 | Ohio State Football Captains Named
August 24, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Kirk Barton, Dionte Johnson and James Laurinaitis were elected as 2007 captains of the Ohio State football team, as announced to the squad today. Because of close voting on the defense, a second defensive captain will be named for each game..."
OSU football: Dionte Johnson joins father as captain
August 25, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "For only the second time in Ohio State history, a son will follow in his father's footsteps as a captain of the football team, OSU announced yesterday..."
Laurinaitis 1st junior OSU captain since '00
August 25, 2007 Source: Dayton Daily News - "The Ohio State football team, which has only a handful of seniors, has dipped into the ranks of the junior class for a captain for the first time in seven years..."
Ohio State senior Barton gets to sound voice of leadership
August 25, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "A legacy, a rarity, a rotation and a 300-pound exclamation were named as Ohio State's football captains Friday..." |
Football Coaching Staff Quotes
August 24, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "The Ohio State football coaching staff addressed the media Thursday at Ohio Stadium, answering questions about their position groups and how the Buckeyes look heading into the Sept. 1 season-opener..."
 | After long wait, Pretorius steps into kicking job
August 23, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "The twice-annual kick scrimmage was held in Ohio Stadium Wednesday afternoon, and a bit of upheaval may have hit the special units. Afterward, head coach Jim Tressel said Ryan Pretorius would be the No. 1 field-goal kicker if the season started today, although neither he nor last year's starter, Aaron Pettrey, set the world on fire Wednesday..."
Buckeyes Take Kick Scrimmage Seriously
August 23, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "It may seem like a gimmicky practice to most, but the intensity and importance put on the Ohio State kick scrimmage prove it is much more. The Gray nipped the Scarlet in the most recent version but it wasn't the score that mattered. What did was the development in facets of the game head coach Jim Tressel believes are as key as any..."
Pretorius, Pettrey Struggle In Kick Scrimmage
August 22, 2007 Source: OhioStateScout.com - "The twice-annual kick scrimmage was held in Ohio Stadium Wednesday afternoon, and a bit of upheaval may have hit the special units. Afterward, head coach Jim Tressel said Ryan Pretorius would be the No. 1 field-goal kicker if the season started today, although neither he nor last year's starter, Aaron Pettrey, set the world on fire Wednesday..." |
Football Team Holds Kick Scrimmage
August 22, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "The football team held its kick scrimmage Wednesday in Ohio Stadium, focusing on special teams units. Ryan Pretorius, a junior place kicker, made all four of his field goal attempts and was one of several Buckeyes to meet with the media afterwards..." (Player Quotes)
Kick Scrimmage Report and Kick Scrimmage Notes and Quotes
August 23, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "The annual fall kick scrimmage in Ohio Stadium yesterday yielded a big surprise...like a new place kicker for the Buckeyes..."
Pretorius is OSU's new kicker
August 22, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "A year ago, Ryan Pretorius walked home from Ohio State's kick scrimmage in tears, knowing one bad day had cost him the chance to be the Buckeyes' No. 1 kicker..."
Big Ten unit-by-unit rankings August 23, 2007 Source: Fox Sports - "2007 Big Ten Unit Rankings
Offensive Line 1. Ohio State: The Buckeye offensive line was overrated in past seasons, but not last year. Did you notice how much time Troy Smith had to throw on just about every play? You could've stood back there and waited for Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez to break open with the time the tackles provided. Yes, they were overwhelmed by Florida's speedy defensive front, but that was hardly the team's biggest problem in that game. There are three potential first round draft picks and a good anchor in Jim Cordle to work around for the next several years...
Defenses 1. Ohio State: A question mark last year thanks to a ton of turnover, the defense reloaded and should be fantastic as long as the tackles and safeties shine and a second corner emerges on the other side of Malcolm Jenkins. There are stars to build around, with Jenkins, LB James Laurinaitis and end Vernon Gholston among the best in the country, while there are emerging stars, as always around OSU, in like linebackers Larry Grant and Ross Homan and end Lawrence Wilson. Don't expect too many bells and whistles; this D will beat teams by simply being far more athletic...
