No. 10 Ohio State (10-2, 7-1) vs. No. 3 Texas (11-1, 7-1)

Date: Monday, January 5
Time: 8:20 PM ET
Place: University of Phoenix Stadium - Glendale, AZ - capacity 73,719
TV: FOX will televise the game nationally with the best play-by-play man you’ve never heard of, Matt Vasgersian, calling the action along with Tim Ryan and Laura Okmin. Chris Myers is on the sidelines.
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: Partly cloudy skies and a game time temperature of 47 degrees. Not that it really matters since there’s a roof over the stadium.
Latest Line from The Sports Network: Ohio State is an 8-point underdog. The Over & Under is 51 1/2.
Series History: This is the third meeting between the two schools. Ohio State and Texas have split the first two meetings.
Last Time Out: Ohio State won 24-7 at Darryl K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin back in 2006.
Analysis and Prediction: In the last three contests, Ohio State is averaging 39 points a game, so the offense has been progressing nicely, but will we need to see Terrelle Pryor throw the ball more than a dozen of so times against Texas if the Buckeyes hope to hang an upset on the Longhorns.

A balanced attack of Pryor throwing the ball along with Beanie running the ball will keep Texas’ defense honest and on their heels. Hopefully, Tressel’s play-calling will be more creative and less conservative.

I understand Tressel has some trickeration up his sleeve, using both Pryor and backup quarterback Todd Boeckman in certain situations, though I am not quite sure how that will pan out.

One thing is for sure, Ohio State will have to throw the ball on more occasions that just obvious passing downs.

The Big XII could be labeled the “No Defense League.” While seven teams in the Big XII ranked 25th or better in the nation in total offense and three more ranked in the top half, just two Big XII squads are ranked in the top half in terms of total defense. Texas has the conference’s defensive unit, but are only ranked 49th nationally.

Texas had fared much better against the run as opposed to the forward pass defensively, but those numbers might be a bit skewed after playing eight games in the pass-happy Big XII.

The bottom line is this: Ohio State’s offensive line must play a whole lot better than it has all season for the Buckeyes to be competitive. They have to open up holes for Beanie and give Terrelle time to throw. In Ohio State’s last two postseason games, sacks allowed have undermined OSU’s offense.

Meanwhile, I think Ohio State’s defense will be up for the challenge, though the defensive front four will have to put consistent pressure on Colt McCoy, because if you give him time to throw, he will pick apart any defense.

Since it was announced that Ohio State would face Texas in the Fiesta Bowl, I have thought all long that Texas should win. But as kickoff gets closer, I really do like Ohio State’s chances.

Ohio State 23, Texas 21

STATISTICS
OFFENSE	OHIO STATE			TEXAS
	Statistical Average	Big Ten Rank	NCAA Rank	Statistical Average	Big XII Rank	NCAA Rank
Scoring Offense	28.2	4	42	43.9	2	4
Total Offense	339.7	9	79	476.4	5	9
Rushing Offense	191.6	3	26	176.9	4	35
Passing Offense	148.1	10	105	299.5	5	10
DEFENSE	OHIO STATE			TEXAS
	Statistical Average	Big Ten Rank	NCAA Rank	Statistical Average	Big XII Rank	NCAA Rank
Scoring Defense	13.1	2	6	18.6	1	18
Total Defense	279.3	1	7	339.9	1	49
Rushing Defense	114.9	3	19	73.6	1	2
Passing Defense	164.3	1	7	266.3	8	108

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Right: Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, speaking to reporters during media day on Friday, threw for 3,445 yards and had a team-high 576 yards rushing, this season.
(AP Photo)

The third-ranked Texas Longhorns enter Monday night’s Tostitos Fiesta Bowl one play away from playing in the Big XII title game and possibly a shot at BCS national championship game, while the 10th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes are a few plays and one lopsided loss from making their third straight trip in quest of that crystal football.

Back on November 1 in Lubbock, Texas, the Longhorns were just seconds away from posting their ninth win this season when Tech quarterback Graham Harrell found Michael Crabtree along the far sideline, who snuck pass a defender and scored on a 28-yard touchdown pass with one tick left on the clock that gave the Red Raiders a 39-33 win and knocked off then No. 1 Texas.

