped back to pass, then took off untouched for a 15-yard gain to the OSU 34. Four plays later, Ted Ginn Jr. sprinted past cornerback Ambrose Wooden and was wide open for a 56-yard TD pass from Smith.
"He just got behind me," Wooden said.
Two possessions later, Ginn did his best Reggie Bush impersonation and made the Irish defenders look foolish. Ginn took a pitch from Smith, ran left around end unchallenged until safety Chinedum Ndukwe made him cut back at the 10-yard line. But Ndukwe couldn't stop him, and neither could cornerback Mike Richardson or linebacker Corey Mays.
All three were left lying on the ground watching as Ginn ran into the end zone.
"He's fast. But I think if we would have kept our eyes on our keys and did our responsibilities, those big plays wouldn't have happened," Ndukwe said.
The Buckeyes went ahead, 21-7, when Santonio Holmes caught the ball at the 40, made Ndukwe miss, then raced in for an 85-yard touchdown catch.
The Irish had a chance to get back into the game when they closed to 27-20, but the Irish defense couldn't come up with a big play of its own. Twice Notre Dame had the Buckeyes third-and-long, but couldn't hold them either time.
On third-and-9, Smith competed a 10-yard pass to Antonio Pittman. Then on third-and-11, Notre Dame defensive end Ronald Talley had a chance to sack Smith, but the quarterback escaped and completed a 15-yard pass to Anthony Gonzalez.
The Buckeyes put the game away on the next play when Pittman scored on a 60-yard run.
"The bottom line is they came up with the big play to put the game away," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said. "We had a couple of third downs there when the game was in question where if we got the ball back we would have liked our chances to at least get it to tie and get it to overtime."
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DDN
1/3
Tom Archdeacon: 'A great night to be a Buckeye'
By Tom Archdeacon
Dayton Daily News
TEMPE, ARIZ. | The only time Troy Smith was totally taken by surprise in Monday night's Fiesta Bowl came in the postgame press conference after coach Jim Tressel had been handed a stat sheet of Ohio State's dominating 34-20 victory over Notre Dame at Sun Devil Stadium.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> As Tressel quietly studied the numbers, Smith sat next to Ted Ginn Jr. at the other end of the dais, barely paying attention as he hunched down and labored to pull away the white adhesive tape that bound his ankles.
"Gee, I'm looking down here at the stats and I see we got 617 yards," Tressel said.
Smith stopped in mid-distraction and looked up at Ginn, whispering: "What did he just say?"
Ginn wasn't sure he'd heard correctly either and shrugged.
"Did he say 617?" the junior quarterback asked Ginn. When the big-time receiver again came up empty handed — a first for him all night — Smith looked down at Tressel, who didn't say a word.
The coach just looked at Smith — the guy primarily responsible for the off-the-chart numbers — and winked.
What a difference a year makes.
A year ago in the postseason — at Ohio State's Alamo Bowl game in San Antonio — Tressel wasn't giving Smith any winks. He wasn't even looking at him.
Smith had been left at home, part of a two-game suspension from the team for accepting $500 from a Buckeyes booster from Springfield. That move and others in the early part of his career had left the quarterback stuck deep in the coach's dog house, a place he still resided in at the start of this season when he didn't dress for the opener against the Miami RedHawks.
But now — on a beautiful Arizona night in a stadium filled with far more red-clad and adoring Ohio State fans than the long-starved faithful from Notre Dame — the coach and his quarterback had just shared the elevated winner's stage with A.J. Hawk. Tressel was handed the Fiesta Bowl trophy. Hawk — the linebacker out of Centerville — got the defensive MVP trophy as the players and most of the crowd flapped their arms wing-like in honor of the Buckeye aptly named like a bird of prey.
And then there was Smith, who was named the offensive MVP. He'd accounted for 408 of those 617 yards himself. He ran for 66 yards and threw for a career-high 342 yards and two long touchdowns — one to Ginn and the other to Santonio Holmes, who announced after the game he was skipping his senior season and jumping to the NFL.
Most importantly, Smith wouldn't let the Notre Dame defense get off the field. Whether it was his Houdini-like scrambling or his throwing on the run, he was instrumental in converting eight of 13 third-down situations.
"That was my biggest fear going into the game and I told my defensive staff just that," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said afterward.
"But sure enough here it is the first third down of the game and he runs for a first. We just couldn't get off the field. I think he was five for his first five on third downs.