Special Teams 1. Ohio State: As always, the Ohio State special teams will be fantastic, and a key piece of the overall puzzle. Without the explosive offense of last year, there should be more of a return to Tressel ball. Semi-conservative offense, solid defense, and rock solid special teams. Almost no one will beat the Buckeyes in the third phase. The kicking game will be one of the best in the nation with the return of sophomore placekicker Aaron Pettrey and sophomore punter A.J. Trapasso. Trapasso had a great year averaging 40.6 yards per kick with 17 put inside the 20. Pettrey appears to be the next in the long line of star kickers after a good first season hitting eight of 11 attempts including two from beyond 50 yards..." and more
 | NCAA Football Betting 2007 - Believe In These Buckeyes
August 23, 2007 Source: BETUS.com - "After losing Troy Smith, Anthony Gonzalez, Ted Ginn Jr. and Antonio Pittman, can the Buckeyes bounce back in this coming 2007 season? You better believe they can. The AP rankings dropped them to twelfth to start out the season, and that is where they deserve to be. Sure they lost some superstars but, in a program like Ohio State’s stars-of-yesterday are replaced by stars-in-the-making. A championship program doesn’t simply lose its winning attitude because of one game in one season..." |
More Returns On Deck For College Football
August 23, 2007 Source: OhioStateScout.com - "When gathered in Chicago to meet with the media, Big Ten coaches agreed fans will see a noticeable change with kickoffs moved back to the 30-yard line. Most were fine with the alteration, though there was one notable exception..."
Kickoff rule change exacts changes to coverage team
August 24, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Freshman cornerback Eugene Clifford, in nearly a full sprint, smacked the kick returner and dropped him in his tracks. That hit during Thursday night's open practice at Ohio Stadium is what coach Paul Haynes, in charge of the Buckeyes' kick coverage, is looking for...OSU coach Darrell Hazell, head of the Buckeyes' kick returns, called the move "the most major rule change that has occurred in a long time" and salivates that those touchbacks from a year ago will this season become big-play opportunities in the hands of his returners..."
List of Ohio State kick-return candidates growing
August 23, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "A No. 7 was returning kicks for Ohio State on Wednesday. Maybe the Buckeyes were attempting to conjure up the ghost of Ted Ginn Jr. At the moment, the OSU return game remains in flux with Ginn in the NFL, and his heir apparent, Ray Small, sidelined with a sprained ankle. During Wednesday's special-teams kick scrimmage, cornerback Malcolm Jenkins (wearing Ginn's old No. 7 in a temporary jersey switch for the day), safeties Anderson Russell and Jamario O'Neal and freshmen James Scott and Daniel Herron all stood back on kickoff returns..."
New kickoff rule may place Big Ten on collision course
August 25, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "One Big Ten coach says the new college football kickoff rule is dancing with danger, one says it will add more excitement, and another wished it would have been added a year or two ago..."
 | Conservative spin on QBs
August 23, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Jim Tressel's theory on choosing a quarterback evolves from his own days behind center..."
Boeckman leads Ohio State QB race
August 23, 2007 Source: SI.com - "Roughly half of the starters are missing from Ohio State's 12-1 season in 2006. Yet no one wants to talk about any of those vacancies except the gaping sinkhole at quarterback. It's not every day that a team has to replace a Heisman Trophy winner, in this case Troy Smith. In his stead, the Buckeyes will take a long look at three players. None is a lock to own the starting job, although Todd Boeckman has the inside track over Rob Schoenhoft and Antonio Henton..."
The QB Contestants
August 23, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
How do you spell frustration?: I-N-T
August 23, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "In Jim Tressel's six-year tenure at Ohio State, the Buckeyes have thrown the fewest interceptions in the conference, with 51, and rank second in touchdown pass-to-interception ratio, its 2.14 trailing only Michigan at 2.32. In total touchdown passes, the Buckeyes rank sixth..." |
 | Watch Jim Tressel play quarterback at B-W
August 23, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Jim Tressel, the winning quarterback on the black-and-white film, slings the ball with something of a Doug Flutie little-man motion. 'He didn't have a gun,' said Bob Packard, who was the first-year Baldwin-Wallace offensive coordinator during the 1974 season. But the 5-10 son of the coach had enough of everything else to lead the Yellow Jackets to an 8-2 record 33 years ago in his only season as a full-time college starting quarterback..." |
Buckeyes finding real men do yoga
August 23, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "The diminutive Katy Tombaugh will never be confused for Jim Tressel. But as she issued orders to Ohio State football players the other day, they reacted immediately to each command. The BalletMet instructor was leading them through a series of exercises that were part yoga, part Pilates, but wholly focused on three goals: flexibility, breathing and relaxation..."