Both Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma finished in a three-way tie in the final Big XII South standings, but since the Sooners were ranked higher than the Longhorns, OU went on to play in the conference championship game. Never mind the fact that Texas had defeated Oklahoma earlier in the season on October 11, 45-35, in front of a record crowd of 92,182 fans at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

The only other team that gave Texas fits during the season was Oklahoma State, who nearly knocked off the top-ranked Longhorns, 28-24, in Austin.

The Cowboys had one last chance for the upset with under three minutes left in the ball game, but on a fourth-and-6 at the OK State 30, Zac Robinson’s pass to Dez Bryant lost two yards, giving the ball back to Texas on downs with 2:39 remaining.

But out of Texas’ other nine games during the course of the 2008 campaign, no other team came close. The Longhorns notched impressive wins over Florida Atlantic (52-10), UTEP (42-13), Rice (52-10), Arkansas (52-10), Colorado (38-14), then-No. 11 Missouri (56-31), Baylor (45-21), Kansas (35-7) and Texas A&M (49-9).

Texas is led by 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior quarterback Colt McCoy, who has completed 77.6 percent of his passes (291-of-375) for 3,445 yards with 32 touchdowns and just seven interceptions, numbers good enough to place him second in the Heisman Trophy award balloting.

McCoy is also his team’s leading rusher, gaining 576 yards on the ground in 128 attempts with 10 scores. Vondrell McGee, a 5-foot-10, 205-pound sophomore running back, is second in rushing picking up 376 yards on 88 carries and four touchdowns. Cody Johnson, a 5-foot-11, 255 pound fullback is third on the Texas’ roster with 336 yards in 73 attempts and a team-high 12 rushing TDs.

McCoy’s favorite targets have very similar statistics, meaning he doesn’t lock in to just one receiver. Jordan Shipley, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior, has 79 receptions for 982 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Quan Cosby, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior, has caught 78 balls for 952 yards and eight TDs. Chris Ogbonnaya, a 6-foot-1, 215-pound running back, is the Longhorns’ third leading receiver, hauling in 42 passes for for 484 yards and three scores, plus has rushed for 331 yards on 63 carries and four more scores.

Defensively, Texas is led by 6-foot-2, 235-pound junior linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy, who has recorded 106 total tackles. Brian Orakpo, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound senior defensive end tops the Longhorns’ roster with 10.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. Ryan Palmer, a 5-foot-10, 186-pound cornerback, has a team-high three interceptions.

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Right: Eventual Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Troy Smith had a productive night in Austin passing for 269 yards and two scores. (AP Photo)

- Note: Republished article written by Matt Barker as it appeared on BuckeyeBanter.com, September 10, 2006. -

A 21-game winning streak along with 12 consecutive games of scoring 40 or more points came to a crashing halt as the number-one ranked Ohio State Buckeyes soundly defeated the reigning national champion Texas Longhorns 24-7 in front 89,422 at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, Saturday night.

Led by senior quarterback Troy Smith, the potent offense was able to churn out 348 yards against one of the nation’s stingiest defense.

Smith was 17-of-26 passing for 269 yards and two touchdowns, and as the Texas’ defense focused on Heisman Trophy candidate Ted Ginn Jr., they forgot about Gonzalez, who had a career night for the Buckeyes catching eight passes for 142 yards and a score.

The unit that made the loudest statement in Austin was the defense, who I am sure is tired of hearing that hey have lost nine of 11 starters from last year’s team.

Linebacker James Laurinaitis made the most of the noise. He had 10 solo and 13 total tackles, forced two fumbles and had an interception.

Ohio State took the game’s opening possession and drove down to the Texas’ 11-yard line, but placekicker Aaron Pettrey missed on a 28-yard field goal attempt.

Both teams then traded punts, with the Longhorns beginning their second possession of the game at their own 20 yard line after A.J. Trapasso’s punt sailed into the end zone for a touchback.

Texas drove down to the OSU 7 yard line, behind the running of Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young, who combined for 46 rushing yards.

On a second-and-goal, Texas’ quarterback Colt McCoy completed a pass to Billy Pittman, who was stripped of the ball by Laurinaitis at the OSU 2. OSU’s Donald Washington scooped up the loose pigskin and returned it 48 yards to midfield.

From there it took the Buckeyes just five plays to score with Smith connecting on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Gonzalez, putting OSU ahead 7-0 follwing Pettrey’s made PAT with 1:04 left in the first quarter.

