Game Thread Game Five: #1 Ohio State 38, #13 Iowa 17 (9/30/06)

[WaitingforKickoff]

If OSU manages hold Young to meager gains in the 1st while getting the lead, there would be a lot of pressure on Tate to make plays against the likes of Malcolm Jenkins while playing behind a banged up offensive line. From OSU's perspective, our biggest strength this season on defense has been our ability to create turnover, especially by snatching passes out of the air. If the games comes down to Tate and his receivers verses Troy and our receivers, I would feel very confident.

Stopping Young is a big if, because we have allowed yardage on the ground to teams so far this season. Ferentz would be crazy if he does not try to exploit that and try to establish the tempo and control the clock early on in this game.

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

I don't know about that one. I think the key to victory is stopping Tate, particularly his ability to run and to scramble and then throw. UC's QB gave us trouble that way, and that dude will be a poor man's version of what we'll see on Saturday night.



Lack of respect? Their fans need to remember that last year some preseason publications had them ranked as high as #2, and they promptly went out and lost 5 games. If you ask me, the media's been giving them way too much respect.

I'm talking strictly of their scout message board delusional cry babies. They started a thread over there crying about more "praise" for O$U on PTI....come to find out it was just them talking about the spiked ball before the TD.

When you're crying about praise you think is coming...to the #1 team in the country no less......and it never even comes, that's pathetic.

 

[jwinslow]

I never understood why the starters at LB are not Freeman, Laurinaitis, and Terry. I'm sorry, but Kerr just hasn't shown much this year IMO. I guess that neither Terry nor Freeman can play the Will.

Freeman hasn't been that great either, imo... if Terry has a big game (he's shown flashes) in Kinnick, Freeman's spot may be gone.

 

[RCollett]

So 3 of the 5 weeks that College Gameday has been on the air they have been with the Buckeyes. At Texas, here last week, and Iowa this week.

 

[martinss01]

i think the key to stopping iowa is the exact same key it has been all season. get to tate and disrupt the running lanes with 4 linemen. the biggest key to this young d performing as well as it has, as well as the turnovers, imo is the play of the d line. unlike last year where we had to send 1 sometimes 2 lb's just to get a decent pass rush. we are dominating the los with 4 d linemen. this frees the lb's and safties to drop back and play the ball. why does jl have as many int's as he does vrs carp, hawk, and schlegs? jl isn't blitzing every third play...

if the d line plays like it has been, the backfield doesn't give up any big plays, and we keep the o infront of us making sound tackles we have a good shot of shutting down iowa.

 

[BuckWrestler141]

I'll be at Iowa this weekend.

The Iowa message boars are saying there will be two huge t.v.'s outside the stadium. Hopefully i'll find a scalping price that I like, but if not, i'll tailgait all day long and watch it outdoors, it is only 2 hours away.

 

[biggsj6030]

I hope im not jinxing the D but they have yet to give up a rushing touchdown. (knock on wood) IMO our D will bend, bend, and bend some more but is going to be very hard to break. Every game this season they have been coached well and usually pick up the intensity in the 2nd half. I could see Iowas winning at the half by 7; however, I think it will be our running game that will lead OSU to the win. I love TS but our O-line has torn up opponents for pittman to run over again.

 

[SanAntonioBuck]

If, the Bucks can keep Albert Young at or below his 70 yards a game average, we should be okay. Shut down the run game, make Drew Tate throw on every down.

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Iowa City hasn't been kind to Buckeyes


By Lucas Sullivan
Staff Writer

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

COLUMBUS ? Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith vividly remembers the last time he was in Iowa City.
The Buckeyes were 0-2 in Big Ten play coming into the game against the Hawkeyes and left with fans chanting, "Oh and 3, oh and 3," after an embarrassing 33-7 loss.
Smith saw his first real action as a Buckeye there, replacing an injured and ineffective Justin Zwick ? now his backup in their senior year.
Smith threw for Ohio State's only touchdown of the game on a 23-yard pass to Rory Nicol against the Hawkeyes' second string defense.
The Buckeyes were in complete disarray and winless after three Big Ten games for the first time since 1988. Smith's TD pass also kept OSU from getting shut out for the first time since 1993.
"That was wake-up call for all of us," said Smith, after top-ranked Ohio State's 28-6 win over Penn State on Saturday. "That was a game where they let us know if you come into any school's stadium not focused, that this could happen to you."
Smith said he's not out for revenge Saturday when Ohio State travels to Iowa City to face the 13th-ranked Hawkeyes (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) at 8 p.m.
"I hope that guys don't work off revenge because of what (Iowa) did to them in the past," Smith said. "We have to play every week in a different way, and hopefully, we can get wins. That said, hopefully, we come out focused."
Some might say the Buckeyes got their revenge after last season's 31-6 trouncing of the Hawkeyes in the Horseshoe, frustrating quarterback Drew Tate so much he received a personal foul penalty for spiking the ball after being sacked in the fourth quarter.
But Ohio State's defense is more inexperienced than last year's squad when it comes to big road games, so Smith will likely have to provide more support than in 2004.
The Buckeyes ran just six plays into Iowa territory in 2004 before Smith took the reins, a moment OSU fans called for after Zwick, who was 6-for-14 for 74 yards before injuring his shoulder, was ineffective in losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern that season.
Smith had already added fuel to the fire when he publicly expressed his disappointment with not getting a shot to be OSU's offensive leader after a 33-27 overtime loss to the Wildcats.
"I'm not going to say they're playing with my life, but it's sort of like they've got puppet strings with it," Smith said at the time.
Two years later, he is the starter for the Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0). He comes into the game as the Heisman Trophy front-runner and college football's top highlight maker.
Smith is completing 65.6 percent of his passes and has thrown for 884 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Buckeyes no longer afraid of the dark
OSU preparing for trip to Iowa City for another prime-time showdown
By JON SPENCER
For The Advocate