Buckeyes by the numbers Source: Associated Press
 | Bollman Smiling Over Offensive Line Talent Despite Injury Situation
August 22, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "When it comes to offense everybody likes to talk about those sexy positions, you know, like quarterback, wide receiver, running back, but the game of football has always been one in which the guys who have their hand on the ground when the ball is snapped have more to do with the outcome than anyone else on the field...Football teams fail or succeed depending on how well those big guys up front perform..." |
 
Capable backups have tailback's back
August 21, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "In regard to Ohio State's outlook at tailback this season, it's easy to be distracted by the tree -- sophomore Beanie Wells -- and not see the forest. The coaches like everything about the forest thus far, from the branching out of junior Maurice Wells to the strapping saplings, freshmen Brandon Saine and Daniel "Boom" Herron..." |
With few seniors, Buckeyes look elsewhere for leadership
August 21, 2007 Source: Associated Press - "It's that time of year when football teams blab on and on about how important their senior leadership will be. You don't hear that coming out of Ohio State. That's because seniors are on the endangered list for the Buckeyes...A scan of Ohio State's roster shows only 12 seniors among the 110 players in fall camp. Compare that with the 40 players who are freshmen in terms of eligibility..."
Open practice delayed until Thursday: The near certainty of thunderstorms hitting Columbus prompted officials to call off the autograph session and practice. A news release was sent out at 2:15 p.m. OSU announced it will hold the event Thursday, with the same plans and times set for last night...athletic director Gene Smith said it cost the school approximately $20,000 to rent lights. The lights already were at the stadium yesterday, and athletic department spokeswoman Shelly Poe did not know the cost of keeping them three extra days. (Source: Columbus Dispatch)
Ohio State Football To Hold Open Practice
August 15, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "The Ohio State football team will hold an open practice in Ohio Stadium on Monday evening, August 20. Buckeye players and Coach Jim Tressel will sign autographs on the field prior to the practice session. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. for admission to the stadium. Fans wanting autographs will be allowed on the new playing surface through Gates 31 and 32 beginning at 5:15 p.m. The on-field autograph session will be limited to the first 10,000 fans. Fans are limited to one autograph item per person. To keep the lines moving, the players will not be available for individual posed pictures. Because of the new playing surface, no food or sodas will be allowed on the field. Normal game day security restrictions on bags and backpacks will be in place. After the autograph session, fans can move into the stands to watch the 2007 Buckeyes go through a preseason practice under the lights beginning at approximately 8:00 p.m. Admission is free to the public. Fans should use the Ackerman Road exit and park in the lots adjacent to the Schottenstein Center."
OSU calls audible for fan session
August 16, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "In coach Jim Tressel's first preseason autograph session at Ohio State, he signed for 90 minutes, sent his players home, then stayed another hour. Six years and 62 wins later, Tressel and the Buckeyes are still trying to figure out the best way to accommodate a sometimes overwhelming legion of fans..."
Lofty comparisons
August 21, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "Quarterback Rob Schoenhoft was on a roll Saturday. When asked what he thought of the team's young receivers, he said freshman Dane Sanzenbacher 'reminds me of a mix of Brian Hartline and Anthony Gonzalez. He's going to be a special player down the road.' Schoenhoft, a third-year sophomore from Cincinnati, then was asked whether freshman receiver Taurian Washington resembles anyone else he knows. 'Mario Manningham,' he said, referring to the Michigan junior from Warren. 'I played with Mario in the Big 33 game, and I've never seen anybody catch a deep ball better, other than Teddy (Ginn). But I think Taurian catches the deep ball better than anyone I've seen in a while.'"
 | Big Ten facing multiple hurdles in 2007
August 21, 2007 Source: ESPN.com - "When a reporter began to recite the list of players Ohio State's football team will have to replace this season -- stars such as Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez -- Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel cut him off. 'You mention all those names and they're gone,' Tressel said. 'It makes me feel bad.'..." |
New Buckeye Tackles In The Cockpit
August 21, 2007 Source: OhioStateScout.com - "A year ago, there were no worries about the defensive tackle spot at Ohio State with Quinn Pitcock, David Patterson and Joel Penton around. The trio made plays in the backfield and tied up double teams all season long. This year, the Buckeyes are counting on a number of young, talented players to fill those big shoes..."