Texas tied the game at 7-all with 1:55 left in the second quarter when McCoy found Pittman in the end zone for a 2-yard scoring strike.

But Ohio State answered by going 66 yards in five plays that was capped off by a 29- yard pass play from Smith to Ginn with 16 seconds remaining until the half, putting the Buckeyes’ ahead 14-7 at intermission.

Laurinaitis made another big defensive stop just three plays into the third quarter when he intercepted a McCoy pass at the UT 46 yard line and returned 25 yards.

After three plays, Aaron Pettrey added a 31-yard field goal with 11:03 left in the third quarter giving Ohio State a 17-7 advantage.

In the fourth quarter, Texas would eat up eight minutes and six seconds off the clock by driving 33 yards in seven plays, but came away with no points after Greg Johnson was wide-right on a 45-yard field goal attempt.

The Buckeyes’ hammered the final nail into Texas’ coffin by going 72 yards in 10 plays as Antonio Pittman darted in from the 2-yard line to put Ohio State ahead 24-7 with 6:31 remaining in the contest.

Pittman finished with 74 yards on 16 carries.

While the Longhorns’ were able to gain 172 yards on the ground, the Buckeye’ defense harassed McCoy all night long. Texas was unable to get the ball downfield to their deep threats, and Limas Sweed caught just three passes for 37 yards.

Coach & Player Quotes:

OHIO STATE

HEAD COACH JIM TRESSEL
On the game: Texas is an outstanding football team. Their kids played hard and it was a heck of a college football game. I’m sure the people that were here, and the people that were tuned in enjoyed the quality of college football. Our guys played hard. They came into a tough environment and kept slugging away. Our defense came in there and caused some turnovers. Anytime you hold a team to seven points in their stadium, it’s incredible. I thought we did a good job of making some big plays offensively. Our offensive line did a nice job of protecting and made a lot of good decisions. We got the running game going a little better towards the end of the game, and I think we are in pretty good shape. We had our special teams up, and our defense was relentless. All in all we did not make many mistakes.

On Troy Smith’s improvement over the last year: He’s improved methodically and incrementally throughout his career. He’s had a gain of knowledge and a gain of confidence. He knows this game real well. He’s got some good guys with him, and a bunch of good guys up front. Our defense was getting the ball back, and when you have a guy like Troy, with the development he’s had, you have a chance.

QB TROY SMITH
On the Texas defense: Defensively I can’t say enough about them. They define the word physical in every way that you can do it.

On Ohio State’s special teams: Our special units were also great. They did a great job. We didn’t have any costly turnovers, and that’s what you need when you’re on the road.

On the play of Anthony Gonzalez: Gonzalez did a great job today making plays on the ball, and the guys up front did a great job blocking for us. Without those guys up front, I can’t make passes to Gonzalez, and Gonzalez can’t make plays on the ball.

On the touchdown pass to Ted Ginn at the end of the first half: [Aaron] Ross is a great cornerback, probably the best in the Big 12. He had some great plays today. [Ted] Ginn had an inside release on that play, and he did a great job of using his speed to get over top. I had ample amount of time to throw the ball. I just put the ball in the air, and he made a great play on it.

On using last year’s game for motivation for this year’s game: I tried not to think about last year’s game. We didn’t go into this game with the revenge factor or a chip on our shoulder. We just try to, week in and week out, execute the game plan and the things that we see on film to the best of our ability. This year’s game was totally different, in a sense that now this is a whole different set of seniors. This is a whole different group of guys, and we just have to win with the guys that we have now.

DT DAVID PATTERSON
On the game: This is a great game to play in. They have a great stadium, and you have to give it to Texas. They’re the best athletes we have ever played against. I’m just happy with the offense. Those guys just came out and did a great job. On defense I was really happy with some guys stepping up. You know this is the biggest game some of these guys have ever played in, and they really stepped up to the challenge.

On the forced fumble inside the Ohio State five yard line: We always talk about winning the turnover margin and causing turnovers. On that particular play, James [Laurinaitis] just came up and made a great hit. Donald [Washington] was there, and he just scooped it up. It was a great play for us to hold them out right there. We talk about tightening up our defense in the red zone, and I think we did a good job of that.

DT QUINN PITCOCK
On the game: You have to give credit to the Texas football team. They are a great football team and definitely deserve to be ranked high in the standings. They are a very physical team and play hard every down. Defensively, we knew coming in that we needed to create turnovers and put pressure on the quarterback, which we were able to do.

