Ohio State being ridiculed for winning
November 9, 2007 Source: Mansfield News Journal - "Read virtually any message board outside the Ohio State boards, and the mantra is the same: The Big Ten stinks, so, therefore, Ohio State stinks...Despite the fact OSU is the top-ranked team in the country, no one expects them to win out. And, if they do, no one expects them to beat LSU, or Oregon for that matter, in the national championship game..."
'GameDay' goes off the beaten path to find the biggest little rivalry: On to the big boys
November 9, 2007 Source: ESPN.com - "Speaking of the Buckeyes, I wonder how many other pollsters are like me: wrestling with the contradiction that Ohio State has not really proven itself to be the "best" team in the nation...Maybe if I were not so bound by conventional thinking, I would vote something like this: Oregon, LSU, Ohio State, West Virginia, Oklahoma...I never have been less convinced about my No. 1 team in mid-November..."
| 
 | Etienne Sabino, of Miami (FL) Dr. Michael M. Krop, one of the most sought-after prospects in the South. tonight announced on ESPNU that he will attend The Ohio State University. One of the top linebacker prospects in the country, Rivals rates him the #1 ILB in the nation and he is the #17 prospect on the ESPN Top 150 (No. 1 ILB), Sabino finished his junior season with 131 tackles and eight sacks. (Sabino's teammate at Krop defensive back Travis Howard announced a commitment to Ohio State on Oct. 26.) In addition to Ohio State and others, Sabino had offers from USC, LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Miami (Fl) and North Carolina.
Highly rated linebacker chooses Ohio State
November 9, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch
Welcome aboard, Etienne. |
 | Loud, funny and bright, Barton finishes up Ohio State career
November 8, 2007 Source: Akron Beacon Journal - "Kirk Barton is the anti-Tressel. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel strolls the sideline, necktie in a perfect knot, not a hair out of place and with a personality to match. Barton, on the other hand, is a boisterous, hard-living offensive tackle. He's also one of the top-ranked Buckeyes' captains - a decision Tressel signed off on. The two couldn't be more opposites. 'There's no clash, but there's a lot of difference,' the senatorial Tressel said, comparing himself to his star offensive tackle. 'The beauty of a team is that you have a million different personalities. If everyone was like me, we'd be in trouble. If everyone was like him (hesitating for effect) we'd be in trouble.'..." |
 | Special-teams deficiencies raise concerns
November 8, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "It's a good thing for Ohio State that it has been winning games by wide margins, because the special teams have been uncharacteristically shaky...Homan likely done..."
Ohio State kicking game causing some concern
November 9, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Ohio State kicker Ryan Pretorius told coach Jim Tressel that he didn't sleep after Ohio State's 38-17 win over Wisconsin on Saturday -- not after another blocked kick..." |
 | Heyward's stock rises fast, looks promising
November 8, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "Listening to Ohio State players talk about freshman defensive end Cameron Heyward is like reading movie ads, with those snippets of glowing reviews from critics: 'Something Special!' -- linebacker Marcus Freeman, 'The Sky Is The Limit!' -- tackle Doug Worthington...Those are actual words by actual Buckeyes..." |
 | Ohio State linebacker Spitler content to wait his turn
November 8, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Austin Spitler's father is a financial planner, not a former professional wrestler. That's one difference between Spitler and James Laurinaitis. Another is that Laurinaitis is an All-American at middle linebacker for Ohio State, and Spitler is not. Spitler is his backup, continu- ing the Ohio State tradition of waiting be hind great ness. At least he's biding his time behind one of his best friends. 'If it weren't James in front of me, I don't know how it would be,' said Spitler, 'but James and I are so close.'..."
Special teams a plus for Spitler
November 6, 2007 Source: Dayton Daily News - "Austin Spitler and James Laurinaitis were on the same official recruiting visit to Ohio State. They play the same position, although Laurinaitis is a junior All-American linebacker while Spitler redshirted and stands behind him on the depth chart. But Spitler, the sophomore from Bellbrook, is making his name in other ways..." |
Buckeyes vow they're not thinking ahead to Michigan
November 7, 2007 Source: Associated Press - "Ohio State may not have been concentrating solely on Illinois when it struggled to beat the Illini last season. The Buckeyes swear it won't happen again - even as a date with archrival Michigan looms on Nov. 17..."
Malcolm Jenkins a Thorpe Award semifinalist
November 5, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Malcolm Jenkins was named today one of 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's best college defensive back..."
