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Will OSU remain No. 1?
Friday, September 1, 2006 Todd Porter REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER More OSU previews are in Regional Sports today.
JIM TRESSEL You won’t find Jim Tressel nestled into a La-Z-Boy drinking a beer, watching a game. He doesn’t fish, hunt or golf. In the summer, he reads.
So it should not surprise anyone that Tressel went C.S. Lewis on the Buckeyes.
His team is everyone’s preseason No. 1. Ohio State is expected to win the Big Ten, avoid land mines at Texas and Iowa, beat Michigan for the third straight year and cruise into the desert for the national championship.
Cruise?
“You remember the C.S. Lewis quote?” Tressel said. “ ‘The greatest danger there is is the illusion that all is well, when, indeed, all is not well.’ ... If you have that illusion that all is well, and put it in cruise, then we’re in trouble.
“I wish I could get inside our guys’ heads and tell for sure what’s inside them. If there is an inkling of anything other than this is going to be brutally hard, we’re in trouble.”
Tressel has to replace virtually everyone on defense. His team plays night road games at Texas and Iowa after losing two night games (one at home to the eventual national-champion Longhorns) last year. The leading wide receiver was a first-round draft pick. Center Nick Mangold is gone.
And this is the best team in the country?
Thanks to the walking highlight reel that is quarterback Troy Smith, yes, Ohio State can be the best in the country.
Tressel doesn’t seem concerned about the hype. He returns 12 fifth-year seniors, as much veteran leadership as he’s had in his six years in Columbus.
The USA Today coaches’ poll picked the Buckeyes No. 1. As did the Associated Press writers’ poll. They were on a regional cover of Sports Illustrated. The Sporting News says Ohio State is No. 1.
Tressel took it in stride.
Opponents have a bull’s-eye.
“We all want to affirm how people feel about us,” Tressel said. “I’m sure Northern Illinois (this week’s opponent) is worried about fundamentals, and not Ohio State.
“Do we want to be the best team in the Big Ten? Do we want to be the best team in the country? That’s up to us. It won’t be about Northern Illinois or Texas or what’s on down the road.”
TROY THE LEADER
The season will go how Smith goes. A year ago, Smith threw for 2,282 yards and ran for 611. Michigan and Notre Dame did nothing to slow him.
Smith spent the offseason trying to improve. He studied film. He looked at himself. He looked at defenses.
Smith has come a long way since the day when he watched his teammates in the 2004 Alamo Bowl, then listened to the 2005 opener on the radio at a high school game. He was suspended two games for taking $500 from a booster.
He graduated with a degree in communications. He is working on a second degree in African-American studies.
“It’s like night and day,” Smith said. “It’s a total sense of urgency in terms of being there for my teammates. I took those things for granted. ... I was in situations where I had to assess myself as a man and as a college athlete. I had to know there is more at risk and at stake than the silly decisions I made.”
The most remarkable transformation Tressel has seen is Smith’s leadership. Sure, his decision making — on and off the field — has made a 180-degree turnaround, but there is no mistaking who’s in charge.
“You want that guy in the huddle ... to make sure that no one’s talking but him and everyone wants to hear what he has to say,” Tressel said.
“Troy ... tells (players) sometimes the way us coaches would like to tell them but maybe we’re a little more sensitive. It’s kind of neat to see the way he’s grabbed a hold of this football team.”
OFFENSE IS LOADED
Smith isn’t alone on offense. In addition to an offensive line with Kirk Barton, T.J. Downing, Doug Datish and Alex Boone, Smith has weapons. Running back Antonio Pittman ran for 1,331 yards. Freshman Chris Wells will spell Pittman.
The receivers may be the best on the Big Ten. Ted Ginn Jr. is a Heisman candidate. He is a year smarter and another 50-plus catch season could propel him into the NFL Draft. Anthony Gonzalez had the biggest catch of the season against Michigan in the final seconds. Brian Hartline is expected to rotate with Brian Robiskie and Roy Hall.
If
OSU’s defense reloads, the preseason No. 1 status won’t be hype. In Tressel’s previous five seasons, he has lost 13 games. Just four times, though, has he lost a game by 10 points or more. In 58 regular-season games, the Buckeyes have allowed 16.3 points a game.
Tressel like his defensive front.
“With Quinn Pitcock, Jay Richardson, Joel Penton and David Patterson, we have veterans I think will be good,” Tressel said. “A key guy is Vernon Gholston. Quinn was sitting in my office the other day and said, ‘Coach, if Vernon keeps playing the way he’s been playing, we have a chance.’ I agree with him.”
Do the Buckeyes have enough back to win it all?
Early indications are yes.
Those are just polls.
“How legitimate is it?” Tressel said. “I don’t know. We’ll all find out together by the end of November. It’s always nice to be mentioned.”
Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail:
todd.porter@cantonrep.com