On the defense’s play: They drove a lot and did a lot, but we were able to stop them towards the red zone and hold them to seven points. Again I’m not sure. I’ll have to see the film. The defense did work well. I think we did improve from last week. We stepped up, but once again we have to work hard each week and get better.

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Right: Quarterback Todd Boeckman is not to blame for Ohio State’s offensive offense this season. (AP Photo)

Going into the 2008 tackle football season, on paper Ohio State had all the makings to return for their third-straight national championship game. Unfortunately, when you lined up the 11 guys on the rectangular field that measures 360 by 160 feet, that wasn’t the case.

This from a team that had several preseason All-Americans and five potential first-round selections in next April’s NFL Draft.

Preseason Heisman Trophy candidate Chris Wells suffered a turf toe injury in Ohio State’s easy 43-0 season-opening victory over Division I-AA opponent Youngstown State and missed the next three games.

Things were much tougher a week later playing against in-state rival Ohio, who finished the year 4-8, and the Buckeyes struggled to move the ball most of the game without Beanie.

Ohio State did manage to gain 162 yards on the ground, but had to run the ball 40 times to do so for an average of 4.1 yards per attempt. Daniel Herron and Maurice Wells combined for 98 of those yards.

Sixth-year senior Todd Boeckman was 16-of-26 passing, but 15 of his completions only covered 85 yards. His longest pass play of the day was a 25-yard pitch and catch to tight end Jake Ballard. Boeckman was also sacked three times.

Ohio pushed their lead to 14-6 when Ohio State center Jim Cordle was high and wide on his snap to Boeckman in shotgun formation, who then couldn’t come up with the ball in the end zone and the Bobcats’ recovered the loose pigskin for six.

The Buckeyes closed the gap on Boom Herron’s one-yard burst with 2:51 left in the third quarter, but Pretorius missed badly on the PAT, which made the score 14-12 in favor of the Bobcats.

Ohio State took the lead for good when backup cornerback Shaun Lane recovered a muffed punt before it rolled out-of-bounds at the Ohio 25 yard line. Six plays later, Brandon Saine plowed in from the two to put the Buckeyes up 19-14 with 14:00 remaining in the game.

Ray Small put the game on ice with 5:57 to go when he took a punt 69 yards to the house.

But Ohio State’s offensive woes continued mightily the following Saturday at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Out of 12 games this season, Ohio State failed to score an offensive touchdown in three of them, with the first occasion coming against Southern California.

The Buckeyes managed to get just 207 yards of total offense, with 69 of those occurring on OSU’s only scoring drive of the game in the first quarter that gave Ohio State a brief 3-0 lead.

Of course, the Trojans went on to score 35 unanswered points to thoroughly embarrass the Buckeyes on national TV.

Boeckman was 14-of-21 passing and threw two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and was sacked four times.

It was the last game Boeckman started for the Buckeyes.

For the Troy game a week later, true freshman Terrelle Pryor was named the starter after having played in the first three games coming off the bench.

Boeckman, though, cannot be blamed for Ohio State’s offensive struggles. Boeckman was just the scapegoat. The blame could be placed on head coach Jim Tressel with his unimaginative play-calling, and to the offensive line with their “Matador-style” blocking schemes.

The Buckeyes recorded two rather easy wins against Troy and Minnesota before venturing out on the road once again to face then 18th-ranked Wisconsin.

Though the Buckeyes outgained the Badgers 327-326, it took a 12-play, 80-yard drive capped off on a 11-yard run by Pryor to give Ohio State a 20-17 win.

Needing to go 80 yards in the fourth quarter, Pryor was 3-of-4 passing for 59 yards and scored the game-winner with 68 seconds left when he faked the option pitch to Beanie and slashed 11 yards for the score.

But there wasn’t much in the way of scoring or offensive production by Ohio State from the early in the first quarter until a little more than halfway through the fourth.

The Buckeyes covered 71 yards in six plays which was capped off on a 33-yard run by Wells that put Ohio State ahead 7-0 on the game’s opening possession.

On OSU’s next five possessions of the first half, the Buckeyes netted just 52 yards and two of those drives ended on turnovers, an interception by Pryor, and a fumble after Dane Sanzenbacher was crushed after a catch.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin was able to move the ball in the second quarter and mounted a 15-play, 91-yard scoring drive which took 8:16 off the clock, ending on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Evridge to Mickey Turner.