COLUMBUS -- They've already shown this season they can win at night on the road in an electrically charged environment.
Now, the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes have to try to do it again.
Saturday's game at No. 13 Iowa has been trumpeted as "a sporting event for the ages" by the Des Moines Register. The newspaper calls the showdown of 4-0 teams one of the most anticipated ever in Iowa City, perhaps rivaled only by the matchup of No. 1 Iowa and No. 2 Michigan in 1985 and a night encounter with the Miami Hurricanes in 1992.
That's been the only other game staged under the lights in Kinnick Stadium's 77-year history. This time, tailgaters will have all day to feel the love from ESPN's "College Gameday" crew and revel in Iowa's first 4-0 start since 2003."Anytime we play a game in the Big Ten, it's a challenge," Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith said. "But anytime you play a ranked team, it's -- bar none -- like no other."
Three weeks ago, Smith orchestrated the 24-7 prime-time victory at then-No. 2 Texas in front of a record crowd in Royal-Memorial Stadium. He's also been on both sides of a blowout in the last two meetings with Iowa.
Two years ago, Smith subbed for an injured Justin Zwick in the second half of a 33-7 rout by the host Hawkeyes. Counterpart Drew Tate was the star that day, throwing for 331 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another.
Last year in Columbus, fortunes for both quarterbacks and their teams shifted. Tate was sacked five times, while Smith accounted for 318 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-6 payback.
Smith became a starter after that fateful day Oct. 16, 2004, in Iowa City. Save for a suspension that cost him three starts, he has led the Buckeyes to a 17-2 record.
"That (2004 game) was a wake-up call," he said. "That was a game that let us know that if you come into any school's stadium not focused, this is what could happen to you. You have to be focused at all times."
In other words, the Buckeyes can't afford a third consecutive sluggish start on offense -- especially given their recent track record. They've lost their last three Big Ten road openers, all at night.
They were scoreless at halftime of Saturday's 28-6 victory against Penn State -- a game that looked more decisive than it was because of two late interception return touchdowns by Malcolm Jenkins and Antonio Smith. The week before, they had only 13 points at halftime of a 37-7 victory against Cincinnati.
"I'm a firm believer that you should strive to be perfect at all times," said wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez, who had two touchdown catches last year against Iowa. "A slow start, yeah, maybe we recovered from it. But that's not good enough because there will be games -- and (Saturday) will be one of them -- where we cannot start slow or else we will lose."
If it makes OSU feel better, the Hawkeyes seem afflicted by the same offensive malaise. They looked less than convincing in Saturday's 24-7 win at lowly Illinois, scoring all three of their touchdowns in a four-minute span of the second quarter. Tate completed passes to six receivers for 190 yards and a TD, but the running attack averaged only 3.7 yards on 42 attempts against a team that has lost 24 of its last 25 Big Ten games.
Like Ohio State, the Hawkeyes fed off their defense. Last in the Big Ten in turnover ratio (minus-five) going in, Iowa intercepted four passes and limited Illini freshman "Juice" Williams to two completions in his first 20 attempts.
The Buckeyes intercepted three more passes against Penn State and now have eight interceptions -- two more than were produced all last season by a more experienced and decorated unit.
"We're not there yet," said sophomore middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, who has three of the picks. "(Penn State) drove it downfield on us on that one drive (stalling at the 1-yard line). That's embarrassing to a defense. You've got to be a perfectionist."
Especially this Saturday.

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Iowa's next goal: Topple top team

The Hawkeyes have never beaten a top-ranked foe, but look to reverse the trend by stopping Ohio State.


varUsername = "[email protected]";document.write("By ANDREW LOGUE");By ANDREW LOGUE
REGISTER STAFF WRITER

September 26, 2006



It's not the statistics that George Frye remembers. It's the sensation.

More than six decades have passed since Frye suited up for Iowa and tried to topple the No. 1 team in college football, but the 87-year-old ex-linebacker can offer a little insight into what the current Hawkeyes are feeling as they prepare for Saturday's tussle with top-ranked Ohio State.

"It's kind of a thrilling thing," said Frye, who lives in Albia. "You try to keep your emotions down, but inside you're kind of shaken up."

The vibrations from Kinnick Stadium this weekend will be felt throughout the Big Ten Conference as Ohio State (4-0, 1-0 in the league) continues its quest for a national championship and No. 13 Iowa (4-0, 1-0) tries to accomplish a first in Hawkeye history.

In 10 previous games against an opponent perched atop the Associated Press poll, Iowa coaches and players have been routed, riled and mired in controversy.

Victory, however, has eluded them.

It started on Nov. 15, 1941, when Frye and his teammates took on undefeated Minnesota in Iowa City. The atmosphere of that occasion set a tone for the carnival-like scene that is unfolding this week.

"I think it's very much the same," Frye said. "Everyone in Iowa was excited. Everyone in Minnesota was excited. You're kind of on top of the town."

The Hawkeyes lived up to the hype late in the first half when Al Couppee scooped up a fumble and ran 37 yards for a touchdown that tied the score 13-13. The Gophers responded with three unanswered touchdowns and won 34-13.

Since then, Iowa has posted an 0-9-1 record against No. 1 teams.

The best chance for an upset came against Notre Dame in 1953.

The Hawkeyes led 7-0 before halftime and 14-7 near the end of the fourth quarter. Both times, quarterback Ralph Guglielmi directed the Fighting Irish on frantic comeback drives.

Guglielmi also got an assist from several Notre Dame players who appeared to feign injuries in order to stop the clock.

"Then, the ref didn't wind it up right away," Forest Evashevski, Iowa's coach from 1952-60, recalled last week. "There's not much you can do."

Guglielmi threw a 7-yard touchdown to Dan Shannon with 1 second left to tie the score 7-7 at halftime. The two connected again from 9 yards out to pull even again, with 6 seconds remaining in the game.

"To have something like that happen was an absolute shock," said Jim Zabel, who became the radio voice for Hawkeye sports in 1949. "Grantland Rice, the big sportswriter of the day, came down hard on Notre Dame. It spelled the end of (coach) Frank Leahy's career."

Leahy left Notre Dame after the season.

A story in the New York Times declared the Iowa-Notre Dame deadlock, "beyond belief." Most of the Hawkeyes' other matchups with a No. 1 foe have been predictable.

The last six losses were by an average of 33.3 points, with none decided by fewer than 17 points.

Still, the symbolism and significance of facing the top-ranked Buckeyes - with Big Ten title hopes in the balance - will stir the passions of Hawkeyes past and present.

"You can talk about your USCs. You can talk about your Notre Dames," Zabel said. "But I think it's pretty well-established there's something about the magic of Ohio State."

 

[osugrad21]

Link

3 QUESTIONS WITH ...

Marv Cook

College football analyst and former Iowa tight end

1. Is it flattering that people still talk about your catch that beat Ohio State in Columbus in 1987?

To be recognized for something like that is a great honor for me. It?s obviously flattering.