Pretorius Named Semi-Finalists for 2007 Lou Groza Award
November 6, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of Nov. 3..."
 | Tressel Named To Coach of the Year Watch List
November 7, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "The Paul 'Bear' Bryant Awards committee of the American Heart Association selected its Bryant Watch List for the 2007 College Football Coach of the Year..." |
 | Buckeyes against a nation
November 6, 2007 Source: Yahoo Sports - Yahoo Sport's Dan Wetzel writes: "As they drank away the hours to kickoff Saturday at the Legacy Bar just off campus here, fans of Alabama and Louisiana State couldn't agree on much...It wasn't until a television showed Wisconsin taking a 17-10 lead on Ohio State that everyone - at least everyone who didn't have money on the game - found some common ground. 'Ohio State is a joke,' one guy said. 'Let 'em play a real schedule.'...Yes, the Big Ten and the BCS might stink, but that doesn't necessarily mean Ohio State does, too..." |
 | Coaches Poll
Source: USA Today
BCS Rankings
Source: USA Today
AP Poll
Source: Associated Press
Top 25 Overview WEEK 10
November 4, 2007 Source: ESPN - Overview of all Top 25 Teams for the tenth week of the season, including Recap, Box Score, Play-by-Play, Drive Chart, Photos (links to 'previous weeks' results too) |
Breaking down the best BCS contenders
November 5, 2007 Source: USA Today - "With one month left before the Bowl Championship Series title match-up is decided on Dec. 2, five teams are in the running for Jan. 7 game in New Orleans. Among the five are three teams who have won national titles in the past six seasons - Ohio State, LSU, Oklahoma - and two BCS title game rookies - Kansas and Oregon. Here's what lies ahead for each team during the next four weeks..."
New B.C.S. Formula: Turning Seven Into Two
November 5, 2007 Source: New York Times - "Ten weeks have passed in this volatile college football season, and there finally seem to be some clues as to how it will end..."
Players of the Week (Wisconsin):
Offensive Player of the Week: Chris Wells, RB
Defensive Player of the Week: Vernon Gholston, DE
Special Units Player of the Week: Austin Spitler , LB
Scout Team Champions: Defense: Ryan Lukens; Special Units: Bo DeLande; Offense: J.D. Larson
Attack Force Award: James Laurinaitis , LB
Jim Parker Lineman Award: Kirk Barton, OL
Jack Tatum Hit of the Week Award: Brian Hartline , WR
 | Mr. Bucknuts' Bucket Of Bullets
November 4, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "Mr. Bucknuts finally weighs in with his studied thoughts about the SEC. Also, he psycho-analyzes Saturday’s game, talks with ESPN about who is leaving early, questions the justice for Antonio Henton, posts some odd stats and joins the gleeful pounding of Cheeseburger Charlie - all in a refreshing new Bucket of Bullets..." |
 | We're Having a Party
November 3, 2007 Source: New York Times - "...we’re starting the day off with a tailgate party. The Times’ own Melissa Hoppert is a veteran of many Ohio State tailgates and she gives us the inside scoop on the granddaddy of them all, Hineygate...It is hours before the noon kickoff, and beers and bras are flying. It is an Ohio State football Saturday at the Holiday Inn on Lane Avenue, where Hineygate, billed as the world’s largest tailgating party, was born 25 years ago. How big is it?..." |
WISCONSIN vs. OHIO STATE
No. 1 Ohio State Out-Slugs No. 19 Wisconsin, 38-17
November 3, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "In a back-and-forth slugfest between two Big Ten teams known for their muscle, No. 1 Ohio State came from behind to defeat No. 19 Wisconsin, 31-17, before 105,449 sun-drenched and relieved fans in Ohio Stadium..."
