P.M. Ohio State links: Boom birds are out for Dan Herron; The Game time set; bye week plans

Dan Herron is grateful for the chance to get his first 100-yard game for the Buckeyes, and wants to be ready to do it again.

Ohio State has come a long way from the three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust days. And that's despite quarterback Terrelle Pryor's prowess as a runner. As of today, the 8-1 Buckeyes have 2,196 yards through the air and only 1,906 on the ground.

But John Kampf, writing for the News-Herald, noted that the rushing game is starting to pick up speed. A large part of that is due to the performance of Dan "Boom" Herron,' whom Kampf noted collected his first 100-yard game as a Buckeye in Ohio State's 52-10 walloping of Minnesota.

In a 49-0 trouncing of Purdue, OSU ran for 184 yards, with Herron running for 74 yards and two scores. Then in a 52-10 demolition of Minnesota, OSU ran for 263 yards, with Herron achieving his first career 100-yard game at OSU with 114 yards and a touchdown.

"It was a lot of fun to get one. It was a great honor to get 100 yards," Herron said. "Minnesota is a great team. Any time you play a Big Ten team, it's going to be a fight.

"The offensive line did a great job, (fullback) Zach (Boren) is always doing a great job, and Coach Tressel gave me the opportunity to carry the load in the first half, and I thank him for that."

... "When I do get (the ball)," Herron said, "I have to make the best of it."

The Game
The Big Ten announced that the Ohio State-Michigan game -- known as The Game in these parts and in Ann Arbor -- will begin at noon Saturday, Nov. 27. The game at the Horseshoe will be televised by ABC or ESPN.

Ready! Set! Heal!
Ohio State is taking advantage of the bye week -- the Buckeyes return to action next Saturday against Penn State -- to heal the bumps and  bruises they've incurred since training camp. But there's more than just a little physical stuff to be done for coach Jim Tressel, his staff and his team, according to an account by si.com.

Ohio State is just 2-4 in games after bye weeks under Tressel, who said he and his staff have taken steps this week to try to come out of their off week with more momentum.

"The one thing that we've talked about and we've consciously worked on this bye week is not to get too excited about the next game,'' he said.

There have been times in the past that his teams have been ready to play the next opponent on Wednesday, then had a letdown before the actual kickoff three days later, he said.

Another problem for a team with a week off can be that it starts believing its own hype.

"I can remember back in '04, where we were 3-0 after beating a good N.C. State team in the last game,'' Tressel said. "In our minds, we were probably thinking we were better than we were. And all of a sudden, if you have two weeks of thinking you're better than you are, you're really in trouble.''

Those Buckeyes lost their next three games and finished tied for fifth in the Big Ten.

This time, Ohio State is taking it nice and easy.

"Our primary things are to get our bodies ready to go and get our emotional gas tanks refilled,'' Tressel said.

And obviously, not overfilled.

From The Plain Dealer
Ohio State beat writer Doug Lesmerises had a story about 49ers coach Mike Singletary contacting Tressel before naming Buckeye alum Troy Smith as his starter in London a couple of weeks ago. It's a nice piece and shows how coaches stick together. But to Starting Blocks, the most telling aspect was how Tressel reacted to the initial phone message: "As a parent, you wonder what did Troy do." If this were Facebook, we'd be hitting the Like button over and over on the "as a parent" clause. Personally, we think that says more about Tressel than any won-loss record ever could.