2. What is it about the Buckeyes that gets players and fans so riled up?

I remember, for me, and a lot of other Midwest guys, we grew up watching the Michigan-Ohio State game, we saw those stadiums. Then to be able to a part of that venue is pretty exciting.

3. Better catch: Yours or Warren Holloway?s?
Ten days after (Iowa?s) Captial One Bowl (win over Louisiana State), (former Iowa) coach (Hayden) Fry wrote me a note saying, ?I still like your catch the best.?

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Yes, there are Buckeyes in Hawkeye land"
Yes, there are Buckeyes in Hawkeye land
Some at UI have ties to Ohio State

By Brian Morelli
Iowa City Press-Citizen

Some Buckeyes already infiltrated the Hawkeye state.
"No one really thinks that Iowa will win, but they say I should root for Iowa anyway. It's not that easy to switch," said Malik Henfield, a UI assistant professor in counselor education, who received his Ph. D. from Ohio State University earlier this year. "I don't hide the fact that I am a huge Buckeyes fan."
Henfield is used to catching flack for flaunting his scarlet-and-gray hat around campus, especially this week, when the undefeated Iowa football team hosts the unbeaten and top-ranked Buckeyes on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.
In fact, Henfield already has a game plan for after the "blowout."
"I am going to send out a mass e-mail as soon as we win," he said with a laugh.
Around campus, ties to Ohio State run thick. While some Buckeye fans are disguised as UI faculty, staff or students, other former Ohio Staters now don Hawkeye black and gold.
Once an executive dean at Ohio State University, where his four children also graduated, UI provost Michael Hogan is crystal clear about his allegiance for the game.
"The Hawkeyes of course," Hogan said. "I've always been a Hawkeye except, of course, when I was at Ohio State."
Hogan is an Iowa native and earned his masters and Ph. D. from UI. His Jessup Hall office does not have much memorabilia, but he does have a Hawkeye bumper sticker.
"It always surprised me when people say, 'Will you have a conflict in loyalties?" said Hogan, who acknowledged that he might still have a Buckeye hat somewhere in his basement.
On a more serious note, Hogan said he was concerned for student safety, and he encouraged fans to stay polite, civil and within bounds.
Others, such as Jill Beckman, a UI associate professor of linguistics with a masters' degree from Ohio State, are less partisan about Saturday's outcome.
Beckman collects less grief for her scarlet-and-gray-tainted past than Henfield, although she is less passionate as well.
"Both teams," Beckman said when asked whom she wanted to win.
"I've been here in Iowa City for the last 10 years, so I've been an Iowa fan," she said. "But when Ohio State is having as good of a season as they are this year, it's hard to root against them."

 

[osugrad21]

Link

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]THE CIRCUS IS COMING[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ferentz expects 'six-ring' spectacle at Kinnick[/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT][/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]By Andy Hamilton
Iowa City Press-Citizen [/FONT][/FONT]​

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Kirk Herbstreit says Kinnick Stadium will be "a zoo." Kirk Ferentz expects to see "a six-ring circus."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Presumably, those are just metaphorical references to Iowa's fans and not the "additional activities" the UI athletic department is promising for Saturday's showdown between top-ranked Ohio State and the No. 13 Hawkeyes.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Circus animals or not, Herbstreit says the Buckeyes are about to encounter a whole different animal Saturday night inside Kinnick Stadium -- a more vicious creature than they encountered three weeks ago when they went to Texas and beat the defending national champions 24-7.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Texas? Forget about Texas," the ESPN college football analyst and former Ohio State quarterback said Monday on WBNS 1460-AM in Columbus, Ohio. "Texas was wine and cheese compared to what you're going to see. This is more about brats and beer and a lot of both. And by the time kickoff comes, it's going to be every time the Iowa special teams or defense comes close to stepping on the field, you will not be able to hear.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Not Texas, 'It's third down for our defense, let's stand up and make some noise.' No, I'm talking hostility the way Ohio State saw it last year against Penn State. Because of that, it's more of an equalizer than what happened when Ohio State went to Texas. The crowd will be a big factor in this game."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Forgive Hawkeye fans if they're excited for Saturday night. There hasn't been a true night game in Kinnick Stadium since 1992 when No. 1 Miami rolled into town, and the nation's top-ranked team hasn't made an appearance in Iowa City since.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Moreover, Herbstreit and the ESPN "GameDay" crew are making their first appearance at an Iowa home game since 1996, and ABC will broadcast the game to a national audience.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"These are the weeks you really enjoy," Ferentz said after his team beat Illinois 24-7 Saturday. "It's just going to fly by. This is going to be, potentially, a six-ring circus, instead of a three-ring circus. We don't get a lot of six-ring circuses."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ohio State is more accustomed to the six-ring circus. "GameDay" practically has a spot on the Buckeye charter. The popular Saturday-morning pregame show will make its third appearance in five weeks at the campus of an Ohio State game.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Buckeyes have played 30 straight home games in front of crowds of at least 100,000. Their flagship radio network is carried on 73 affiliates. Their trophy case houses seven national titles and six Heismans. Their roster is filled with former prep All-Americans and future NFL draft choices.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Realistically, if we play this game on a neutral field, Ohio State wins nine out of 10 based on talent," Herbstreit said on WBNS. "But we're not playing it on a neutral field, we're not in a bowl game, this is in Iowa City. Kinnick Stadium. ... This place is going to be electric."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Hawkeyes, winners of 25 of their last 26 home games, electrified Kinnick two years ago when they belted the Buckeyes 33-7 -- the most lopsided Ohio State loss in series history.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Last time we were there, we got our butts kicked around," Ohio State guard T.J. Downing told the Chicago Tribune. "We need to go there and get some payback."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Hawkeyes could feel the need for retribution, too. They got shellacked 31-6 last year at Ohio State when Iowa's disappointment bubbled over and quarterback Drew Tate was penalized in the fourth quarter for spiking the ball in frustration after being sacked.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"I love Drew Tate," Herbstreit said on WBNS. "I think he's a lot like (Ohio State quarterback) Troy (Smith), as far as what he means to his team. He's mobile. He's tough. Everyone's going to remember him spiking the ball last year against Ohio State because of his frustration, and that was one of those days Ohio State's defense dominated. I'm going to go back two years ago when Ohio State played Iowa and Drew Tate, the only time he wanted to spike the ball was after his team scored."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Iowa outgained Ohio State 448-177 and Tate passed for 331 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"That's his memory that I'm sure his teammates are trying to relive -- I know we got embarrassed last year in Columbus, but let's go back to two years ago when we had them at our place," Herbstreit said on WBNS. "That's what we're going to focus on because we know what we can do to them in our stadium."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The loss to Iowa in 2004 came at the end of a three-game losing streak for the Buckeyes. They won five of their final six games, including an upset of No. 7 Michigan, which helped give the Hawkeyes a share of the Big Ten title and propelled Ohio State to an 8-4 season -- the blip on the Buckeye radar in recent years.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Ohio State has won three BCS bowl games during the past four seasons, including the 31-24 double-overtime win against Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes own a 47-6 record since the start of the 2002 season.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]But if Ohio State has had a weakness during that time, it's been playing on the road at night. The Buckeyes had a 19-game winning streak snapped in a prime time game at Wisconsin in 2003. They lost at night on the road against Northwestern in 2004. Their only conference blemish last year came on the road at night against Penn State.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"I've been saying since August -- with all due respect to Texas -- that the game in Iowa City at night will be this year's Penn State of a year ago," Herbstreit said on WBNS. "Crowd noise. Hostility. The team is probably not as good as Penn State last year.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"But I'm talking about the atmosphere and what Ohio State will have to overcome will be much like what they saw when they went to Happy Valley, where the crowd will really have an impact on the outcome, which means you have to be a lot better and you have to execute at a much higher level than your opponent to be able to go into that kind of environment and be able to deal with that momentum that's going to favor Iowa for four quarters."[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]? EXTRA POINTS: The normal names appeared on Iowa's depth chart Monday, except for defensive end Alex Kanellis, who underwent an appendectomy Saturday. Offensive tackle Dace Richardson, center Rafael Eubanks, wide receiver Andy Brodell, running back Albert Young, defensive end Kenny Iwebema, free safety Marcus Paschal and reserve safety Devan Moylan missed time Saturday against Illinois with various ailments, but all are listed in this week's two-deep. ... Iowa has never beaten a top-ranked opponent. The Hawkeyes are 0-7-1 in their history. Their last loss was a 42-13 defeat at Nebraska in 2000. The Buckeyes are just the fourth top-ranked team to enter Kinnick, joining Miami (1992), Ohio State (1964) and Minnesota (1941).[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[osugrad21]