The Badgers went into the locker room at halftime leading 10-7 after Phillip Welch connected on a 20-yard field goal as time expired.

Ohio State’s Ryan Pretorius added two field goals, one from 21 yards in the third quarter that tied the game, and another with 10:52 left in the fourth quarter to give the Buckeyes a 13-10 advantage.

Wisconsin responded by going 63 yards, all on the ground, in 10 plays capped off on a 1-yard run by P.J. Hill before Pryor led the Buckeyes downfield for the game-winner.

The following Saturday in Columbus, Ohio State failed to score in offensive touchdown for the second time during the course of the 2008 season, yet defeated Purdue 16-3.

The Buckeyes’ lone TD against the Boilermakers came on a blocked punt by Malcolm Jenkins that was returned by Etienne Sabino.

After scoring 45 points in East Lansing, Ohio State came back home for their biggest game of the year, taking on third-ranked Penn State. And for the third time this season, the Buckeyes failed to score an offensive touchdown in a 13-6 loss to the Nittany Lions.

Ohio State led 6-3 going into the fourth quarter, but Pryor was sacked and fumbled at the OSU 38 yard line which set-up Penn State’s go-ahead touchdown.

On the Buckeyes last possession of the game, Pryor was intercepted by Lydell Sargeant in the end zone with 27 seconds left.

In Ohio State’s last three wins against Northwestern, Illinois and Michigan, the Buckeyes averaged 39 points per game.

So, have they turned the corner offensively? Was moving Pryor into the starting line-up the smart thing to do, or was it an act of desperation?

Clearly, the play of the offensive line has been troublesome all year. But after the loss to USC, did it really matter who played quarterback? Could Ohio State defeat Penn State with Boeckman calling the signals? Given the outcome, it was possible. But hindsight is 20/20.

I am going to have to think that Tressel was going with his best option to win this season, as well as looking towards the next two years when he put Pryor into the lineup. The experience he gained this year is invaluable.

I am not sure how much you can change your offensive schemes during the period pf practice time between the Michigan game and the Fiesta Bowl, but one thing is for sure, it’s time to be a little more imaginative and a little less predictable when it comes to the play-calling. And while Tressel has given the car keys to Pryor, it would be a good time to give him something better to drive than the Yugo the Buckeyes have been tooling around in for most of the season.

Through 12 games this season, Ohio State ranks 78th in the NCAA in total offense averaging 339.7 yards per game. Obviously with Beanie in the backfield, the Buckeyes did much better running the ball, averaging 191.6 yards per contest, good for 28th in the nation. The problem is, Ohio State ranks 104th in passing offense, netting just 148.1 yards per outing.

Looking ahead to the Fiesta Bowl, Texas is second in the nation in rushing defesne, but are ranked a whooping 104th in passing defense. The Longhorns only give up 73.6 yards per game on the ground, though they have yielded 266.3 yards per game through the air.

Jim, it looks as though if you want to beat Texas, you are going to have to throw the ball.

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Right: OSU linebacker James Laurinaitis.
(AP Photo)

Wake Forest senior Aaron Curry has won the Butkus Award honoring the nation’s top college linebacker.

Ohio State’s James Laurinaitis, who won the award last year, finished third behind USC’s Rey Maualuga and Curry.

Laurinaitis will be in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday night as the finalist for the the Lombardi Award, then he treks over to Orlando, Fla., where he’s up for the Bednarik Award as part ESPN’s college football awards show.

Little Animal will meet up with fellow senior and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, who was named with Laurinaitis to the American Football Coaches Association All-America team last week.

Jenkins was also named a finalist for the Thorpe award, which goes to the nation’s top defensive back.

Laurinaitis then heads to Newport beach, California, for the Lott Trophy presentation on Sunday.

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Right: Boise State’s blue turf. (AP Photo)

The Ohio State Buckeyes will be making their fourth straight BCS appearance and seventh overall as they will take on the third-ranked Texas Longhorns in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, January 5, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET.

The 10th-ranked Buckeyes are now tied with Oklahoma and USC for the most BCS appearances and are 4-2 in those games.

