The Buckeyes are 98-21 in the Jim Tressel era. They take care of Ohio recruiting, land a few out-of-state prep stars and find players under the scouting radar.
Ohio State recruited linebacker Ross Homan - now a star - when other major college programs overlooked him.Cleveland, Ohio -- Ohio State football, with Jim Tressel as the Buckeyes coach, is one of the constants in American sports.
Since Tressel took over the OSU reins prior to the 2001 season, the Buckeyes have won 98 games and lost 21. They are 59-13 in Big Ten games, and have won six league championships (four outright, two in a first-place tie), including the last five.
Ohio State has won at least 10 games in seven different seasons. The Buckeyes are 5-4 in bowl games, and have played in the national championship game three times, winning it over Miami (Fla.), 31-24 in double overtime, in the 2002 season title game.
This season, Ohio State is 4-0 going into its Big Ten opener on Saturday at Illinois (2-1). The Buckeyes are ranked No. 2 in the nation, behind defending national champion Alabama.
The Inside Slant on USAToday.com analyzes Ohio State's formula for success:
Ohio State gets the best players from inside Ohio, a few elite players from around the country, and then fills out its roster with guys who were never expected to be big-time studs. Linebackers A.J. Hawk and James Laurinaitis are recent examples of the latter. Hawk got scant interest from the power programs, while Laurinaitis was rated a three-star recruit -- behind a bunch of guys who are not in the NFL, which is where Hawk and Laurinaitis work today.
The formula continues to work this season for the Buckeyes. Besides elite, nationally-ranked recruits such as Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State is getting big-time contributions from players who were low-profile recruits during their prep days.
Writes USAToday.com:
On this year's team, the "sleepers" abound. Senior wideout Dane Sanzenbacher (5-11, 180) was considered too small by many, but Tressel offered him on the spot after a short tryout, and the now three-year starter and captain had four touchdown receptions in last week's game.
Senior linebacker Ross Homan (6-0, 225) came from Ohio's farm country, and was considered too short to play the position in the Big Ten. He was so good last year, the NFL was calling early.
Buckeyes beat
Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes beat writer Doug Lesmerises' story on the play of quarterback Terrelle Pryor and his report that tight end Jake Stoneburner will likely miss Saturday's game at Illinois.
Get Hall, too
Tailback Jordan Hall has earned an expanded role. Ken Gordon writes about Hall for the Columbus Dispatch:
Coach Jim Tressel and several assistants were at a Jeannette (Pa.) High School basketball game in the winter of 2008, wooing star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, when a 5-foot-9 whirlwind of a point guard caught their eye.
"We were talking to the coach after the game, and I said, 'Man, that point guard is really good,'" Tressel said. "'He's just got eyes everywhere, he dished the ball off, he hit (three-pointers).' And he said, 'Yeah, that's the tailback,' and I said, ' That's the tailback?'"
The tailback was Hall, and Tressel decided he had to have him. He arrived a year after his celebrated Jeannette teammate, in the summer of 2009, but Hall has since begun to make a name for himself, as well.
Zone coverage
Adam Rittenberg's Big Ten Blog for ESPN.com includes several references to the Buckeyes.
Ohio State notes - including Terrelle Pryor's memory of an upset loss to Purdue last season - by Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch.
A story on Illinois standout running back Mikel Leshoure, by Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch.
As Big Ten play begins, it's a six-team race for the title, writes Bruce Hooley for FoxSportsOhio.com.
The Big Ten Insider on FoxSportsDetroit.com.