Preseason Consensus Poll: Aug. 20 Update
August 20, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "We are back with the third and final installment of the 2007 Preseason Consensus Poll, where we average all of the nationally published top 25 polls in preseason magazines and online sites. Again, we find USC as the clear cut No. 1 team heading into the preseason in college football. Today, we add the AP poll and the poll from Playboy magazine. Click this free link for the poll as well as BCS bowl projections and more..."
Preseason Consensus Poll: Aug. 8 Update
August 8, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "We are back with the second installment of the 2007 Preseason Consensus Poll, where we average all of the nationally published top 25 polls in preseason magazines and online sites. Again, we find USC as the clear cut No. 1 team heading into the preseason in college football. We will update this poll through mid-August. Click this free link for the poll as well as BCS bowl projections and more..."
 | New turf is likely to be one hot topic
August 20, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel said Ohio Stadium's new artificial surface 'energizes you.' The fans who show up tonight for the open practice already will be jazzed to watch their beloved Buckeyes, so imagine the frenzy when they get their first look at the new turf. 'It looks nice,' Tressel said. 'It just energizes you with the way it looks, so it's exciting.'..."
Horseshoe's field to be ready today
May 25, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "Nearly $1 million project done 10 days early..."
Ohio Stadium Field Replacement - Photo Gallery
May 22, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "...Although others have displayed pictures of the new surface, most pictures fail to show the detail that is required to really tell what it is going to look like. This this reason we are including a LARGER version of most of the pictures..."
FieldTurf Taking Shape At Horseshoe
May 17, 2007 Source: Bucknuts - "The installation of FieldTurf continues at Ohio Stadium as workers put the finishing touches on the field. We have photos of the new FieldTurf surface at the Horseshoe, including a look at the new red end zones. Click this link for more on this project as well as photos of the new field..." |
New turf surfacing in the Horseshoe
May 10, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "Unless you've been living under a mound of grass clippings, you know by now that FieldTurf, the leader by far in the new generation of "in-fill" artificial turfs, is about to blanket Ohio Stadium. Work on installing the new top on the floor on the Horseshoe began yesterday..."
What is FieldTurf?
It's Fieldturf For Legendary Ohio Stadium!
Source: Fieldturf.com
  | Tight Ends Emerging at Just the Right Moment at OSU
August 19, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "A lot of being successful in anything is being at the right place at the right time. That's the case for the tight ends at OSU this season, and that's good news for the OSU offense as a whole..."
The-Ozone Note and Quotebook
August 19, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "First Things First, Freshmen Impressing, It's Not Just the Freshmen, Goo, There's More to It, and A Deep Thought; they're all covered..." |
 | Boeckman seemingly locks up QB job
August 19, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Ohio State's quarterback competition isn't quite over, but junior Todd Boeckman is already the winner. Coach Jim Tressel said that by the middle of this week his top three quarterbacks no longer will be dividing practice reps equally, as they have been so far and will continue to do Monday and Tuesday. That means a decision looms, and every sign points to Boeckman tightening his grasp on the No. 1 spot..."
Boeckman trying to balance caution, daring
August 19, 2007 Source: Dayton Daily News - "Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman is being as cautious with the football as he would with an open container of nuclear waste, but coach Jim Tressel wants the junior from St. Henry to know he doesn't have to play quite so uptight. Boeckman took another step toward nailing down the starting job by throwing two short touchdown passes with no turnovers in an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday. And in a sign that he's winning Tressel's confidence, Boeckman took more than half of the snaps with the first team..." |
Boeckman in OSU's quarterback spotlight
August 10, 2007 Source: Akron Beacon Journal - "He has been in Columbus since the fall of 2004, but it wasn't until Thursday that Todd Boeckman discovered what it's like to be Ohio State's starting quarterback...The job does not officially belong to the 6-foot-5, 235-pound junior from St. Henry..."