Official Site

Battle Of Unbeatens On Tap This Week In Iowa City

Sophomore corner Malcolm Jenkins recorded one of three Ohio State interceptions, two of which were returned for TDs, in the Buckeyes' 28-6 win vs. PSU.

Sept. 25, 2006

Depth Chart
Top 25 Polls
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THIS WEEK
Top-ranked Ohio State travels to Iowa City this week to take on the unbeaten Iowa Hawkeyes in a prime time showdown in Kinnick Stadium. A capacity crowd of 70,585 is expected to be on hand for the sixty-first meeting between the two Big Ten rivals. Saturday's kickoff is scheduled for shortly after 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
Both teams are 4-0 on the year and 1-0 in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes opened conference action this past weekend with a hard-fought 28-6 win over visiting Penn State. The Hawkeyes, who are ranked 13th in both major polls, are coming off a 24-7 victory at Illinois.
This will be the second road game and the second prime time exposure of the year for Jim Tressel's Buckeyes, who earlier this season defeated then-second ranked Texas at night in Austin. It also will mark the third time this year that OSU has played a ranked team. Penn State entered last week's game ranked at No. 24 in the Associated Press voting.

The win over the Nittany Lions extends Ohio State's current winning streak to 11 games, the second longest streak in college football. The Buckeyes have won four consecutive road games, including three Big Ten tilts.
Iowa is 2-0 at home this year with wins over Montana and Iowa State. The Hawkeyes have a three-game winning streak intact in Kinnick Stadium.
WBNS Radio, the flagship station for the 73-station Ohio State radio network will begin its network programming 30 minutes before kickoff with the Jim Tressel pregame show.
OHIO STATE TRAVEL PLANS
The Buckeyes will fly via charter to Cedar Rapids on Friday afternoon and have scheduled an 8 p.m. ET walk-through in Kinnick Stadium. The team will stay at the Clarion Cedar Rapids and will return to Columbus (Rickenbacker International) following the game.
BUCKEYES STILL CONSENSUS NO. 1
For the fifth consecutive week, Ohio State continues to hold down the No. 1 spot in both polls. The Buckeyes received 59 of 63 first-place votes in this week's coaches' poll and 59 of a possible 65 in the voting by the Associated Press writers. Ohio State also is No. 1 in the first weekly Harris Interactive poll released Sunday. The Buckeyes garnered 107 of a possible 113 first-place votes. The Buckeyes have been in the weekly polls for 18 consecutive weeks, have held down a top 10 spot in six straight polls and have been No. 1 in the past five polls, beginning with the preseason voting.
OHIO STATE IN BIG TEN PLAY
Over the years, Ohio State has either won outright or shared 30 Big Ten titles. Last year's co-championship was OSU's second under Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes also shared the title in 2002, notching a perfect 8-0 record. Heading into this week's game at Iowa, Ohio State's all-time Big Ten record stands at 428-187-28 in 94 seasons of league competition.
Ohio State vs.WLT Chicago1022 Illinois59294 Indiana64125 Iowa43143 Michigan39576 Michigan St.24120 Minnesota3870 Northwestern56141 Penn State11110 Purdue35122 Wisconsin50175 TOTAL42818728
SERIES INFORMATION
This will be the 61st meeting between Iowa and Ohio State in a series that began in 1922. The Buckeyes have a 43-14-3 lead thus far and have won 16 of the 24 games played in Iowa City (there have been two ties). Ohio State has won nine of the last 10 games dating back to 1992. Iowa's 33-7 win in 2004 in Iowa City, snapped an eight-game OSU winning streak. The Buckeyes won last year's game, 31-6, in Columbus.
Iowa posted a 3-0-1 record in the first four games of the series and recorded three shutouts in that span. Ohio State won 19 of 20 games between 1963 and 1980.
RECAPPING LAST YEAR
Troy Smith threw for one touchdown and ran for another and Josh Huston hit a 47-yard field goal as time expired to give the Buckeyes a 17-0 lead at the half. Smith hit Anthony Gonzalez from 8 yards out with 7:43 to go in the first quarter and then scored from 16 yards out with 14:30 to play in the second quarter. Smith's 4-yard run in the third quarter made it 24-0 and after Kyle Schlicher hit a pair of field goals for Iowa, Smith and Gonzalez hooked up again, this time from 29 yards out, to complete the scoring.
Gonzalez totaled a then-career high six catches for 90 yards. Santonio Holmes had five receptions for 95 yards and tailback Antonio Pittman carried the ball 25 times for 171 yards. Smith finished the day with 191 yards passing and another 127 on the ground as the Buckeyes rolled up 530 yards in total offense.
The Ohio State defense, led by All-America linebacker A. J. Hawk with 11 tackles, recorded four sacks and an interception and limited the Hawkeyes to 137 yards, including a minus 9 yards rushing.
COACH Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel is in his sixth season as head coach at Ohio State. His record with the Buckeyes is 54-13, including a 31-10 slate in the Big Ten, and his career ledger now stands at 189-70-2 (.728) in his twenty-first season as a head coach.
Tressel took over the Buckeyes in 2001, directing them to a 7-5 record that year. In 2002, he led Ohio State to a 14-0 record and the school's first consensus national championship since 1968 and was nearly everyone's choice as National Coach of the Year following the season. In 2003, the Buckeyes won their first five games to extend their winning streak to 19 and finished with an 11-2 record. The 2004 squad, which had to replace 14 NFL drafted players, won five of its last six games en route to an 8-4 finish.
A season ago, Tressel guided the Buckeyes to a 10-2 overall record with seven-consecutive victories down the stretch, which included a 34-20 victory over Notre Dame in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in January. The current 11-game win streak is second only to the 19-consecutive wins under Tressel in 2002 (14-0) and 2003 (5-0 to start season).
Tressel's teams have appeared in five bowl games and are 4-1 in those contests, including three BCS wins in the Fiesta Bowl over the last four seasons. They also are 4-1 against Michigan in one of the most intense and storied rivalries in all of sports.
Eleven of Tressel's players have won first-team All-America honors and four have won major awards, including linebacker A.J. Hawk, the recipient of the 2005 Lombardi Award.