Scoring Summary, Team Statistics, Individual Statistics, Drive Chart, Defensive Statistics, Play-by-Play
Buckeyes get statement win over Badgers
November 3, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "With its perfect record hanging in the balance, Ohio State finally decided to play like a No. 1 team...There were more than a few jittery moments in the second half, however..."
| OSU did what a number one team is supposed to do in big games. Wisconsin is a much, much better team than it's being given credit for nationally, and is one of the most physical teams in the Big Ten, yet the Buckeyes were able to use their offensive line to pull away in the fourth quarter. Yeah, Chris Wells was the star of the show, but he had ten-mile wide holes to run through. Also credit Todd Boeckman, who didn't have his best day, but he didn't make any huge mistakes, and he ran well, for him, to keep drives alive. (Source: CollegeFootballNews.com) |
Ohio State survives shot from Wisconsin
November 3, 2007 Source: FoxSports.com - "Wisconsin staggered Ohio State, but Kerouac Smith says the No. 1 Buckeyes gathered their wits to KO the Badgers for the win..."
| Team Totals | WIS | OSU | | FIRST DOWNS | 15 | 21 | | Rushing | 4 | 13 | | Passing | 8 | 7 | | Penalty | 3 | 1 | | NET YARDS RUSHING | 12 | 211 | | Rushing Attempts | 37 | 36 | | Average Per Rush | 0.3 | 5.9 | | Rushing Touchdowns | 0 | 3 | | Yards Gained Rushing | 96 | 229 | | Yards Lost Rushing | 84 | 18 | | NET YARDS PASSING | 269 | 166 | | Completions-Attempts-Int | 18-30-0 | 17-28-0 | | Average Per Attempt | 9.0 | 5.9 | | Average Per Completion | 14.9 | 9.8 | | Passing Touchdowns | 2 | 2 | | TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS | 281 | 377 | | Total offense plays | 67 | 64 | | Average Gain Per Play | 4.2 | 5.9 | | Fumbles: Number-Lost | 2-2 | 0-0 | | Penalties: Number-Yards | 6-55 | 7-76 | | PUNTS-YARDS | 5-189 | 5-207 | | Average Yards Per Punt | 37.8 | 41.4 | | Net Yards Per Punt | 36.6 | 35.6 | | Inside 20 | 0 | 1 | | 50+ Yards | 0 | 0 | | Touchbacks | 0 | 0 | | Fair catch | 0 | 0 | | KICKOFFS-YARDS | 4-275 | 7-415 | | Average Yards Per Kickoff | 68.8 | 59.3 | | Net Yards Per Kickoff | 50.0 | 48.0 | | Touchbacks | 2 | 1 | | Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD | 3-29-0 | 5-6-0 | | Average Per Return | 9.7 | 1.2 | | Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD | 6-59-0 | 2-35-0 | | Average Per Return | 9.8 | 17.5 | | Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD | 0-0-0 | 0-0-0 | | Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD | 0-0-0 | 0-0-0 | | Miscellaneous Yards | 0 | 12 | | Possession Time | 32:19 | 27:41 | | 1st Quarter | 8:04 | 6:56 | | 2nd Quarter | 7:28 | 7:32 | | 3rd Quarter | 8:40 | 6:20 | | 4th Quarter | 8:07 | 6:53 | | Third-Down Conversions | 6 of 16 | 7 of 14 | | Fourth-Down Conversions | 1 of 3 | 0 of 0 | | Red-Zone Scores-Chances | 3-4 | 2-2 | | Sacks By: Number-Yards | 2-10 | 10-73 | | PAT Kicks | 2-2 | 5-5 | | Field Goals | 1-1 | 1-2 |
Blown fake punt derails Wisconsin
November 4, 2007 Source: CentralOhio.com - "Wisconsin's promising hopes for an upset were squelched early in the fourth quarter Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Down 24-17 with a little more than 12 minutes remaining, punter Ken DeBauche took off running on a fake punt over right tackle. The play needed just three yards. It lost two. Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis dragged DeBauche down at the Wisconsin 25-yard line. 'It had a big effect on us," Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. "I wish we would have done that on the play before. It wasn't the game ender for us, but it did place a big damper on our team.'..."
 | Postgame Transcript From No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 19 Wisconsin
November 3, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Well, I think just like all of you in preseason kind of had this one circled and knew it would be a battle, it was just that, and Wisconsin came and laid it on the line and they have to be proud of their kids. Our guys kept battling and anything that..."
 | Postgame Audio - Ohio State
November 3, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Head coach Jim Tressel and the team captains met with the media following the Ohio State vs. Wisconsin football game on Nov. 3, 2007...." |
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Postgame Quotes From No. 1 Ohio State vs. No. 19 Wisconsin
November 3, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Brian Hartline, sophomore wide receiver, On trailing 17-10: 'Kirk (Barton) gave us a talk. He is a senior and a real leader on this team. He told us this was the time to step up.'...(and) Wisconsin Postgame Coach and Player Quotes..."
