OSU's Image Outside of Ohio

[DallasBuckeye]

View suits No. 1 Ohio State

Buckeyes show no signs they'll be giving up top spot any time soon
02:32 AM CST on Friday, November 3, 2006

By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News Everybody may be playing for second, in more ways than one.
As November arrived, close to 10 teams have ambitions of that spot in the BCS standings.
Second place may be as high a spot as any team not playing in Columbus, Ohio, can attain.
Remember the way Ohio State went into Austin and controlled a talent-laden Texas team?
All the Buckeyes have done is get better. Texas remains their closest call.
Ohio State has outscored its five Big Ten opponents, 190-33. Potentially difficult road games at Iowa and Michigan State became laughers. It's harder than it looks.
Just last week, USC was upset by nondescript Oregon State. Texas has needed consecutive rallies on the road.
Ohio State steamrolled Minnesota, 44-3.
"There's a reason why they're ranked No. 1. They're not a good football team, they're a great football team," Minnesota coach Glen Mason said. "I don't normally describe teams that way, but they are the real deal in every way, shape and form."
Heisman front-runner Troy Smith has proven he can pass as well as throw. His next mistake this season may be his first. Game-breaker Ted Ginn Jr. (44 receptions, seven touchdowns) has found consistency. Running back Antonio Pittman (894 yards, 10 touchdowns) might be a Heisman candidate on most other teams.
The defense that functioned as an NFL farm team last year has been anything but a weak link. It leads the nation in scoring defense. Linebacker James Laurinaitis, who dominated against Texas in his third career start, has produced numbers that A.J. Hawk would envy with 75 tackles, four sacks and four interceptions.
A Land of Lincoln demolition of Illinois and Northwestern is the only thing standing between Ohio State and its Horseshoe Showdown on Nov. 18 with Michigan.
Before receiver Mario Manningham was hurt, Michigan might have been close to the Buckeyes. Now, not so much.
"If those two teams were to play right now, just the way they're playing, I don't even think it would be close," ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit told WBNS radio in Columbus.
The remarks were reprinted in the Detroit News and will undoubtedly find their way to the Michigan locker room.
It still may not be enough.
end





personally I agree -- it doesn't matter who goes to Glendale. Louisville, Florida, Auburn, Texas or a combo of all of them. The Buckeyes will beat any and all comers!

[great1]

"Ohio State steamrolled Minnesota, 44-3"

If I remember right minnesota didnt score.

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Originally Posted by great1

"Ohio State steamrolled Minnesota, 44-3"

If I remember right minnesota didnt score.

You remember right.

[bkochmc]

Originally Posted by great1

"Ohio State steamrolled Minnesota, 44-3"

If I remember right minnesota didnt score.

3 is the new 0... more of that top-notch journalism we have all come to know and love.

[Zurp]

Originally Posted by great1

"Ohio State steamrolled Minnesota, 44-3"

If I remember right minnesota didnt score.

Maybe you're supposed to remember Indiana.

And Indiana is the new Minnesota. Minnesota decided that winters were too cold, so they moved to Indiana for a little while. And before you insist that there's no way Minnesota could possibly fit inside of Indiana, you need to understand the physics of nanotechnology. Basically, if some little doodle you make can shrink to the size of a june-bug in your oven, the entire state of Minnesota might fit in the state of Indiana.

Of course, don't tell Indiana all this. They just got through their first daylight savings since the mid-1200's without any major incident. The influx of Minnesota residents may trigger some type of paranoia. Could you imagine what all of those Hoosiers would think if they ever watched "Fargo?"

[IronBuckI]

Originally Posted by From The Article

Heisman front-runner Troy Smith has proven he can pass as well as throw.

I think he meant, 'as well as run,' but who knows?

[OSUBuckeye4Life]

Link

Pac-10 Football: Buckeyes' five-year run quietly rivals USC's
By TED MILLER
P-I COLUMNIST
While the Pac-10 is fleshing out its muddled middle, it seems like a good time to cast a wider net and consider the general state of college football as the calendar flips into November.
Here are some thoughts.

So much has been made the past few years of USC's dominance -- and rightfully so -- but Ohio State is putting together an extraordinary season that could cap a brilliant five-year run under Jim Tressel.

The Buckeyes won at Texas by 17 points -- the Longhorns haven't lost since -- and no other opponent has been closer than 21 points. If they beat No. 2 Michigan on Nov. 18, and then win the BCS national title game, they will finish 13-0 and have beaten three different No. 2 teams.

It also would be Ohio State's second national title, second perfect finish and fourth appearance in the top four over the past five seasons.

Oh, and Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith is the overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Might college football be developing a second mighty pillar to challenge Troy?