Tressel is a master in close games. Since coming to Ohio State, he is 17-9 in games decided by a touchdown or less and 4-1 in overtime games.
He is at his best against the best with a 23-7 record against teams ranked in the Top 25 and a 7-2 mark against teams ranked in the Top 10.
The 53-year-old Tressel is a 1975 graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College.
BUCKEYES TAME LIONS
Ohio State opened its Big Ten season Saturday with a 28-6 win over visiting Penn State. In winning their third straight conference home opener, the Buckeyes needed a pair of fourth-quarter interception returns for touchdowns to salt the game away.
Holding on to a less-than-comfortable 14-6 lead, the Buckeyes got a lift from cornerback Malcolm Jenkins whose 61-yard return gave them a 21-6 lead with 2:31 to play. Moments later cornerback Antonio Smith picked off his first career interception and returned it 55 yards to the north end zone and the game was officially over.
The Buckeyes also had an interception earlier in the game by linebacker James Laurinaitis, giving them eight on the year, three more than all of last year. The OSU defense limited Penn State to 248 yards and allowed the Nittany Lions to convert just three of 14 third-down opportunities.
Ohio State's other two touchdowns came on a 12-yard run by Antonio Pittman, who finished the game with 110 yards, and a 37-yard pass from Troy Smith to Brian Robiskie. The former gave the Buckeyes their first lead at 7-3 after the Nittany Lions had taken a 3-0 lead into the locker room at intermission. On the latter, Smith rolled to his right, reversed his field and somehow threw a perfect strike to Robiskie, giving the Buckeyes a 14-3 lead.
The two teams combined for just 501 yards in total offense on a rainy, windy afternoon in Ohio Stadium.
TRESSEL ON THE WIN OVER PENN STATE
"We knew that things would intensify once the Big Ten started. Penn State is one of the two teams that we play every year and we know each other pretty well. They had a great game plan. Fortunately we were able to make a few more plays."
Tressel is now 4-2 against Penn State.
TRESSEL ON PLAYING IOWA
"The Big Ten is a long, hard struggle. Iowa is a good football team with a veteran quarterback. We know it will take a great effort on our part this week."
OHIO STATE AWARDS CANDIDATES
Several Ohio State players are listed on the various postseason awards watch lists. Senior Troy Smith and junior Ted Ginn Jr. both are preseason Heisman Trophy candidates. The pair also is listed on the 2006 Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list. Additionally, senior center Doug Datish (Rimington, Lombardi), Ginn Jr. (Biletnikoff), Smith (Manning), sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis (Bednarik), junior offensive tackle Kirk Barton and senior defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock (Lombardi), and junior running back Antonio Pittman (Doak Walker) have been listed on various watch lists as major awards candidates.
SMITH, GINN MOVE UP OSU CAREER CHARTS
Quarterback Troy Smith is the all-time completion percentage leader in Ohio State history. He has connected on 61.7 percent of his passes (285-462) to date. He also is ninth all-time at Ohio State in career passing yardage with 4,061 yards entering the game this week against Iowa (Craig Krenzel with 4,493 career yards from 2000-03 is eighth). Smith's also ranks tenth in career total offense with career 5,030 yards. Smith has thrown for 200 or more yards in nine of his last 11 games.
Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. is in 14th place on the all-time OSU receiving list with 92 receptions. He is also 14th in career receiving yardage with a total of 1,430, an average of 15.5 yards per reception.
The speedy Ginn has caught at least one pass in 23-consecutive games (beginning with Iowa in 2004) and has multiple catches in 21-consecutive games.
Ginn, who led the nation in punt returns as a freshman and kick returns last year, has returned six kicks for touchdowns - five punts and one kickoff. He needs three more scores on punt returns to break the NCAA record in that category.
DON'T TRED ON ME
Through the first four games of the 2006 campaign, the young, and ever-improving, Ohio State defense has not allowed a rushing touchdown. On the season, the Buckeyes have given up just 32 points (three passing touchdowns and four field goals) and lead the Big Ten in scoring defense, at 8.0 points a game. The Buckeyes enter the Iowa game with a string of seven consecutive quarters without allowing a touchdown. They have held their last three opponents to 7 points or less.
OSU PLAYERS OF THE GAME
The Ohio State coaching staff has selected Brian Robiskie as this week's offensive player of the week, Antonio Smith as the defensive player of the week, Alex Boone as the offensive lineman of the week and Anderson Russell as the special teams player of the week. Defensive end Vernon Gholston was the attack force player of the week.
Scout team recognition went to Albert Dukes on offense, Juan Garnier on defense and Brandon Underwood with the special teams.
BUCKEYES OFFENSE CLICKING
Ohio State is averaging 31 points and 383 yards in its first four games. The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 124 to 32 and have scored eight touchdowns passing and six via the rush. The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents in every quarter and have a commanding 52-9 edge in the fourth quarter. Ohio State has scored 24 or more points in each of the past 11 games.
SMITH JUST FINDS A WAY
Bottled up most of the afternoon by a stout-hearted Penn State defense, OSU senior quarterback Troy Smith once again pulled a rabbit out of his hat Saturday, connecting with Brian Robiskie on a 37-yard touchdown strike early in the fourth quarter to give the Buckeyes a 14-3 lead and some much-needed breathing room.
Asked what he thought as he watched Smith roll to the right and then reverse his field before hitting Robiskie in the end zone, offensive tackle Kirk Barton replied, "I was thinking that would probably be the film clip they show of him at the Heisman dinner this December in New York."
The 6-1, 215-pound Smith, who made his first collegiate start against Indiana in 2004, is now 17-2 starter.
SMITH BIG TEN LEADER