 | Going to work late, Wells puts OSU on his back
November 4, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "The most meaningful run of Chris "Beanie" Wells' afternoon was not one of his three touchdowns, but rather his circuitous trot back to the Ohio State bench after he had tied the score against Wisconsin...'I wanted to send a message to my team," Wells said, "that just because someone scores a touchdown and puts us back in the game, we still have to go out there and continue to play football.'..." |
Gholston ties sacks record
November 43, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston has a new nickname. It's not "Sack Machine," though that moniker would fit after he tied a school record with four sacks yesterday as the Buckeyes collected 10 in a 38-17 win over Wisconsin..."
 | The Bottom Line
November 4, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "All hail the pickle! No, not the brined cucumber spear -- rather, that uncomfortable spot between the rock and the hard place. Ohio State was there for a while, yet emerged, sore but its dreams intact. Leaves are awarded on a zero-to-five basis..."
Wisconsin Performance Evaluations
November 7, 2007 Source: Men of the Scarlet and Gray - "Defense - 3 Sweatervests...The Running Game - 4 Sweatervests..." |
Ohio State Rallies For 38-17 Win Over Wisconsin
November 3, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "It was anything but easy, but top-ranked Ohio State rallied from its latest deficit in a game this season to take a 38-17 win over visiting Wisconsin on Saturday. Chris "Beanie" Wells led the way with 169 yards rushing and three touchdowns for the Buckeyes. Click this link for more. (Story updated with notes and quotes.)..."
Buckeyes Rush Past Badgers
November 3, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "...After getting just six carries for 29 yards in the first half Wells toted the ball 15 times in the second half and was nothing short of spectacular. Wells racked up 140 net yards after the intermission that included touchdown runs of 31, 30 and 23 yards. On each of his scores Wells beat at least one unblocked tackler before outrunning the rest of the Wisconsin defense..."
 | Captain's Corner: Fear The 2007 Buckeyes
November 3, 2007 Source: Bucknuts.com - "Which Jim Tressel-coached OSU team would you least want to play? After watching the Buckeyes finish off Wisconsin, 1998 captain Jerry Rudzinski casts his vote for the 2007 squad. Check it out in this version of the Captain's Corner..." |
OSU Responds, Runs Away From Wisconsin
November 3, 2007 Source: BuckeyeSports.com - "After falling behind Big Ten rival Wisconsin by a 17-10 score in the third quarter, Ohio State responded with four unanswered touchdowns to pull away and hide from the Badgers. The 38-17 victory kept the Buckeyes atop the conference standings and protected their No. 1 national ranking..."
How Ohio State's opponents fared
| DATE | OPPONENT | SITE | W-L | THIS WEEK'S RESULT |
| Sept. 1 | Youngstown State | home | 6-4 | beat Indiana St. 40-7 |
| Sept. 8 | Akron | home | 3-6 | lost to Bowling Green 44-20 |
| Sept. 15 | Washington | away | 3-6 | beat Stanford 27-9 |
| Sept. 22 | Northwestern | home | 5-5 | lost to Iowa 28-17 |
| Sept. 29 | Minnesota | away | 1-9 | lost to Illinois 44-17 |
| Oct. 6 | Purdue | away | 7-3 | lost to Penn St. 26-19 |
| Oct. 13 | Kent State | home | 3-6 | No game |
| Oct. 20 | Michigan State | home | 5-5 | lost to TSUN 28-24 |
| Oct. 27 | Penn State | away | 7-3 | beat Purdue 26-19 |
| Nov. 3 | Wisconsin | home | 7-3 | lost to Ohio State 38-17 |
| Nov. 10 | Illinois | home | 7-3 | beat Minnesota 44-17 |
| Nov. 17 | TSUN | away | 8-2 | beat Michigan State 28-24 |
| Postgame Audio - Wisconsin
November 3, 2007 Source: OSU Official Site - "Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema met with the media following the Ohio State vs. Wisconsin football game on Nov. 3, 2007..." |
Bucking the trend: Boeckman, Ohio State a revelation despite key losses
November 1, 2007 Source: SI.com - "They are a rock in this season of upheaval...Going into Saturday's game against No. 21 Wisconsin, the undefeated Buckeyes stand atop the BCS poll. And that, frankly, rates as one of the larger surprises in a season of them. Was it so wrong to expect Ohio State to fade from view for a season or two?..." |
 | Family is No. 1 for tight-knit Freemans
November 2, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Sitting in the stands at Ohio Stadium, Chong Freeman's eyes never leave her son. What else would she watch? Since leaving her native South Korea 29 years ago, her world has consisted of her husband Michael and her sons, Mike and Marcus. 'She goes to church and prays for us, she comes home and makes sure we can eat, and she goes to work,' said Marcus, Ohio State's starting weak side linebacker, 'and that's all she really does.'..." |
| Three juniors among top 20 NFL prospects
November 2, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Should they decide to turn professional, three Ohio State players could be among the top 20 picks in the 2008 NFL draft...Look out above...Trapasso a semifinalist..." |
The-Ozone Note and Quotebook
November 2, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "OSU offensive tackle Alex Boone started the season with hair to his shoulders, but recently cut off the long hair and returned to a more traditional hair style. A couple of other Buckeyes, tailback Maurice Wells and tight end Rory Nicol have opted to retain their long hair...Fun Bunch v2.0...In Honor of Bill Willis...Steady Mo..."
