FINAL	1	2	3	4	-	T
	21	7	0	17	-	45
	0	0	7	0	-	7
SCORING SUMMARY
OSU: 1st QTR: Terrelle Pryor 18-yard TD run (Ryan Pretorius PAT)
OSU: 1st QTR: Terrelle Pryor 7-yard TD pass to Brian Robiskie (Ryan Pretorius PAT)
OSU: 1st QTR: Chris Wells 1-yard TD run (Ryan Pretorius PAT)
OSU: 2nd QTR: Chris Wells 12-yard TD run (Ryan Pretorius PAT)
MSU: 3rd QTR: Kirk Cousins 3-yard TD pass to Charlie Gantt (Brett Swenson PAT)
OSU: 3rd QTR: Thaddeus Gibson 69-yard fumble return for TD (Ryan Pretorius PAT)
OSU: 4th QTR: Aaron Pettrey 40-yard FG
OSU: 4th QTR: Jermale Hines 48-yard fumble return for TD (Ryan Pretorius PAT)

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BUCKEYES vs. SPARTANS

No. 12/11 Ohio State (6-1, 3-0) vs. No. 20/17 Michigan State (6-1, 3-0)

Date: Saturday, October 18

Time: 3:30 PM ET

Place: Spartan Stadium – capacity 75,005

TV: ABC will televise the game with Brad Nessler handling the play-by-play, Bob Griese and Paul Maguire providing color commentary, and Stacey Dales serving as the sideline reporter.

Radio: WBNS-AM 1460 The Fan in Columbus is the flagship station for the 73-station Ohio State Radio Network. The Jim Tressel Pregame Show airs 30 minutes prior to kickoff. “Big Daddy” Paul Keels will call the play-by-play and will be assisted by former Buckeye Jim Lachey in the booth and Marty Bannister on the sidelines.

Weather from AccuWeather.com: Sunny skies and a game time temperature of 58 degrees.

Latest Line: Ohio State is an 3 1/2-point favorite. The Over & Under is 42.5.

Series History: This is the 39th meeting between the two schools. Ohio State owns a 26-12 record against Michigan State, and the Buckeyes are 12-5 in games played at Spartan Stadium.

Last Season: Beanie Wells ran 221 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown while the Buckeye defense held the Spartans to just 185 yards of total offense as Ohio State won 24-17. The Buckeyes took a 24-0 lead midway through the third quarter when Todd Boeckman connected with Brian Robiskie on a 50-yard touchdown pass. The Spartans scored 17 unanswered points, with 14 of those coming off of two miscues by Boeckman, a poorly thrown pass that was intercepted by Otis Wiley and returned 54 yards for a touchdown, and a fumble as he was sacked by Jonal Saint-Dic that was recovered by SirDarean Adams and returned 25 yards for another score. On the plus side, the Buckeyes held the Spartan offense to just three points and limited running back Javon Ringer to only 49 yards on 18 carries.

Analysis and Prediction: This going to to be a knockdown, drag-out brawl similar to what the Buckeyes encountered in Madison two weeks ago. Both Wisconsin and Michigan State feature run-first offenses, and the Spartans rely heavily on Ringer, who has 1,112 yards on 247 carries with 14 touchdowns. So the key for the Buckeyes will be stopping Ringer, which they were able to do last year. If OSU can stop the run, MSU quarterback Brian Hoyer has completed only 50.3 percent of his passes, so it might be a good idea to crowd the box and make the Spartans beat you by throwing the football. The question is, will the Ohio State offense score any points this week? The good news is, Northwestern racked up 459 total yards against Michigan State last weekend and was 15-of-24 on third down conversions. The Spartans yielded 5.5 yards per carry on the ground, but the Wildcats did have three turnovers. As long as the Buckeyes can stop the run, move the chains offensively and don’t turn the ball over, they should come way with a win. Of course, the Buckeyes offense will have to play a lot better than they did last week against Purdue. It would also be a good idea to pass the ball a little more than they have in previous games, too. Ohio State 23, Michigan State 17

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Right: Senior Javon Ringer is the best running back in the Big Ten not nicknamed “Beanie.”
Athlon Sports Photo

During the 2007 season under first-year head coach Mark Dantonio, the Spartans won their first four games before limping to an overall record of 7-6. But Michigan State did earn a bowl invite, their first in four years, to the Champs Sports Bowl losing to Boston College 24-21.