"I'll tell you, his best football is ahead of him. He's definitely on the rise."
Eddie George, the Heisman Trophy running back at Ohio State who went on to a long and productive NFL career, agreed.
George spent the game with Mike Doss, an OSU All-American who now plays for the Indianapolis Colts, near the team's bench cheerleading, bonding, basking in the glow of the night. In fact, at game's end when Antonio Pittman broke free on a 60-yard scoring run down the sidelines, the two guys running stride for stride with him along the sideline were George and Doss.
"This is a great night to be a Buckeye," George said once he caught his breath after the Pittman score. "Everybody's playing well and Troy Smith, he's just on another level. I think the last five or six games of the year he's played as well as any Ohio State quarterback in history.
"Come next year, he's going to be a Heisman Trophy candidate. He's only going to improve, but in big games I don't know if he can get much better. "That's kind of become his M.O. — the big-game quarterback. Look what he's done in the last two Michigan games and now this one."
In just those three games — all of which OSU won — Smith's accounted for 1,131 yards of offense and seven touchdowns.
Ironically, he couldn't even get top billing coming into this Fiesta Bowl.
Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn had the stats — 32 touchdowns, seven interceptions — the hype and had been fourth in Heisman consideration.
Albeit Smith has more targets to work with, but even so, he outplayed Quinn in every phase of the game.
As for the pregame snub, Smith shrugged: "It doesn't really bother me. As long as people respect our offense and respect me as the leader of our offense."
Smith doesn't like to belabor what happened to him last bowl game: "I didn't think about it as much as you thought I did."
When he talked about his team's early season struggles, he could just as well have been talking about himself:
"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. We had to suffer the losses we did to be the team we are today. When you do that you grow ... and you begin to know what to expect. There are a lot less surprises."
But there still are some.
"617," Smith whispered to Ginn after the Tressel wink. "617."
They both laughed.
Like George said, it was a great night to be a Buckeye.`
1/3
Tom Archdeacon: 'A great night to be a Buckeye'
By Tom Archdeacon
Dayton Daily News
TEMPE, ARIZ. | The only time Troy Smith was totally taken by surprise in Monday night's Fiesta Bowl came in the postgame press conference after coach Jim Tressel had been handed a stat sheet of Ohio State's dominating 34-20 victory over Notre Dame at Sun Devil Stadium.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> As Tressel quietly studied the numbers, Smith sat next to Ted Ginn Jr. at the other end of the dais, barely paying attention as he hunched down and labored to pull away the white adhesive tape that bound his ankles.
"Gee, I'm looking down here at the stats and I see we got 617 yards," Tressel said.
Smith stopped in mid-distraction and looked up at Ginn, whispering: "What did he just say?"
Ginn wasn't sure he'd heard correctly either and shrugged.
"Did he say 617?" the junior quarterback asked Ginn. When the big-time receiver again came up empty handed — a first for him all night — Smith looked down at Tressel, who didn't say a word.
The coach just looked at Smith — the guy primarily responsible for the off-the-chart numbers — and winked.
What a difference a year makes.
A year ago in the postseason — at Ohio State's Alamo Bowl game in San Antonio — Tressel wasn't giving Smith any winks. He wasn't even looking at him.
Smith had been left at home, part of a two-game suspension from the team for accepting $500 from a Buckeyes booster from Springfield. That move and others in the early part of his career had left the quarterback stuck deep in the coach's dog house, a place he still resided in at the start of this season when he didn't dress for the opener against the Miami RedHawks.
But now — on a beautiful Arizona night in a stadium filled with far more red-clad and adoring Ohio State fans than the long-starved faithful from Notre Dame — the coach and his quarterback had just shared the elevated winner's stage with A.J. Hawk. Tressel was handed the Fiesta Bowl trophy. Hawk — the linebacker out of Centerville — got the defensive MVP trophy as the players and most of the crowd flapped their arms wing-like in honor of the Buckeye aptly named like a bird of prey.
And then there was Smith, who was named the offensive MVP. He'd accounted for 408 of those 617 yards himself. He ran for 66 yards and threw for a career-high 342 yards and two long touchdowns — one to Ginn and the other to Santonio Holmes, who announced after the game he was skipping his senior season and jumping to the NFL.
