Buckeyes travel plans include a stop at a hoppin' Camp Randall to face the Wisconsin challenge.
View full sizeSafety Jermale Hines (7) is the Old Man of the Ohio State defense, and is bringing the kids along just fine, thank you.Coach Jim Tressel, talking to the Columbus Dispatch to set up the Buckeyes' visit to No. 18 Wisconsin this weekend, said he uses the Big 10 travelogue theory as a recruiting tool.
"We talk quite a bit (about) if you come to Ohio State, you not only get to come and play in the Horseshoe a lot of times, but you get to go to places like Camp Randall and the Big House (at Michigan) and Beaver Stadium (Penn State) and Kinnick Stadium (Iowa) and on and on," Tressel said. "That's one of the bonuses in our minds about being in the Big Ten, so I know our guys are looking forward to that."
It appears the players have bought into it. In supposedly the toughest environments, the Buckeyes have thrived recently.
Ohio State has won its past six Big Ten night road games, dating to a loss at Penn State in 2005. Since then, the Buckeyes have flourished in "blackouts" (at Iowa in 2006 and Purdue in 2007), "whiteouts" (at Penn State in 2007) and at Camp Randall, where they won in 2008.
By contrast, the Buckeyes have been ambushed in that span in supposedly much less threatening environments, such as losing to Illinois on senior day at Ohio Stadium in 2007 and at 1-5 Purdue last season.
But a Big Ten road game at night? Not a problem.
"I think it's kind of funny that they're jumping around," defensive tackle Dexter Larimore said. "Even teams' fight songs, if they have a cool fight song, it doesn't intimidate me or anything. It kind of motivates me, as well."
Which is all well and good, but the only road game the Buckeyes REALLY want to play is in Glendale, Ariz. That would be the BCS title game on Jan. 10, 2011.
Safety net
One of the aspects of "amateur athletics" (Starting Blocks has decided to use quotes in deference to guys like Reggie Bush, Santonio Holmes and others) is that rosters are constantly changing. Much as USC under Pete Carroll would've liked, you can't have a 12th-year freshman.
Ohio State safety Jermale Hines knows that. And it's why he's taken a leadership role in the defensive backfield for the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes, according to an account on espn.com.
Jermale Hines has helped lead an Ohio State secondary that ranks 13th nationally in pass defense. After the 2010 Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes said farewell to veteran safeties Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell, with Coleman being the team's only consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection. Tyler Moeller returned from a head injury to start at the "star" position -- a safety-linebacker hybrid used in Ohio State's nickel package -- but he's now out for the year with a torn pectoral muscle. Promising sophomore C.J. Barnett also won't return following a knee injury, and junior Nate Oliver has been banged up.
Ohio State's two-deep for Saturday night's showdown at No. 18 Wisconsin lists Hines as the starting free safety, sophomore Orhian Johnson, a first-year starter, at strong safety, and true freshman Christian Bryant at the "star" position.
There's little doubt as to who leads the group.
"It's been an experience trying to tell guys what to do and where to be, just helping them out as much as I can," Hines said. "Somebody came along and did it to me, Kurt and Anderson and those guys, so I'm just looking to give back and do the same thing."
You tell 'em, Pops.
Oh, so that's why
Tim Bielik, writing for the Block-O-Nation blog, says the reason Ohio State is No. 1 is No. 2.
It's probably only going to get better when that strained quad heals, since Pryor is the Bucks' second-leading rusher, behind Dan Herron, and his 432 yard total represents a 6.2 yards-per-carry average.One reason Ohio State belongs at the top is Heisman hopeful Terrelle Pryor who showed Saturday against Indiana that he could throw the football all around the field.
Against an Indiana team that gave up 42 points to Denard Robinson and Michigan, Pryor threw for a career-high 324 yards and three touchdowns, completing 80 percent of his passes despite a left quad strain (in the Buckeyes' 38-10 win).
Pryor's spectacular season has the Buckeyes' offense in the Top-20 in yards per game, rushing yards per game and sixth in the country in points per game.
From The Plain Dealer
Beat writer Doug Lesmerises Wednesday story noted even more development in Pryor's leadership skills. The junior spoke at a players-only meeting advising his teammates to maintain their composure -- and work ethic -- in the face of that No. 1 ranking.
Columnist Bill Livingston also comments on Pryor's maturation into the player and leader he's become.
And finally, Starting Blocks sort of obliquely referenced it earlier in this post, but the Ohio State compliance office is looking into an allegation lodged in a Sports Illustrated story that ex-Buckeye Santonio Holmes took cash from an agent when he was still at the school in 2005. Lesmerises has the details.