Buckeye quarterback Troy Smith is completing 66.0 percent of his passes (68 of 103) and has thrown for 884 yards and eight touchdowns with just two interceptions. Both of the latter came last week against Penn State, but it was Smith's 37-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown pass that kept the Buckeyes unbeaten. The TD toss to Brian Robiskie was Smith's 32nd career scoring strike, tying him with Mike Tomczak (1981-84) for seventh place on the all-time OSU list in that category. Smith leads the Big Ten in passing efficiency with a mark of 159.9 for all games.
OSU "FUN BUNCH" CUTTING UP
The Buckeye "Fun Bunch" of quarterback Troy Smith, wide receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez and tailback Antonio Pittman is off to a rollicking start. Smith has completed 66 percent of his passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. The 6-1 senior has thrown for 200 or more yards in nine of his last 11 starts, including the first three games this year. Ginn has a team-high five touchdown grabs on 16 receptions and is averaging 16.8 yards per catch, while Gonzalez leads the team in receptions with 19 and is averaging 15.6 yards per catch. Pittman is the Buckeyes' leading ground gainer with 450 yards on 71 carries and has four touchdowns to his credit. The hard-running junior has three 100-yard games this year and is averaging 112.5 yards per game and 6.3 yards per carry. A fifth member of the group, split end Roy Hall, missed the first two games of the season with a gimpy ankle, but returned to action against Cincinnati and hauled in his first reception of the year.
GONZO MOVES THE CHAINS
Junior split end Anthony Gonzalez has 15 receptions in his last three games and leads the Buckeyes with 19 catches. Seventeen of those receptions have resulted in first downs by the sure-handed speedster. With 19 receptions, 296 yards and a pair of touchdown catches, Gonzalez seems assured of surpassing last year's totals of 28 receptions, 373 yards and three scores.
PITCOCK, PATTERSON PRAISED
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel likes what he has seen from defensive tackles Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson, the Buckeyes' lone two returning starters from last year's 10-2 team.
"As far as I am concerned they are the best two defensive tackles in the country," noted Tressel prior to the Penn State game. "And in addition to being terrific players, they are both excellent leaders. Our front four is the strength of our defense and Quinn and David set the tone."
Pitcock is having a monster year with 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks through the first four games of the year. He has 14 tackles on the season. Patterson was credited with a career-high seven tackles against Penn State. He has 13 stops on the year, including two tackles-for-loss.
PITTMAN PACES GROUND GAME
Junior tailback Antonio Pittman leads Ohio State in rushing with 450 yards and four touchdowns on 71 carries, an average of 6.3 yards per attempt and 112.5 yards per game. Pittman has topped the 100-yard mark in three of the Buckeyes' first four games this year, giving him 11 games over the century mark as a Buckeye. In Saturday's win over Penn State, Pittman ran for 110 yards on 20 carries and scored OSU's go-ahead touchdown on a 12-yard burst up the middle.
Pittman has four touchdowns for the Buckeyes so far this year. He rushed for seven scores last year, but his first touchdown did not come until Minnesota in the eighth week of the season.
OSU DEFENSE GETS THE JOB DONE
Through the first four games of the 2006 season, the Ohio State defense, which has nine new starters from a year ago, has surrendered just 32 points, is allowing a very respectable 282.2 yards per game, has recorded 38 tackles-for-loss and 16 sacks and has nine takeaways to its credit. In its last three games, the OSU defense has not allowed a touchdown in the second half. Additionally, it has not allowed a touchdown in the last seven quarters. The Buckeyes already have more interceptions this year (8) than they had all of last year (6) and their nine takeaways is three shy of last year's total. Ohio State's nine takeaways have resulted in 38 points for the OSU offense. OSU's four opponents have four takeaways, but no points to show for the miscues.
LAURINAITIS OSU TACKLE LEADER
Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis leads the team in tackles with 36, including 10 this past week against Penn State. Laurinaitis, recently named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list, also leads the Big Ten in interceptions with three and forced fumbles with two. He snagged his third pick in as many games Saturday against Penn State.
With three interceptions and two forced fumbles (one of which was recovered by the Buckeyes) the Hamel, Minnesota native has figured in four of the Buckeyes' nine takeaways this year. Following his performance at the Texas game, where he had a career-high 13 tackles to go along with his first college pick and forced two fumbles, he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week as well as the Walter Camp, Sporting News and Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week.
OSU IMPROVES RECORD AS NO. 1
With the victory over Penn State, Ohio State is now 55-8-1 when ranked as the nation's No. 1 team. Overall, the Buckeyes are 287-68-9 when carrying a Top 10 ranking and 394-123-14 as a Top 25 team. Ohio State has opened the season No. 1 seven times, second only to Oklahoma (9). The Buckeyes own the record for most appearances (53) in the first 57 years of the Associated Press poll.
BUCKEYES STAY PERFECT IN NO. 1 VS. NO. 2 SHOWDOWNS
The Sept. 9 showdown in Austin between top-ranked Ohio State and second-ranked Texas was the earliest regular-season match-up in college football annals between a No. 1 and a No. 2 team. Ohio State has been involved in two such games previously, the first in the 1969 Rose Bowl and the second in the 2002 national championship game at the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. OSU won both, downing the University of Southern California, 27-16, in the former and Miami of Florida, 31-24 in two overtimes, in the latter. On both occasions, the Buckeyes were the No. 2 ranked team.
BUCKEYES RECORD IMPRESSIVE WINS
In their last six games, Jim Tressel's Buckeyes have recorded wins over four of college football's most successful programs - Michigan, Notre Dame, Texas and Penn State. Michigan tops the list with 853 wins (853-280-36), Notre Dame is second at 815-266-42 and Texas ranks third at 803-311-33. The Buckeyes are fifth all-time with 779 wins, followed by Alabama (777 wins) and No. 7 Penn State (771-341-42).
SEPTEMBER SUCCESS