Most importantly, Smith wouldn't let the Notre Dame defense get off the field. Whether it was his Houdini-like scrambling or his throwing on the run, he was instrumental in converting eight of 13 third-down situations.
"That was my biggest fear going into the game and I told my defensive staff just that," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said afterward.
"But sure enough here it is the first third down of the game and he runs for a first. We just couldn't get off the field. I think he was five for his first five on third downs.
"I'll tell you, his best football is ahead of him. He's definitely on the rise."
Eddie George, the Heisman Trophy running back at Ohio State who went on to a long and productive NFL career, agreed.
George spent the game with Mike Doss, an OSU All-American who now plays for the Indianapolis Colts, near the team's bench cheerleading, bonding, basking in the glow of the night. In fact, at game's end when Antonio Pittman broke free on a 60-yard scoring run down the sidelines, the two guys running stride for stride with him along the sideline were George and Doss.
"This is a great night to be a Buckeye," George said once he caught his breath after the Pittman score. "Everybody's playing well and Troy Smith, he's just on another level. I think the last five or six games of the year he's played as well as any Ohio State quarterback in history.
"Come next year, he's going to be a Heisman Trophy candidate. He's only going to improve, but in big games I don't know if he can get much better. "That's kind of become his M.O. — the big-game quarterback. Look what he's done in the last two Michigan games and now this one."
In just those three games — all of which OSU won — Smith's accounted for 1,131 yards of offense and seven touchdowns.
Ironically, he couldn't even get top billing coming into this Fiesta Bowl.
Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn had the stats — 32 touchdowns, seven interceptions — the hype and had been fourth in Heisman consideration.
Albeit Smith has more targets to work with, but even so, he outplayed Quinn in every phase of the game.
As for the pregame snub, Smith shrugged: "It doesn't really bother me. As long as people respect our offense and respect me as the leader of our offense."
Smith doesn't like to belabor what happened to him last bowl game: "I didn't think about it as much as you thought I did."
When he talked about his team's early season struggles, he could just as well have been talking about himself:
"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. We had to suffer the losses we did to be the team we are today. When you do that you grow ... and you begin to know what to expect. There are a lot less surprises."
But there still are some.
"617," Smith whispered to Ginn after the Tressel wink. "617."
They both laughed.
Like George said, it was a great night to be a Buckeye.`
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DDN
1/3
Ohio State generates 617 yards of offense in Fiesta Bowl win
By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News
TEMPE, A RIZ . | Burly Ohio State offensive lineman Rob Sims put coach Jim Tressel in a bearhug with 40 seconds left in the Fiesta Bowl, but it wasn't meant to be a sign of affection.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> The OSU seniors wanted to douse Tressel with a tub of Gatorade, and Sims made sure his co-conspirators would connect. "We haven't been able to get coach Tressel all year," Sims said. "We wanted to make sure we got him at least once. I took one for the team. I was willing to get wet if I had to."
The fifth-year coach took his soaking with good humor, and the ploy was an appropriate cap to the Buckeyes' satisfying season: It was a team effort.
OSU racked up an astonishing 617 total yards behind quarterback Troy Smith, and the A.J. Hawk-led defense was as stubborn as partisan congressmen in a 34-20 win over Notre Dame on Monday.
The victory allowed the senior class to go out with a school-record four bowl successes in four tries, and it sent the Irish to their eighth straight postseason loss over a span of 12 years.
Smith connected on a pair of bombs — 56 yards to Ted Ginn Jr. and a Fiesta Bowl-record 85 to Santonio Holmes — to propel the Buckeyes to a 21-7 halftime edge.
Ginn also scored on a dazzling 68-yard reverse. And Tressel had a hunch the Buckeyes could generate big-gainers. "We just wanted to make sure we didn't overthrow the deep balls," he said, "because we knew they'd be open."
The Irish (9-3) cut the deficit to 27-20 with 5:27 to play.
But the Buckeyes (10-2) converted two critical third downs on their next possession before running back Antonio Pittman ripped off a 60-yard TD run with 1:46 to play to end the suspense.
Smith finished 19-of-28 passing for a career-high 342 yards in earning the game's offensive MVP award. Hawk, who had two sacks and 3.5 tackles for losses, was named defensive MVP.