Quarterback picture still unclear
August 10, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "Widely varying personalities were on display yesterday as the Ohio State quarterbacks discussed a duel that likely will stretch into September. Veteran Todd Boeckman, stoic and steady, chose carefully guarded words at 20 paces. 'We're all just going to go out there and compete and do what we do, and I guess the coach is going to take it from there,' he said..."
Tressel patient with choice
August 11, 2007 Source: The News-Herald - "More than once, Todd Boeckman reached up to wipe the sweat dripping from his forehead. Part of the heat came from the suffocating humidity within the concourse of Ohio Stadium. The rest came from the glaring spotlight that just comes with the territory of being the quarterback at Ohio State..."
No sure-fire starter at quarterback for Buckeyes
August 9, 2007 Source: The Marietta Times - "So who'll No. 1 at QB? Who'll take on the giant task of handling a rugged Big Ten schedule? Who will effectively and with poise and minus a lot of major mistakes guide an offense..."
Ohio State football has former minor leaguer Bauserman in the fold
August 7, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - " The Ohio State quarterback derby officially expanded from three to four on Monday as 21-year-old freshman Joe Bauserman took part in the first practice of the fall. 'I'm anxious to see him,' coach Jim Tressel said just before the start of the Buckeyes' evening practice. Tressel faintly remembers Bauserman's skills from his recruitment four years ago, when he was rated as the No. 55 quarterback in the country by scout.com. Bauserman orally committed to the class of 2004, but instead played baseball after he was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth round of the 2004 baseball draft..."
"Think coach Jim Tressel might slip up at some point and inadvertently give us a clue about his thought process on the Ohio State quarterback derby? If you do, you don't know him very well. Before his team's first official practice this week, Tressel was asked how he would like to see the four-man race unfold, and he again showed just how media savvy he is. 'I would say you'd like to have it unfold that you could have more than one quarterback have opportunities early in the season, I guess, to make sure there's fair competition,' he said. 'In a long, 12-game season, you're going to maybe need Scotty McMullen to come in and win a game-type thing.' McMullen hasn't played a down since the 2003 season, but this was no slipup. If Tressel intends to have an open competition for the starting job, or even just create the image of one, he wouldn't want to say "Robbie Schoenhoft," even if he were only using it as an example. In some minds, that would have confirmed the suspicion that Todd Boeckman is going to be the starting quarterback." Source: Columbus Dispatch
 | Buckeyes Meet with Media After Jersey Scrimmage
August 18, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "The football team held its first scrimmage of the season Saturday, marking the first action on Ohio Stadium's new playing surface. Head coach Jim Tressel and several Buckeyes met with media after the scrimmage..."
Offense Holds On To Ball, Wins Scarlet Jerseys
August 18, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "The Ohio State offense proved on Saturday it does not have to take a back seat after winning Saturday's jersey scrimmage at Ohio Stadium. The offense committed just one turnover in pulling out the win. Quarterbacks Todd Boeckman and Rob Schoenhoft each had two TD passes for the offense..."
Defense Likes What It Sees From Offense
August 19, 2007 Source: OhioStateScout.com - "The worry entering the 2007 season for many Ohio State fans is that the offense will struggle to hit the heights of a year ago. But in the first week of practice in pads, the defense has had nothing but good things to say about the offense. That continued after Saturday's scrimmage win..." |
OSU Offense Shows Signs of Hope in Win over Defense in Jersy Scrimmage
August 19, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "With one notable exception, the jersey scrimmage probably couldn't have been much better, at least for the OSU offense. Despite the loss of two-year starter Troy Smith at quarterback the offense defeated the defense by a final of 72-58. They did it by avoiding turnovers, something which often plagues teams with a new quarterback..."