The Longhorns finished in a three-way tie atop the Big 12 South and thought that their 10-point victory over Oklahoma should have earned them the nod over the Sooners. But Oklahoma was declared the division winner on a BCS standings tiebreaker, and the Sooners ripped Missouri in the Big 12 title game to earn a trip to Miami for the national title game.

The Fiesta lost Big 12 champion Oklahoma to the BCS title game, so it was a no-brainer to replace the Sooners with Texas. When it came time to name an opponent for the Longhorns, the Fiesta had to decide between tradition and rankings.

It picked tradition, selecting Ohio State over Utah, the undefeated Mountain West Conference champion ranked three slots higher. The Utes, who were guaranteed a BCS berth, will face Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

Boise State was left out of the Bowl Championship Series with an undefeated record for the second time in five years, even though the Broncos were ranked No. 9 in both polls as well the final BCS Standings, one slot higher than the Buckeyes.

The BCS only guarantees one spot to a team from the five non-automatic bid leagues—Mountain West Conference, Western Athletic Conference, Mid-American Conference, Sun Belt Conference and Conference USA—that finishes in the top 12.

Utah was ahead of Boise State because the Utes’ conference (MWC) is better than the Broncos’ (WAC). So Utah is the BCS buster. Boise State could have gotten the at-large bid that went to Ohio State, but it’s hard to argue that the Broncos are better than the Buckeyes. Ohio State’s opponents had a record of 82-62. Boise State’s opponents were 64-81.

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The Best Damn Players of the Game!
RB Beanie Wells	LB James Laurinaitis

Junior running back Beanie Wells and senior linebacker James Laurinaitis have been named BuckeyeBanter.com’s, “The Best Damn Players of the Game” vs. Michigan. For the first time this year, two players tied in the total number of votes.

Wells rushed for 134 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. Laurinaitis had a team-high 12 tackles, including a tackle for loss and a sack against the Wolverines.

Helmet Stickers!
RB Boom Herron	LB Marcus Freeman
QB Todd Boeckman	S Kurt Coleman

Redshirt freshman running back Boom Herron had 80 yards rushing in eight attempts and two touchdowns.

Senior linebacker Marcus Freeman has seven tackles, two-and-a-half of those for loss, and a fumble recovery.

Sixth-year senior quarterback Todd Boeckman was 3-of-3 passing for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Junior strong safety Kurt Coleman had 10 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.

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Just before the Ohio State-Bowling Green basketball game last night on the Big Ten Network, the league announced the 2008 All-Conference football teams and individual award winners as selected by the coaches and a media panel.

After leading Ohio State their fourth-straight conference title, linebacker James Laurinaitis was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, while quarterback Terrelle Pryor was honored as Freshman of the Year by both the coaches and media.

Also making the First-Team with Laurinaitis was offensive tackle Alex Boone and cornerback Malcolm Jenkins

Beanie Wells, a First-Team, All-Big Ten selection a year ago, was a consensus Second-Team choice this season along with linebacker Marcus Freeman by the coaches and the media. Safety Kurt Coleman was Second-Team selection by the media only.

2008 All-Big Ten Conference Football Team
As selected by CONFERENCE COACHES

FIRST TEAM	OFFENSE	SECOND TEAM
Daryll Clark, Penn State	Quarterback	Adam Weber, Minnesota
Shonn Greene, Iowa	Running Back	Chris “Beanie” Wells, Ohio State
Javon Ringer, Michigan State	Running Back	Evan Royster, Penn State
Eric Decker, Minnesota	Receiver	Arrelious Benn, Illinois
Derrick Williams, Penn State	Receiver	David Gilreath, Wisconsin
A.Q. Shipley, Penn State	Center	Rob Bruggeman, Iowa
Seth Olsen, Iowa	Guard	Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State
Rich Ohrnberger, Penn State	Guard	Kraig Urbik, Wisconsin
Alex Boone, Ohio State	Tackle	Xavier Fulton, Illinois
Gerald Cadogan, Penn State	Tackle	Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
Brandon Myers, Iowa	Tight End	Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
Kevin Kelly, Penn State	Kicker	Brett Swenson, Michigan State
FIRST TEAM	DEFENSE	SECOND TEAM
MITCH KING, IOWA	Line	Jammie Kirlew, Indiana
Corey Wootton, Northwestern	Line	Brandon Graham, Michigan
Aaron Maybin, Penn State	Line	Willie VanDeSteeg, Minnesota
Jared Odrick, Penn State	Line	Mike Newkirk, Wisconsin
Greg Jones, Michigan State	Linebacker	Brit Miller, Illinois
James Laurinaitis, Ohio State	Linebacker	Pat Angerer, Iowa
Navorro Bowman, Penn State	Linebacker	Marcus Freeman, Ohio State
Vontae Davis, Illinois	Defensive Back	Amari Spievey, Iowa
Otis Wiley, Michigan State	Defensive Back	Traye Simmons, Minnesota
MALCOLM JENKINS, OHIO STATE	Defensive Back	Allen Langford, Wisconsin
Anthony Scirrotto, Penn State	Defensive Back	Jay Valai, Wisconsin
Zoltan Mesko, Michigan	Punter	Ryan Donahue, Iowa