1/3
Ohio State generates 617 yards of offense in Fiesta Bowl win
By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News
TEMPE, A RIZ . | Burly Ohio State offensive lineman Rob Sims put coach Jim Tressel in a bearhug with 40 seconds left in the Fiesta Bowl, but it wasn't meant to be a sign of affection.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> The OSU seniors wanted to douse Tressel with a tub of Gatorade, and Sims made sure his co-conspirators would connect. "We haven't been able to get coach Tressel all year," Sims said. "We wanted to make sure we got him at least once. I took one for the team. I was willing to get wet if I had to."
The fifth-year coach took his soaking with good humor, and the ploy was an appropriate cap to the Buckeyes' satisfying season: It was a team effort.
OSU racked up an astonishing 617 total yards behind quarterback Troy Smith, and the A.J. Hawk-led defense was as stubborn as partisan congressmen in a 34-20 win over Notre Dame on Monday.
The victory allowed the senior class to go out with a school-record four bowl successes in four tries, and it sent the Irish to their eighth straight postseason loss over a span of 12 years.
Smith connected on a pair of bombs — 56 yards to Ted Ginn Jr. and a Fiesta Bowl-record 85 to Santonio Holmes — to propel the Buckeyes to a 21-7 halftime edge.
Ginn also scored on a dazzling 68-yard reverse. And Tressel had a hunch the Buckeyes could generate big-gainers. "We just wanted to make sure we didn't overthrow the deep balls," he said, "because we knew they'd be open."
The Irish (9-3) cut the deficit to 27-20 with 5:27 to play.
But the Buckeyes (10-2) converted two critical third downs on their next possession before running back Antonio Pittman ripped off a 60-yard TD run with 1:46 to play to end the suspense.
Smith finished 19-of-28 passing for a career-high 342 yards in earning the game's offensive MVP award. Hawk, who had two sacks and 3.5 tackles for losses, was named defensive MVP.
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DDN
1/3
Weis not happy with replay call on fumble
By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News
TEMPE, A RIZ . | Ohio State receiver Anthony Gonzalez was given a reprieve when instant replay overturned a fumble, but he wasn't sure he deserved the break.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> With the Buckeyes leading, 21-13, with 2:25 left in the third quarter, the sophomore caught a short pass over the middle, only to cough it up without being hit.
Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski scooped it up and ran 87 yards for an apparent TD. But while the officials were trying to figure out where to spot the ball because of an Irish penalty on the return, the replay wizards intervened, ruling Gonzalez never had possession.
ND coach Charlie Weis was incensed.
"All I said was, 'You'd better be right. That guy better have gotten it right,' " Weis said. "They have all the different TV copies, and I'm just looking at the big screen. I disagreed, but I'm prejudiced.
"I just told them, 'I hope the guy upstairs got it right because that changed the whole complexion of the game.' "
The Buckeyes kicked a short field goal after the incompletion for a 24-13 lead, and Gonzalez was glad the refs hadn't relied on his opinion.
"I thought for sure it was a catch," Gonzalez said. "I've never been so relieved in my life."
Holmes says good-bye
OSU's Santonio Holmes, who had five catches for 124 yards and a TD, announced he's skipping his senior season and turning pro.
"He's a fourth-year guy and he's well along toward his degree, and it's the right time for him," OSU coach Jim Tressel said.
"I don't know how many guys will get drafted ahead of him, but he's a play-maker, a blocker and a return man. We've always said if you're a first-round guy, you should go out. And he's a first-round guy."
Carpenter watches
The Buckeyes held the Irish to 348 total yards — about 141 below their average — despite playing without senior linebacker Bobby Carpenter, who was tied for second in the Big Ten with eight sacks in the regular season.
He dressed but remained sidelined with a leg injury.
"I knew there would be a small chance that I would play, but I wanted to warm up one more time and just see how it felt," he said.
"Our defense played so well. I'm really proud of what they were able to do."
Weis rolls dice
With the score tied, 7-7, late in the first quarter, Weis gambled on 4th-and-1 at the OSU 6-yard line. Quarterback Brady Quinn was sacked by A.J. Hawk — his prospective brother-in-law? — to snuff out the threat.
"We had a play we had practiced that we thought we had a pretty good chance of completing," Weis said. "You can sit here and second-guess yourself, should you have taken the points? But we went into the game knowing we were going to take a lot of chances."
Ginn explodes
Ted Ginn Jr. had rushed for just 10 yards this season and hadn't broken a reverse until taking an end-around 68 yards. Holmes provided a key crack-back block, and guard Rob Sims supplied another down-field beauty.