QBs combine for just one interception in scrimmage
August 19, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "It seems fitting that on a day when Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said his players looked "heavy-legged," the quarterbacks ran in place. After a lengthy jersey scrimmage yesterday in Ohio Stadium, the quarterback depth chart was unchanged. Todd Boeckman remained the starter, followed by Rob Schoenhoft and Antonio Henton..."
 | Bucknuts Recruiting Rewind: 8/19
August 19, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "Recruiting news has slowed down a bit lately, but there's never a shortage to talk about on the recruiting front. The Bucknuts staff came together for the latest version of the free recruiting feature the Recruiting Rewind, and in this version we hear about the latest OSU commitments, the top rising juniors in Ohio..." |
Buckeye Freshmen Impact Players Upon Arrival
August 18, 2007 Source: OhioStateScout.com - "Only 15 players have entered Ohio State's camp as scholarship true freshmen, but they have gotten off to a start so good that some coaches have said they are pleasantly surprised. Find out which new Buckeyes have earned the most plaudits and why they might have been able to blend in so quickly..."
Weight-room heroics give Buckeyes a lift
August 18, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - " If a 6-1, 270-pound bowling ball of a fullback blows up a linebacker and leads running back Chris Wells into the end zone early this season, don't wonder who made that block or how he managed to do it..."...Bulked-up Buckeyes
 | Hartline aims to carry on tradition
August 16, 2007 Source: Akron Beacon Journal - "Brian Hartline isn't drawing inspiration merely from his golden opportunity. Trying to follow in some golden footsteps also plays a part. Hartline, Ohio State's sophomore receiver from GlenOak High School, will get his time in the spotlight this season because Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez left early for the NFL. Hartline and junior Brian Robiskie now must carry the load as the top targets of a yet-unnamed starting quarterback. And Hartline seems more than ready..."
Reining in Hartline easier said than done
August 18, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "There's always a buzz around Ohio State receiver Brian Hartline, as if his protons and electrons move at a more frantic pace than ours. He plays like a human pinball, flinging himself around the field with little regard for the safety of himself or others..." |
Receivers see their opportunity
August 11, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "Brian Robiskie, along with Brian Hartline, Ray Small, Devon Lyons, Albert Dukes and others, wanted to get to work. 'They're all competitive and they're hungry,' Hazell said. 'Those guys, they love Ted and Gonzo, but they're also thinking, 'Now it's my turn.'..."
Receivers have big shoes to fill
August 12, 2007 Source: Dayton Daily News - "Hartline, Robiskie ready to step out of the shadows of former Bucks Ginn, Gonzalez..."
Wide Receiver U
August 17, 2007 Source: CoachTressel.com - "When it comes to wide receivers, it just seems impossible for Ohio State to successfully replace NFL drafted Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn, Jr. Fortunately, the same thing was said in 1995 when first-time starter Terry Glenn had to step in for future NFL receivers Joey Galloway and Chris Sanders..."
Ohio State Football: Buckeyes ranked 11th
August 18, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Here's the story on the AP preseason poll released today. Ohio State is ranked 11 in the poll of 65 AP voters, with USC on top, earning 62 first-place votes..."
Full AP preseason Top 25
Breaking down the preseason Top 25
 | Voice of Buckeyes
August 17, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "Barton's words sometimes speak as loudly as his hits -- to his detriment..."
Glib OSU tackle promises to tone it down this year
August 5, 2007 Source: Dayton Daily News - " Senior offensive tackle Kirk Barton is going into the start of Ohio State's fall football camp today determined not to commit another faux pas. But the four-year starter from Massillon is making no promises. He was chastened in 2004 for telling the media that quarterback Troy Smith deserved a shot to start over the struggling Justin Zwick, and Barton was admonished again last year for taking a bottle of expensive champagne and a lit cigar to interviews after the Michigan win..."
Outspoken Barton Stepping Into Role As Leader
August 3, 2007 Source: OhioStateScout.com - "During his Ohio State career, offensive tackle Kirk Barton has been known both for his honest personality off the field and his strong play on it. Going into his fourth year as a starter, Barton has worked with OSU's incoming freshmen during the summer and appears to be on track to be a captain in 2007..." |
"Kirk Barton, a senior offensive tackle on the Ohio State football team, was one of 11 student-athletes to be featured in the Big Ten’s football television advertisement for the upcoming 2007 season. Barton, an All-Big Ten performer in 2006 for the league champion Buckeyes, was in Chicago Tuesday and Wednesday for the 36th Annual Big Ten Football Kickoff Luncheon. Barton enjoyed his first starring role in a TV ad. 'It was pretty cool,' Barton, from Massillon, Ohio, said. 'It was a little weird shooting it. I put tape on my wrists and wore eye black, which I never do. There were a lot of takes, but the finished product always looks great. It was cool to see all that goes into making a commercial. The one last year was sweet and looked great going into the game.'" Source: OSU Official Site
 | Position battles
August 17, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Ohio State plays its preseason version of its jersey scrimmage on Saturday in Ohio Stadium, the first chance since practice started Aug. 6 for players to really let it loose. Many of the true freshmen...will need to prove they deserve playing time...From what coaches and players have said through the first two weeks, here's where it seems the greatest competition for playing time remains..."