Big Ten
November 2, 2007 Source: The Morning Journal - "...5. The overall talent of last year's offense is still far superior to the talent level this year, but the diversity of this offense also seems much better..."
SEC voices little respect for Ohio State, Big Ten
November 1, 2007 Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer - "If the national championship game pits Ohio State against Boston College, the SEC may secede from the rest of the college football...'I'm a huge college football fan," said Paul Finebaum, a columnist and sports talk radio host based in Birmingham, Ala., and one of the most influential college football voices in the South. "If it ends up Boston College and Ohio State, I'm getting a movie on pay-per-view that night. I'm not watching that game.' ..."
 | No. 1 Buckeyes get no respect
October 31, 2007 Source: Associated Press - "As the weeks pass with Ohio State riding the crest of the polls and the BCS rankings, the Buckeyes are growing tired of hearing about why they don’t deserve to be No. 1. The biggest reason why so many are critical of Ohio State is because of what happened in last year’s championship, when the Buckeyes entered as the acclaimed No. 1 team against once-beaten Florida. They left with a humiliating 41-14 defeat. 'Well, we lost on the biggest stage you can be on. We got beat pretty bad, too,' Nichol said. 'So people are going to have that opinion until we can prove them otherwise. But everybody’s waiting for us to slip. It’s our job to just keep doing it, one game at a time, one game at a time. Eventually you end up wherever (in a bowl), and then you’ve got to prove it in that game.'..." |
 | Big Ten Fan Pet Face-off: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
Source: Big Ten Network - "As many of you know, we've been collecting and posting your greatest Big Ten Fan Pet photos all season long...But with Wisconsin heading to Ohio State for a Nov. 3 Big Ten showdown (noon ET, Big Ten Network), we're putting some of our favorite Buckeyes and Badgers fan pet pictures to the test. Ohio State tops the Bowl Championship Series Standings but let's see which team rules the BPS. That's right, it's our Big Pet Series Standings..." |
OSU Offensive Success Really No Mystery
October 30, 2007 Source: The Ozone - "There's probably going to be a lot of talk about the OSU offense this week, and tons of analysis as to why that offense suddenly got in high gear last weekend. Not here. Well, at least not the tons if analysis part. It isn't needed. It's actually really simple. It's as easy as one, two, three, four..."
 | Todd Boeckman Davey O'Brien Semifinalist
October 29, 2007 Source: DaveyObrien.com - "The polls have closed, the votes have been tallied and the quarterbacks have been selected. The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award® (The O’Brien) today proudly announced its 2007 Semifinalist List, which features top quarterback talent from across the country, including Todd Boeckman, Ohio State, JR..."
Boeckman named Big Ten offensive player of the week
October 29, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "Two days after leading Ohio State to a romp over Penn State, quarterback Todd Boeckman was named the Big Ten offensive player of the week..." |
 | Offensive line sets a quiet pace
October 29, 2007 Source: Columbus Dispatch - "The play of the Ohio State center was key to the Buckeyes' stellar offensive game in a 37-17 victory over Penn State. To combat the noise from a jacked-up crowd of 110,000, the Buckeyes adopted a series of hand signals for blocking adjustments and snap counts. With Cordle flashing fingers on every play, top-ranked Ohio State (9-0, 5-0 Big Ten) rolled to a balanced 453 yards (200 rushing, 253 passing), committed one turnover and surrendered one sack. It was a redemptive day for Ohio State's front five, considering the near disaster of the prior week..." |
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