"Notre Dame has a fast defense," Tressel said, "but if they're going one way and Teddy is going the other, you've got a problem."
Buckeye bits
• The game drew the Fiesta Bowl's largest crowd for a non-national championship contest at 76,196, and Buckeye fans out-numbered ND followers almost 2-1.
• Josh Huston had field goals of 28 and 46 yards blocked, but he connected from 40 and 26 to finish 22-of-28 this season.
• The Buckeyes lost the turnover margin, 2-0, after two Troy Smith fumbles and finished minus-9 this year.
1/3
Weis not happy with replay call on fumble
By Doug Harris
Dayton Daily News
TEMPE, A RIZ . | Ohio State receiver Anthony Gonzalez was given a reprieve when instant replay overturned a fumble, but he wasn't sure he deserved the break.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> With the Buckeyes leading, 21-13, with 2:25 left in the third quarter, the sophomore caught a short pass over the middle, only to cough it up without being hit.
Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski scooped it up and ran 87 yards for an apparent TD. But while the officials were trying to figure out where to spot the ball because of an Irish penalty on the return, the replay wizards intervened, ruling Gonzalez never had possession.
ND coach Charlie Weis was incensed.
"All I said was, 'You'd better be right. That guy better have gotten it right,' " Weis said. "They have all the different TV copies, and I'm just looking at the big screen. I disagreed, but I'm prejudiced.
"I just told them, 'I hope the guy upstairs got it right because that changed the whole complexion of the game.' "
The Buckeyes kicked a short field goal after the incompletion for a 24-13 lead, and Gonzalez was glad the refs hadn't relied on his opinion.
"I thought for sure it was a catch," Gonzalez said. "I've never been so relieved in my life."
Holmes says good-bye
OSU's Santonio Holmes, who had five catches for 124 yards and a TD, announced he's skipping his senior season and turning pro.
"He's a fourth-year guy and he's well along toward his degree, and it's the right time for him," OSU coach Jim Tressel said.
"I don't know how many guys will get drafted ahead of him, but he's a play-maker, a blocker and a return man. We've always said if you're a first-round guy, you should go out. And he's a first-round guy."
Carpenter watches
The Buckeyes held the Irish to 348 total yards — about 141 below their average — despite playing without senior linebacker Bobby Carpenter, who was tied for second in the Big Ten with eight sacks in the regular season.
He dressed but remained sidelined with a leg injury.
"I knew there would be a small chance that I would play, but I wanted to warm up one more time and just see how it felt," he said.
"Our defense played so well. I'm really proud of what they were able to do."
Weis rolls dice
With the score tied, 7-7, late in the first quarter, Weis gambled on 4th-and-1 at the OSU 6-yard line. Quarterback Brady Quinn was sacked by A.J. Hawk — his prospective brother-in-law? — to snuff out the threat.
"We had a play we had practiced that we thought we had a pretty good chance of completing," Weis said. "You can sit here and second-guess yourself, should you have taken the points? But we went into the game knowing we were going to take a lot of chances."
Ginn explodes
Ted Ginn Jr. had rushed for just 10 yards this season and hadn't broken a reverse until taking an end-around 68 yards. Holmes provided a key crack-back block, and guard Rob Sims supplied another down-field beauty.
"Notre Dame has a fast defense," Tressel said, "but if they're going one way and Teddy is going the other, you've got a problem."
Buckeye bits
• The game drew the Fiesta Bowl's largest crowd for a non-national championship contest at 76,196, and Buckeye fans out-numbered ND followers almost 2-1.
• Josh Huston had field goals of 28 and 46 yards blocked, but he connected from 40 and 26 to finish 22-of-28 this season.
• The Buckeyes lost the turnover margin, 2-0, after two Troy Smith fumbles and finished minus-9 this year.
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DDN
1/3
Buckeyes keep some fans quiet
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News
A couple of Michigan grads sat there with blank looks.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> A Michigan State grad fell asleep on the couch.
Ah, the perfect way to watch Monday night's Ohio State-Notre Dame Fiesta Bowl, unless, of course, you managed to score an empty room with a big screen television, a large bowl of Tostitos and a wide-mouth bottle of ketchup to use as dip.
Failing that, watching with graduates from schools that suffered through unfortunate seasons was the next best thing.