The Buckeyes are now 21-2 under Jim Tressel in the month of September, the only setbacks coming at UCLA (9/22/01) and to visiting Texas (9/10) last year.
BUCKEYES GET HIGH GRADES
A league-best 18 Ohio State football players were named to the Big Ten's All-Academic team last fall, marking the fourth year in a row the Buckeyes have led the conference in that area. Additionally, a record 46 Ohio State football players qualified for last spring's annual OSU Scholar-Athlete Dinner, which requires a grade-point average of 3.00 or better for the past academic year. As a team, the Buckeyes have an overall GPA of 2.83. A total of 52 football student-athletes earned a 3.00 or better during Ohio State's spring quarter and 46 had a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 after spring grades were calculated.
BUCKEYE GRADUATES
Quarterback Troy Smith (communication), center Doug Datish (history), strong safety Brandon Mitchell (political science) and fullback Stan White Jr. (finance) all are working toward graduate degrees while playing football for the Buckeyes this season. Two most recent student-athletes to earn their degrees are All-America linebacker A.J. Hawk and Richard Schafrath, who lettered from 1956-58. Both were awarded degrees following the 2006 summer quarter. Other 2005-06 graduates include Bobby Carpenter, Angelo Chattams, R.J. Coleman, John Conroy, Ryan Hamby, Rob Harley, Mike Roberts, Anthony Schlegel, Brandon Schnittker, Rob Sims, Steve Winner and Ashton Youboty.
THE BUCKEYES ALL-TIME
Ohio State enters this week with an all-time record of 779-300-53 in 116 seasons of competition. That includes a Big Ten record of 426-162-24 since 1913, an Ohio Stadium slate of 369-104-20 since 1922 and a bowl mark of 18-19. The Buckeyes have winning records against 91 of the 105 opponents they have played.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Following last week's victory over visiting Penn State, Ohio State has an all-time mark of 369-104-20 in Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes have won eight straight and 12 of their last 13 in the Horseshoe.
BUCKEYES PACK THEM IN
Ohio State has played to full houses in each of its first four games this season. Saturday's crowd of 105,266 was the fifth largest in Ohio Stadium history. In their first three home games of the year, the Buckeyes are averaging 104,733.
OSU COACHES IN THE PRESS BOX
Offensive coordinator Jim Bollman and quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels will be in the press box for the Buckeyes during the game as will cornerbacks coach Tim Beckman and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell.
BUCKEYE NOTES
Brian Robiskie's touchdown reception against Penn State was his first as a Buckeye ... Linebacker James Laurinaitis has an interception in each of the Buckeyes last three games and OSU has at least one pick in all four games this year ... Cornerback Malcolm Jenkins has an interception in each of the last two games ... Antonio Smith's interception against Penn State was the first of his career ... Defensive end Vernon Gholston has a career-high seven tackles against Penn State and senior defensive tackle Joel Penton recorded his first career sack on Saturday.
BUCKEYES STEER BY TEXAS
Led by Troy Smith, Ted Ginn, Anthony Gonzalez and Antonio Pittman on offense and bolstered by a young but quickly coming-of-age defense, top-ranked Ohio State solidified its place in the polls with its 17-point victory over the defending national champion Longhorns.
Smith enhanced his early season Heisman Trophy status by completing 17 of 26 passes for 269 yards and a pair of touchdowns against a veteran Texas defense, giving him five touchdown passes and 566 passing yards in his first two games. After two games, the 6-1, 215-pound quarterback has completed 68.4 percent of his passes and leads the Big Ten in passing efficiency with a 194.2 figure.
Ginn, the Buckeyes' other Heisman hopeful, was on the receiving end of five passes for 97 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown grab just before halftime that put Ohio State in front 14-7 going into the locker room. Ginn's grab capped off a business-like 5-play, 66-yard drive that began with 1:55 remaining in the second quarter. The speedy flanker set the tone early with a 46-yard catch-and-run on the Buckeyes' second play from scrimmage.
The Buckeyes also received a career-best performance from Gonzalez, who hauled in eight catches for 142 yards. The junior split end and honor student got Ohio State on the board with 1:04 to play in the first quarter by latching on to a 14-yard pass from Smith that put the icing on a 50-yard drive.
Pittman led the Buckeyes in rushing for the second consecutive week, finishing with 74 yards on 16 carries, an average of 4.6 yards per attempt. His 2-yard touchdown run with 6:31 to play capped off the scoring and put the game out of reach. The Buckeyes, who took over the ball at their own 28-yard line after a missed Texas field goal, marched 72 yards in 10 plays for the score.
The Buckeye defense limited the Texas offense to 326 total yards and just the one touchdown and set up two OSU scores with timely takeaways.
Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis was involved in both turnovers. First, he forced a first-quarter fumble at the OSU 1-yard line that cornerback Donald Washington scooped up and returned 49 yards to set up the Smith-to-Ginn touchdown pass. Then, on the first play of the third quarter, he intercepted a Colt McCoy pass and ran it back 25 yards to the Texas 31-yard line. Kicker Aaron Pettrey gave the Buckeyes a 10-point cushion with a 31-yard field goal.
With the aggressive defensive front keeping the pressure on throughout the evening, Laurinaitis finished with a game-best and career-high 13 tackles to go along with two forced fumbles, his first career interception and a pass broken up. Safety Brandon Mitchell was credited with nine stops, while Washington, who was making his first start at corner, had five. Cover corner Malcolm Jenkins and nickel back Antonio Smith each had five stops as Ohio State kept Texas under 40 points for the first time in 13 games.
Sophomore punter A. J. Trapasso kept the Longhorns corralled in their own territory by averaging 50.8 yards per punt on six kicks - the third best single-game performance in Ohio State history. That average includes a 39-yard punt at the end of the game that rolled out-of-bounds on the Texas 6-yard line. The Longhorns' average field position after a Trapasso thumper was their own 21-yard line.