[BB73]

Ahh, the media and smoke.

As far as this type of attention goes, there's the danger of the media blowing so much smoke up tOSU's ass the team could start believing the clippings and get a big head. JT has been taking about "handling success" for most of the season, so this team would seem to be better prepared than most to stay on top.

But this "smoke" sure beats the hell out of the "Where there's smoke, there's fire" crap that became a media mantra a couple of years ago.

[DaddyBigBucks]

Originally Posted by BB73

Ahh, the media and smoke.

As far as this type of attention goes, there's the danger of the media blowing so much smoke up tOSU's ass the team could start believing the clippings and get a big head. JT has been taking about "handling success" for most of the season, so this team would seem to be better prepared than most to stay on top.

But this "smoke" sure beats the hell out of the "Where there's smoke, there's fire" crap that became a media mantra a couple of years ago.

This looks like a good place to repeat a post that I made in the "polls" thread about the smoke being blown "our way"

I've been thinking this for a couple of weeks; and I guess this is the place and time to say it.

The media do not, I repeat, do not have an anti-OSU bias.

Don't worry about what the media think about OSU. For the most part, they don't.

They don't care if we're good. They don't care if we're bad. They only care about us if they can make a story out of us.

7 wins by 7 points or less: Luckeyes
Lots of off-field issues followed by MoC: wall-to-wall coverage
Hot QB-Hot wr-Hot Coach: Deification

The media do not need OSU, they need stories. If we can be the bumbling, lucky kid that wins when he shouldn't; they'll play it up. If we can be painted as the villain; they'll get out the Wagner and spray away. And, here's the scary part, if we can be the BIG team; then they'll sculpt The Collosus of hype in our honor.

We've been the story for negative reasons in the past. Fine, we're huge and that's what happens when you're huge.

This year, we get the only treatment that's worse (if you swallow it). We are the team the media needs most of all. Every sport needs Goliath, and this year it's us.

Sports are special, in part because they are a microcosm of life. Dream, Struggle, Victory. The bigger the dream, the harder the struggle, the sweeter the victory. That's why having a Goliath to write about adds drama; not only for Goliath's fans, but for David's. That's why they NEED Goliath.

Like it or not; that's our role this year. The media haven't changed their minds about us; we've never occupied their minds when they're away from their keyboards. We are just playing a different role this year.

This is scary to me because, as is always the case, Goliath is not nearly as much bigger than everyone else as the media makes "him" out to be. There are several teams that would be favored against us this year if we played at their house.

What Goliath needs most (in order to overcome that label) is a coach like Tressel and a quarterback like Smith.

See you in Glendale.

[JCOSU86]

GPA for DBB.

Is OSU as good as USC? Oh my Lord!

[BuckeyeBrutus]

Originally Posted by JCOSU86

GPA for DBB.

Is OSU as good as USC? Oh my Lord!

Do real fans say such things....hmmm

[bkochmc]

JC, you forgot to use the sarcasm font... evidently doesn't get it done for everyone...

[UpNorthBuckeye]

Here in TSUN the Buckeyes are definitely getting more respect. And I have to be careful to not gloat, or predict victory week in and week out... when asked about OSU's chances I say Tressel-like things, like "well it's a long season" and "anyone can beat you if you aren't careful" and [I like this one the best] "boy, Henne is looking good this year"....

...while all the time, in my heart I know what I'm thinking: Bucks all the way!!!! and, Henne looks about as confident as Joey Harrington in big games. Llloyd is so scare he's not calling more than 15 pass plays per game, that's how confident he is in Henne.

The only thing that bothers me a teeny little bit is when people say, "yeah you got a great team but I hate going down there to see The Game and getting my car vandalized or my wife abused."

I don't think we need to apologize for the Buckeyes being superior, just let's not act like jerks.

[ToddziLLa]

Great thread, read every post. When you are on top, there are lots of people that love you and lots of people that hate you. Take Google or Microsoft for example. Having said that, the way we are winning and the class that we are showing trumps the fact that we are just winning. We won in 2002 and still had lots of critics, and deservedly so. There really is nothing bad you can say about the team this year. There simply isn't.

[calibuck]

Daddy Big Bucks - you've got a great working environment! Sounds like you work with some knowledgeable people, and not the (insert name of team) over everyone!

I agree with you, I'd like to see the Buckeyes face off with the Urban Gators. I read that he's been badmouthing OSU with recruits, and I'd like to see them in teh BCS, with the proviso that the Buckeyes win big.

That'd give us two 'speed' teams we beat (U of Miami, and Florida). Then comes Fla State next year, and that'd be the hat trick. Stay humble until the Buckeyes actually do it! Good job!

Smash the Wolverweenies!