The quiet was great, until ABC went silent, too, during Laura Quinn's answers to sideline reporter Jack Arute's questions. What went wrong was never explained, but Quinn — sister of ND quarterback Brady Quinn and girlfriend of OSU linebacker A.J. Hawk — carried the video well, wearing her half ND, half OSU jersey.
It wasn't the only ABC flub, which they made up for by bringing Laura back for a short interview during the third quarter. The other flub came with a little more than three minutes to go in the half. A whistle blew and the referee announced, "Please keep the lower camera off the field of play."
Oops, a little too close, as broadcaster Brent Musberger was promoting Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis as an offensive genius. Musberger also had to keep folks tuned in.
"We're in for a high-scoring evening," Musberger enthused after the Irish struck first. "Trust me. Troy Smith and the Ohio State Buckeyes can move the ball."
When OSU scored five minutes in, Musberger added, "Get out the adding machine. We're on our way."
Only OSU kept up that theme during a 34-20 victory, and Musberger should have wondered why Ted Ginn Jr. hadn't received more ball touches this season.
Hype for the game began early, of course. Even in the last half hour prior to ABC's official pregame, John Saunders broke into the Wisconsin-Auburn game twice to promote the bowl.
He noted that Weis has four Super Bowl rings (the last three with New England) and Ohio State won its last national championship at the Fiesta Bowl in January 2003.
Unfortunately, Weis had none of his Patriots with him, and OSU did not have running back Maurice Clarett, who, if the news reports are correct, will soon be wearing another kind of uniform.
But first, how about tonight's Orange Bowl between Penn State and Florida State on ABC?
"Trust me, trust me," Musberger said when told the Nittany Lions were big favorites. "Penn State is going to have to play a whale of a game to win it (on ABC, of course)."
The implication was that coaches Bobby Bowden of Florida State and Joe Paterno of Penn State would make it great.
Yet right in front of Musberger and sidekick Gary Danielson, there was evidence a heralded coach (Weis) without the best players isn't going to win. Ohio State's Jim Tressel has lost some games he should have won and won some games he should have lost. No one's calling him a genius. It was clear, though, he had the best players.
Musberger offered a conversation he recently had with Weis.
"You're playing the best defense you've played," Musberger said he told Weis.
The coach answered, "Have you seen Tennessee?"
Musberger said he had not.
"Well, I went back and looked," Musberger said to the TV audience. "You're playing the best defense you've played."
Over on the couch, the others were talking about that almost-great Michigan play ending the Alamo Bowl.
Losers, but quiet ones.
Contact Marc Katz at 225-2157 or [email protected]
1/3
Buckeyes keep some fans quiet
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News
A couple of Michigan grads sat there with blank looks.
<!--endtext-->
<!-- inset --> <!--begintext--> A Michigan State grad fell asleep on the couch.
Ah, the perfect way to watch Monday night's Ohio State-Notre Dame Fiesta Bowl, unless, of course, you managed to score an empty room with a big screen television, a large bowl of Tostitos and a wide-mouth bottle of ketchup to use as dip.
Failing that, watching with graduates from schools that suffered through unfortunate seasons was the next best thing.
The quiet was great, until ABC went silent, too, during Laura Quinn's answers to sideline reporter Jack Arute's questions. What went wrong was never explained, but Quinn — sister of ND quarterback Brady Quinn and girlfriend of OSU linebacker A.J. Hawk — carried the video well, wearing her half ND, half OSU jersey.
It wasn't the only ABC flub, which they made up for by bringing Laura back for a short interview during the third quarter. The other flub came with a little more than three minutes to go in the half. A whistle blew and the referee announced, "Please keep the lower camera off the field of play."
Oops, a little too close, as broadcaster Brent Musberger was promoting Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis as an offensive genius. Musberger also had to keep folks tuned in.
"We're in for a high-scoring evening," Musberger enthused after the Irish struck first. "Trust me. Troy Smith and the Ohio State Buckeyes can move the ball."
When OSU scored five minutes in, Musberger added, "Get out the adding machine. We're on our way."
Only OSU kept up that theme during a 34-20 victory, and Musberger should have wondered why Ted Ginn Jr. hadn't received more ball touches this season.
Hype for the game began early, of course. Even in the last half hour prior to ABC's official pregame, John Saunders broke into the Wisconsin-Auburn game twice to promote the bowl.
He noted that Weis has four Super Bowl rings (the last three with New England) and Ohio State won its last national championship at the Fiesta Bowl in January 2003.