Of Michigan State’s six losses last season, no team beat them by more than a touchdown margin, and that includes games against Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and the aforementioned Boston College. The Spartans other two losses came in overtime.

This season, the Spartans lone blemish on their record is a 38-31 loss to California in the season-opener for both teams in Berkeley. Since then, Michigan State has rattled off six-straight wins, though none have come against a team ranked in both polls. (Note: Northwestern was ranked 22nd in the coaches poll, but not in the AP poll when the two teams met last week.)

As the architect of the rebuilding project in East Lansing, Dantonio, who is a native of Zanesville, Ohio, was also a graduate assistant at Ohio State from 1983-84, and later served as the defensive backs coach at Youngstown State from 1986-90 under current Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel.

Dantonio also served as an assistant at Michigan State under former head coaches Nick Saban and Bobby Williams from 1995 through the 2000 seasons.

In 2001, Dantonio reunited with his former Youngstown State boss and good friend at Ohio State for three seasons as defensive coordinator. His defense became known as one of the stingiest in the country. During the Buckeyes’ 2002 National Championship season, Ohio State ranked second nationally in scoring defense and third in rushing defense.

In the 2003 season, his defense ranked number one in the country in rushing defense and ninth in total defense, which led the Buckeyes to an 11-2 record and No. 4 national ranking and a BCS bowl invite.

Six Buckeye defenders were named first team All-Big Ten during Dantonio’s tenure at Ohio State and thirteen were drafted into the NFL, including two first round picks in Chris Gamble and Will Smith.

After leaving Ohio State, Dantonio went on the guide the Cincinnati Bearcats for three seasons compiling a record of 18-17 before being named head coach at Michigan State to replace John L. Smith.

Dantonio had seven starters returning from the 2007 season on offense, which include 5-foot-9, 202-pound senior running back Javon Ringer, and 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior quarterback Brian Hoyer.

Ringer, a Heisman Trophy candidate, has rushed for 1,112 yards on 247 carries (4.5 yards per attempt) and 14 touchdowns. He is averaging 158.9 yards per game.

Hoyer has passed for 1,314 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions, but has completed 50.3 percent (86-of-171) of his throws.

Hoyer’s favorite targets are 6-foot-2, 188-pound sophomore wide receiver Mark Dell, who has 20 receptions for 443 yards with two touchdowns, and 6-foot-2, 205-pound redshirt freshman B.J Cunningham has 19 catches for 322 yards.

Three starting offensive lineman returned from last year with senior right tackle Jesse Miller (6-6, 318), senior left guard Roland Martin (6-5, 330), and junior center Joel Nitchman (6-3, 297). Rounding out the starters are junior left tackle Rocco Cironi (6-6, 308) and redshirt freshman left guard Joel Foreman (6-3, 308).

While the offense is averaging 29.7 points per game, good for fourth place in the Big Ten, the defense is allowing 16.7 points per outing, ranking the Spartans fifth in the conference. Last season, the Spartans surrendered 26.6 points per game, so the defense has vastly improved under Dantonio.

When Dantonio came in last year, he eliminated the bandit linebacker and moved the Spartans into a more traditional 4-3 scheme just like the one he implemented at Ohio State.

Five starters returned on the defensive side of the ball, including the Spartans’ leading tackler, sophomore SAM linebacker Greg Jones with 52 stops.

Joining Jones as another returning starter from last season is sophomore WILL linebacker Eric Gordon (not the Indiana basketball player), who’s second on the team with 45 tackles.

Leading the team in tackles for loss and sacks is 6-foot-2, 250-pound junior defensive end Trevor Anderson with 6.5 TFLs and five sacks.

Anchoring the secondary is 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior strong safety Otis Wiley, who leads the team with four interceptions.

Aug. 30 at California, Lost 38-31
Sept. 6, vs. Eastern Michigan, Won 42-10
Sept. 13, vs. Florida Atlantic, Won 17-0
Sept. 20, vs. Notre Dame, Won 23-7
Sept. 27 at Indiana, Won 42-29
Oct. 4 vs. Iowa, Won 16-13
Oct. 11 at Northwestern, Won 37-20

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Right: Senator Sweater Vest, minus the vest, spoke on Tuesday.
AP Photo

It’s that time of the week when we crash Senator Sweater Vest’s weekly press conference at the Blue Danube on North High St.