The victory squared the series at 1-1 and gave Ohio State an all-time record of 4-0 in the Lone Star state.
BUCKEYES DOWN BEARCATS
Ohio State ran its record to 3-0 with a 37-7 victory over visiting Cincinnati. The win was the Buckeyes' 10th in a row.
After falling behind 7-3 at the end of the first quarter (the first time all year that OSU has trailed), the Buckeyes scored 34 unanswered points en route to their seventh consecutive win in Ohio Stadium.
Quarterback Troy Smith again led the Buckeyes to victory, completing 21 of 30 passes for 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns. OSU rolled up 444 yards in total offense and scoring drives of 85, 80 and 72 yards - their three longest drives of the year.
Smith connected with Ted Ginn Jr. on a pair of scoring strikes in the second and third quarters to give OSU a comfortable 20-7 lead. But it was Antonio Pittman who put the game out of reach with a 48-yard scoring jaunt with just over nine minutes to go in the fourth period. Pittman finished his afternoon with 155 yards on 16 carries, an impressive 9.7 yards per attempt. Backup tailback Maurice Wells scored the other OSU touchdown on a nine-yard run. Aaron Pettrey added field goals of 47 and 43 yards and Ryan Pretorius hit from 52-yards away to complete the scoring.
Gonzalez and Ginn each had five receptions to pace the receiving corps as four different quarterbacks hooked up with 11 different receivers.
The Ohio State defense limited the Bearcats to 212 yards of total offense, including a scant 64 in the second half. Senior tackle Quinn Pitcock had a career-high three sacks and narrowly missed two more. He finished the day with five tackles. With Pitcock leading the way, the Buckeyes recorded eight sacks, 10 tackles for loss and had three interceptions.
Sophomore linebacker James Laurinaitis led the Buckeyes with nine tackles, including a sack, and picked off his second interception of the year.
PITCOCK HAS CAREER DAY
Defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock came within a shoestring of tying and perhaps setting the Ohio State single-game record for sacks this past Saturday against Cincinnati. The 6-3, 295-pound senior bull rushed his way through the Bearcats' offensive line en route to a career-high three sacks for a minus 24 yards. Pitcock narrowly missed two other sacks, UC quarterback Dustin Grutza somehow slipping out of his grasp. The OSU single-game sack record of four is shared by Bobby Carpenter (Michigan State, 2005) and Jason Simmons (Washington State, 1991). Pitcock had one sack all of last year.
BUCKEYE CAPTAINS
Seniors Troy Smith, Doug Datish, Quinn Pitcock and David Patterson were voted by their teammates as captains of the 2006 Ohio State football team. Smith (QB) and Datish (C) will lead from the offensive side while Pitcock and Patterson represent the defense from the defensive tackle spot. The four entered the season with 128 games of combined experience as Buckeyes.
HONORARY CAPTAIN
Shaun Gayle will be this week's honorary captain. Gayle was a four-year letterman and three year starter for the Buckeyes between 1980 and 1983.
ABOUT THE HAWKEYES
Iowa remained perfect this season after winning on the road at Illinois, 24-7, last week to open Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes are 4-0 overall, 1-0 in conference play and are ranked 13th in both polls. Iowa opened the season with a 41-7 victory over Montana, then needed overtime to win at Syracuse 20-13 before winning the in-state battle with Iowa State, 27-17.
The Hawkeyes are averaging 380.2 yards and 28 points per game. Each game, Iowa is averaging 229 yards through the air and 151.2 yards on the ground. Quarterback Drew Tate has completed 58 of 93 passes (62.4 percent) for 687 yards. He has thrown seven touchdowns with just two interceptions. His favorite targets include Albert Young, Scott Chandler and Dominique Douglas, each who have at least 14 receptions this year. Young leads the receivers with 18 catches, including one touchdown, while Chandler has caught 16 passes (one touchdown) and Douglas has caught 14 passes (one TD). Young is the leading ground gainer as well. He has 69 carries for 280 yards and three touchdowns and is averaging 70 yards per game.
Defensively, Iowa is limiting the opposition to 265.5 yards and 11.0 points per game. Iowa is allowing just 93 yards rushing and 172.5 yards passing each game. The defense has 12 sacks for 70 yards and five interceptions, including two from Adam Shada. Mike Klinkenborg leads Iowa with 41 tackles, while Mitch King has 6.5 tackles for loss, including five sacks for 27 yards. He has 22 tackles to rank third on the team, just behind Edmond Miles, who has 23.
IOWA'S LAST GAME
Iowa scored three touchdowns late in the first half on its way to a 24-7 victory at Illinois last Saturday. Quarterback Drew Tate completed 17 of 27 passes accounting for 190 of the Hawkeyes' 344 total yards. He was intercepted near the goal line early in the second quarter, but Iowa took control after that. Damian Sims scored on a 1-yard run with just under six minutes left in the half after a short punt gave Iowa possession at the Illinois 31. Albert Young added a 6-yard run three minutes later. Tate then connected with Tony Moeaki for a 35-yard TD with 1:47 left in the half to give the Hawkeyes a 21-0 lead at intermission.
HEAD COACH KIRK FERENTZ
Kirk Ferentz (Connecticut, 1978) is in his eighth season at Iowa and carries a 53-36 record with the Hawkeyes. Now in his 11th season as a collegiate head coach, Ferentz is 65-57. He is 33-24 in Big Ten games. Under his direction, Iowa has compiled a 38-12 over the last four seasons, which is the best four-year win total in school history. Ferentz has guided Iowa to Big Ten championships in 2002 and 2004, each year winning earning Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. The Hawkeyes were 11-2 in 2002, 10-3 in 2003, 10-2 in 2004 before going 7-5 a season ago. He is one of just seven Big Ten coaches ever to guide a team to 10 wins or more in three straight seasons. The Hawkeyes have appeared in four straight January bowl games. Ferentz joined the Iowa staff in 1999 after a six-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens/Cleveland Browns. He coached three seasons (1990-92) at Maine, where he was 12-21. He was an assistant under longtime Iowa coach Hayden Fry at Iowa from 1981-89.
NEXT WEEK
Ohio State returns home to close out the non-conference portion of the schedule by hosting Bowling Green. Game time is set for 3:36 p.m. EDT in Ohio Stadium. The game is sold out.