Unfortunately, Weis had none of his Patriots with him, and OSU did not have running back Maurice Clarett, who, if the news reports are correct, will soon be wearing another kind of uniform.
But first, how about tonight's Orange Bowl between Penn State and Florida State on ABC?
"Trust me, trust me," Musberger said when told the Nittany Lions were big favorites. "Penn State is going to have to play a whale of a game to win it (on ABC, of course)."
The implication was that coaches Bobby Bowden of Florida State and Joe Paterno of Penn State would make it great.
Yet right in front of Musberger and sidekick Gary Danielson, there was evidence a heralded coach (Weis) without the best players isn't going to win. Ohio State's Jim Tressel has lost some games he should have won and won some games he should have lost. No one's calling him a genius. It was clear, though, he had the best players.
Musberger offered a conversation he recently had with Weis.
"You're playing the best defense you've played," Musberger said he told Weis.
The coach answered, "Have you seen Tennessee?"
Musberger said he had not.
"Well, I went back and looked," Musberger said to the TV audience. "You're playing the best defense you've played."
Over on the couch, the others were talking about that almost-great Michigan play ending the Alamo Bowl.
Losers, but quiet ones.
Contact Marc Katz at 225-2157 or [email protected]
Upvote
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ABJ
1/3
Tressel's abilities in big games bowl Irish over
By Terry Pluto
<!-- begin body-content --> TEMPE, ARIZ. - Jim Tressel will tell you that his players are the reason that Ohio State beat Notre Dame 34-20 in the Fiesta Bowl on Monday.
No doubt about that.
Every Buckeyes fan watching this game will remember early in the first quarter when receiver Ted Ginn Jr. ran, ran and ran some more -- right by two Irish defenders like a Ferrari roaring past a couple of hitchhikers.
Ginn was nothing more than a red-and-white streak as he caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Troy Smith.
Let's stop here, because the OSU offense sure didn't pause.
Don't dismiss the play as simply a ``56-yard'' touchdown pass. Smith dropped back about 10 yards and then launched the ball about 65 yards in the air. Not only was it high and long, it was perfect, coming right into Ginn's arms without the receiver breaking stride.
Few pro quarterbacks can make a throw like that.
Then there was Ginn again, this time on an end-around.
Make it 68 yards for a touchdown. They simply brought him from the side of the field, got him the ball and let him go. When Ginn is like this, he doesn't run. He doesn't sprint. He doesn't dash. He seems to take a few steps, then disappears.
He's a vapor with cleats kicking up turf behind him.
Then there was receiver Santonio Holmes' 85-yard touchdown pass.
All Smith did this time was throw the ball a mere 55 yards. It seemed like a flip of the wrist. Both players made this look ridiculously easy, but it was a tremendous testimony to their incredible athleticism.
Smith said a goal ``was not to overthrow the deep ball.''
With OSU's receiver running so fast, that was almost impossible, especially with Smith having such superb touch on this ideal 70-degree afternoon Monday.
Finally, there was Akron's Antonio Pittman.
With 1:46 left and OSU leading 27-20, the underrated tailback bolted around end and suddenly...
He was...
Gone.
Sixty-yard touchdown!
Ballgame.
So Ohio State scored on plays of 85, 68, 60 and 56 yards in its most important game of the year against one of the nation's hottest teams in Notre Dame. That says so much about the attention paid by the players to the details needed to unleash their talent.
Tressel credited Fiesta Bowl offensive MVP Smith with his study habits, his grasp of the game plan and his knack of making something out of nothing with his legs when plays did break down.
Smith was 19-of-28 passing, and he ran for 82 yards in 13 carries. His offense steamrolled to an overwhelming 617 yards.
Only a gritty Notre Dame defense with a knack of some big plays of its own (two blocked field goals) kept this game tight.
In the end, it was too much OSU.
Too much speed, too much depth, too much experience in pressure games.
There was something else, and it was defensive MVP A.J. Hawk, who added, ``The focus was on what happens when you give (Notre Dame coach) Charlie Weis four weeks to prepare for a bowl game. But what really should be said is what happens when you give coach Tressel four weeks to get ready for a bowl game. He's now 4-1.''
Tressel is in the process of building a legacy that might one day put him next to Woody Hayes when it comes to OSU coaching legends. Tressel has won his past four bowl games. He has been at OSU for five years and also is 4-1 vs. Michigan. He's 7-2 vs. teams ranked in the Top 10 after this victory.