This week’s episode was the longest of the season. Clearly, there are a lot of questions concerning The Ohio State University’s varsity tackle football squad, particularly on offense.

The Buckeyes will face their third ranked team of the year and will have a stern test this Saturday against Michigan State. This has become Ohio State’s toughest two-week stretch of the season. Following the match-up against the Spartans, the Bucks’ return home to square off against Penn State.

Defensively, Ohio State has played well for the most part, especially against more pass-oriented teams, but this week the Spartans feature a very good running game with Javon Ringer. Obviously, the offense must improve this week if the Buckeyes plan on leaving East Lansing with a “W.”

In Coach Tressel’s opening statements. he normally names the top players from each unit for the previous game. This week, no offensive players were mentioned.

Senior cornerback Malcolm Jenkins was the Defensive Player of the Game after totaling four tackles, an interception, a pass break-up and a blocked punt.

During his opening statements, Coach T. talked about his struggling offense against Purdue:

Probably the poorest thing we did on offense was our lack of consistency and it showed in our grades. We didn’t have anyone grade a winning performance, therefore there must have been enough errors by guys through the course of the time that you were going to have a hard time putting together a string of first downs.”

Later, when Coach Tressel opens the floor for questions, the first one asked why the Buckeyes are having so much difficulty scoring touchdowns with nine starters that returned from a year ago?

Well, we’re not — I hate to say it, we’re not executing. I wish there were something different than that. Whether it be we didn’t — I don’t want to use the word guess, but we didn’t plan for the right look that they were going to be in on first and goal at the nine or we didn’t execute the play we had designed with all 11 guys.”

Later, he was asked if Terrelle has progressed the way he wanted him to and how Pryor fared last Saturday:

Well, he didn’t grade a winning performance, but I thought he progressed. Like I told him just yesterday we were sitting and talking that the number one quality that Troy Smith brought to our team was he was tremendously careful with the football, and as he grew into understanding the whole game, he became lethal for the opponents, but it started from the right foundation. And knock on wood, Terrelle’s done a pretty good job from that standpoint. I think he has grown in his understanding, and I think he’ll do nothing but progress.”

Coach Tressel then elaborated on Pryor:

I think right now, in his progression, he’s probably waiting until he’s 90 percent sure, and I’d rather that than he wait until he’s 60 percent sure, then he’d look like all those guys on TV that every time you turn on the highlights, someone’s running the other way with an interception, whether it’s us watching our film against Michigan State or you turn on the weekend highlights and you say, oh, yeah, Johnny threw for 320, but they had three of them that went this way. So I’d rather have him that way than, oh, it’s time to get rid of it.”

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CB Malcolm Jenkins

This week, senior cornerback Malcolm Jenkins has been named BuckeyeBanter.com’s “Best Damn Player of the Game” after totaling four tackles, an interception, a pass break-up and a blocked punt that led to Ohio State’s only touchdown in the Buckeyes’ 16-3 win over Purdue.

Jenkins, the leading contender for this season’s Thorpe Award and was a first-team all-Big Ten selection as a sophomore and junior, blocked a Chris Summers’ punt early in the first quarter that was returned by Etienne Sabino 20 yards for Ohio State’s only TD of the contest.

On the first play of the second quarter, Jenkins picked off a Curtis Painter pass, his second in as many games.

For the season, Jenkins has three interceptions and 11 during his four-year career at Ohio State.

DE Thaddeus Gibson	LB Marcus Freeman

Sophomore defensive end Thaddeus Gibson had six total tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack. He also forced a fumble when he sacked Painter in the first quarter which was recovered by Lawrence Wilson.

Senior SAM linebacker Marcus Freeman had nine total tackles.

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Right: Ohio State’s Etienne Sabino after he scored on a 20-yard blocked punt return for touchdown.
AP Photo

Hit and miss.

That’s how head coach Jim Tressel described his offense in Ohio State’s 16-3 win over Purdue, Saturday afternoon, in front 105,378 fans at Ohio Stadium.