Notebook: In Buckeyes' minds, loss to Gators makes them 0-1
August 17, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "Two players in the past three days have mentioned that the Buckeyes are 0-1 in 2007. It's not a coincidence...(and) Remember us?...(and) He's just a freshman..."
Poor tackling means more contact in practice
August 17, 2007 Source: Dayton Daily News - "Ohio State was plagued by shoddy tackling while giving up 80 points in its final two games last season, and the coaches believe the only way to get better is to schedule more live contact in practice..."
Camp Trudges On
August 17, 2007 Source: OhioStateScout.com - "Take a look at some of the lighter topics from fall camp, including why players (and coaches) don't like it, who plays video games and what Brian Robiskie thinks of being called 'Robo.'..." |
Memory of 41-14 Lead Buckeyes to Trash Bag Training and Rugged Fall Camp
August 17, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "As improbable as it may sound, there is a connection between OSU's loss in the national championship game, trash bags, and the way the Buckeyes are practicing in fall camp this year..."
Buckeyes having trouble letting go of letdown in their last game
August 13, 2007 Source: Associated Press - "It was an especially long, cold winter for the Ohio State Buckeyes. A relatively stress-free 2006 season for the Buckeyes, who had been top-ranked since the dog days of summer, came down to a stunning, humiliating conclusion on Jan. 8 before millions of viewers in the BCS national championship game. It became an enduring black eye..."
 | Ohio State Football Quotes
August 16, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Lawrence Wilson, Maurice Wells, Chris Wells, Luke Fickell..."
Wells: Hairy Predicament Or Good Situation?
August 17, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "Talking to reporters...Maurice Wells showed no bitterness, only determination to help lead and get on the field to show what he can do this season for the Buckeyes..."
|
 | Cordle has firm grip on center job
August 16, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "The most important position on the Ohio State offensive line has been solidified, and it has a decidedly central Ohio look. On Tuesday, offensive coordinator and line coach Jim Bollman was giving a rundown of how his charges are stacking up. He used the adjective "good" for everyone until he got to Jim Cordle at center. '(Cordle) is doing an outstanding job,' Bollman said..."
Cordle doesn't mind being center of attention
August 17, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "While the Buckeyes figure out who their starting quarterback is going to be, the man bending over and handing the ball between his legs to that quarterback has already been determined. Joining a line of four consecutive OSU centers in the Jim Tressel era who have gone on to the NFL, Cordle is right where he wants to be..." |
 | Ramzy: The Case Against Ohio State
August 15, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "Ramzy's last column took a fun look at preseason optimism with an outlook that was as positive as it could get. This week's version looks at the flipside of preseason expectations as he discusses some factors that could squash the hopes for another great Buckeye team..." |
 | Work on mat can be edge on line
August 15, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "Size doesn't impress Luke Fickell. Each year, Ohio State's co-defensive coordinator evaluates dozens, maybe hundreds of high school football players while recruiting. They're all big, all fast, all strong. But tell Fickell a kid is a standout wrestler, and he'll get a gleam in his eye. Now he's interested..."
Mat men
August 15, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "A look at several former, current and future Ohio State football players and their wrestling backgrounds..." |
| Hoot and Holler!
Source: CoachTressel.com - "Watch the best drill during the first day of hitting at OSU."
Pool Time!
Source: CoachTressel.com - "Click here to watch the Buckeyes enjoy some time off during camp at the new RPAC on campus." |
Halfway There
August 15, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "With the second set of two-a-day practices Wednesday, the football team reached the midway point of camp. The chin straps have been buckled and the sweat has been flying for 10 days as the Buckeyes prep for their first scrimmage of the season Saturday..."
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