Consider that Tressel is a conservative man, a guy who has said the punt is the most important play in football. He loves the power running, ball-control offense.
An elite coach will adjust to his talent, though, and Tressel has adapted to Smith and a high-power, big risk, big-gain style with Smith, Ginn, Holmes and the rest.
In five years, he has won bowl games with three quarterbacks -- Craig Krenzel, Justin Zwick and Smith. That says something about preparing his players. Yes, this was a game where Ohio State won with big plays, but there also was a big-game coach behind them making the right calls at the right time.
1/3
Tressel's abilities in big games bowl Irish over
By Terry Pluto
<!-- begin body-content --> TEMPE, ARIZ. - Jim Tressel will tell you that his players are the reason that Ohio State beat Notre Dame 34-20 in the Fiesta Bowl on Monday.
No doubt about that.
Every Buckeyes fan watching this game will remember early in the first quarter when receiver Ted Ginn Jr. ran, ran and ran some more -- right by two Irish defenders like a Ferrari roaring past a couple of hitchhikers.
Ginn was nothing more than a red-and-white streak as he caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Troy Smith.
Let's stop here, because the OSU offense sure didn't pause.
Don't dismiss the play as simply a ``56-yard'' touchdown pass. Smith dropped back about 10 yards and then launched the ball about 65 yards in the air. Not only was it high and long, it was perfect, coming right into Ginn's arms without the receiver breaking stride.
Few pro quarterbacks can make a throw like that.
Then there was Ginn again, this time on an end-around.
Make it 68 yards for a touchdown. They simply brought him from the side of the field, got him the ball and let him go. When Ginn is like this, he doesn't run. He doesn't sprint. He doesn't dash. He seems to take a few steps, then disappears.
He's a vapor with cleats kicking up turf behind him.
Then there was receiver Santonio Holmes' 85-yard touchdown pass.
All Smith did this time was throw the ball a mere 55 yards. It seemed like a flip of the wrist. Both players made this look ridiculously easy, but it was a tremendous testimony to their incredible athleticism.
Smith said a goal ``was not to overthrow the deep ball.''
With OSU's receiver running so fast, that was almost impossible, especially with Smith having such superb touch on this ideal 70-degree afternoon Monday.
Finally, there was Akron's Antonio Pittman.
With 1:46 left and OSU leading 27-20, the underrated tailback bolted around end and suddenly...
He was...
Gone.
Sixty-yard touchdown!
Ballgame.
So Ohio State scored on plays of 85, 68, 60 and 56 yards in its most important game of the year against one of the nation's hottest teams in Notre Dame. That says so much about the attention paid by the players to the details needed to unleash their talent.
Tressel credited Fiesta Bowl offensive MVP Smith with his study habits, his grasp of the game plan and his knack of making something out of nothing with his legs when plays did break down.
Smith was 19-of-28 passing, and he ran for 82 yards in 13 carries. His offense steamrolled to an overwhelming 617 yards.
Only a gritty Notre Dame defense with a knack of some big plays of its own (two blocked field goals) kept this game tight.
In the end, it was too much OSU.
Too much speed, too much depth, too much experience in pressure games.
There was something else, and it was defensive MVP A.J. Hawk, who added, ``The focus was on what happens when you give (Notre Dame coach) Charlie Weis four weeks to prepare for a bowl game. But what really should be said is what happens when you give coach Tressel four weeks to get ready for a bowl game. He's now 4-1.''
Tressel is in the process of building a legacy that might one day put him next to Woody Hayes when it comes to OSU coaching legends. Tressel has won his past four bowl games. He has been at OSU for five years and also is 4-1 vs. Michigan. He's 7-2 vs. teams ranked in the Top 10 after this victory.
Consider that Tressel is a conservative man, a guy who has said the punt is the most important play in football. He loves the power running, ball-control offense.
An elite coach will adjust to his talent, though, and Tressel has adapted to Smith and a high-power, big risk, big-gain style with Smith, Ginn, Holmes and the rest.
In five years, he has won bowl games with three quarterbacks -- Craig Krenzel, Justin Zwick and Smith. That says something about preparing his players. Yes, this was a game where Ohio State won with big plays, but there also was a big-game coach behind them making the right calls at the right time.
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