Instead of looking more like a sleek sports car revving up on all cylinders, Ohio State’s offense looked more like a big ol’ Buick sputtering and backfiring down the road.

Newsflash to coach Tressel: The forward pass has been legal in NCAA football since 1906.

The Buckeyes’ had 56 offensive plays, but passed just 14 times. Starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor was 10-of-14 chucking the rock for 97 yards.

Ohio State ran the ball 42 times with Beanie Wells getting 22 carries for 94 yards, even though he missed some practice time during the week while battling flu-like symptoms.

Here’s what coach Tressel said following the game about his lackluster offense:

There was a moment where you looked good and there was a moment where you went backwards and we’re not consistent at all and it will be interesting to watch the film, but from where I was, we certainly didn’t control the line of scrimmage, that’s where it starts. “

Again, the offensive line didn’t perform as they should. Even with Tressel himself going down to yell and scream at the O-line during drills at practice, nothing has changed. Maybe it’s time to look at the depth chart and start weeding out the dead weight.

While Pryor didn’t look so freshman-like in previous starts, he clearly showed his age at times against Purdue. It just seems to me that he’s pressing to much to make a big play when he’s better off chucking the ball into the seats to avoid a sack.

Purdue did a good job of attacking, keeping their lanes and containing Pryor, not letting him outside where he’s more dangerous. But again, that’s goes back to the offensive line controlling the line of scrimmage.

Purdue head coach Joe Tiller on his defense and playing against Pryor:

We knew that we had to contain him somehow. We didn’t want him to get on the perimeter. We tried to get him in a position and pull him up and hopefully tag him on the backside to try to make a good play and maybe get a fumble.”

Coach Tressel on the struggling O-line, the pressure put on by Purdue, and the play of Pryor:

I think it’s tough on the quarterback and we’ve got to have a little bit more experience to be able to ignore those things, but we couldn’t stand there all day today, that’s for sure.”

The Boilermakers came into the game dead-last in the Big Ten in total defense, giving up 435.8 yards per contest. The Buckeyes managed just 222 total yards of offense against the worst defensive team in the conference.

One glaring problem is Ohio State’s red zone offense. The Buckeyes were inside the Boilermakers’ 10 yard line twice, once in the first quarter and again in the third, but came away with two field goals.

In the first quarter after a face mask penalty on Purdue gave Ohio State a first-and-goal at the 9, Beanie was stuffed for no gain, Pryor rushed up the middle of two yards, then on third down, Pryor’s pass into the end zone was broken up by Brandon King. Ryan Pretorius came on and kicked a 24-yard field goal.

In the third quarter after Pryor hooked up with fellow freshman Lamaar Thomas for a 16-yard pitch and catch, the Buckeyes set up shop at the Boilermakers’ 8 yard line. Three running plays, one by Mo Wells and two by Pryor, netted OSU minus-3 yards and had to settle for a 22-yard field goal by Pretorius.

Six offensive plays inside the 10 yard line and just one pass attempt.

Coach Tressel when asked about his red zone offense and how it needs to be more productive:

Score touchdowns. I hate to say that. We had first and goal twice on the nine and didn’t get in, not that that’s the easiest place to get in from, but we have to be able to gain a little bit more on first down. We were getting two or we got one on second down and had some penetration that knocked us backwards when we were in there and you’ve got to know that the field has shrunk and they’re going to be coming harder and you’ve got to break some tackles and complete some tackles and we just didn’t get that done. “

But without a balanced offensive attack, Ohio State’s future opponents are going to stuff the box and put a spy on Pryor to keep him bottled up. It’s time to give Terrelle an opportunity the throw the ball more often.

Ohio State’s defense played well, holding Purdue 298 yards of total offense. While that number seems a little high for a Buckeye unit that was only giving up 251.8 yards per game, the Boilermakers didn’t cross the Buckeyes’ 30 yard line until there were just 39 seconds left in the game, and never once did they cross the 25. Purdue’s lone points came on a 53-yard field goal by Carson Wiggs in the third quarter.

Ohio State’s only touchdown came in the first quarter when Malcolm Jenkins blocked a Chris Summers’ punt and Etienne Sabino picked up the bouncing ball and returned it 20 yards for a score.

Up next, Ohio State travels to East Lansing to take on Michigan State, Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., and the game will be televised by ABC.

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