HONORABLE MENTION: ILLINOIS: Jon Asamoah, Michael Hoomanawanui, Ryan McDonald, Derek Walker, Juice Williams; IOWA: Kyle Calloway, A.J. Edds, Bradley Fletcher, Matt Kroul; MICHIGAN: Obi Ezeh, Brandon Minor, Terrance Taylor; MICHIGAN STATE: Trevor Anderson, Aaron Bates, Charlie Gantt, Brian Hoyer, Roland Martin, Jesse Miller, Chris Rucker, Blair White; MINNESOTA: Jack Simmons; NORTHWESTERN: John Gill, Keegan Kennedy, Sherrick McManis, Eric Peterman, Brad Phillips, Brendan Smith, Tyrell Sutton, Amado Villarreal; OHIO STATE: Nader Abdallah, Kurt Coleman, Rory Nicol; PENN STATE: Jeremy Boone, Tony Davis, Dennis Landolt, Jordan Norwood, Mark Rubin, Tyrell Sales, Lydell Sargeant; PURDUE: Anthony Heygood, Greg Orton, David Pender, Kory Sheets, Torri Williams; WISCONSIN: Jonathan Casillas, Jason Chapman, P.J. Hill, Andy Kemp, DeAndre Levy, Matt Shaughnessy, Eric Vanden Heuvel, Philip Welch.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:	Shonn Greene, Iowa
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR:	A.Q. Shipley, Penn State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:	James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE YEAR:	Mitch King, Iowa
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:	Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State

Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees: Brit Miller, ILL; Austin Starr, IND; Matt Kroul, IOWA; Sean Griffin, MICH; Javon Ringer, MSU; Jack Simmons, MINN; Eric Peterman, NU; Marcus Freeman, OSU; Gerald Cadogan, PSU; Ryan Baker, PUR; Chris Pressley, WIS.

---

2008 All-Big Ten Conference Football Team
As selected by CONFERENCE MEDIA

FIRST TEAM	OFFENSE	SECOND TEAM
Daryll Clark, Penn State	Quarterback	Juice Williams, Illinois
SHONN GREENE, IOWA	Running Back	Chris “Beanie” Wells, Ohio State
Javon Ringer, Michigan State	Running Back	Evan Royster, Penn State
Arrelious Benn, Illinois	Receiver	Deon Butler, Penn State
Eric Decker, Minnesota	Receiver	Derrick Williams, Penn State
A.Q. Shipley, Penn State	Center	Ryan McDonald, Illinois*
	Center	Rob Bruggeman, Iowa*
Seth Olsen, Iowa	Guard	Roland Martin, Michigan State
Rich Ohrnberger, Penn State	Guard	Kraig Urbik, Wisconsin
Alex Boone, Ohio State	Tackle	Xavier Fulton, Illinois*
Gerald Cadogan, Penn State	Tackle	Kyle Calloway, Iowa*
	Tackle	Jesse Miller, Michigan State*
Garrett Graham, Wisconsin	Tight End	Jack Simmons, Minnesota
Kevin Kelly, Penn State	Kicker	Brett Swenson, Michigan State
FIRST TEAM	DEFENSE	SECOND TEAM
Jammie Kirlew, Indiana	Line	Matt Kroul, Iowa
Mitch King, Iowa	Line	Brandon Graham, Michigan
Willie VanDeSteeg, Minnesota	Line	Corey Wootton, Northwestern
Aaron Maybin, Penn State	Line	Jared Odrick, Penn State
Brit Miller, Illinois	Linebacker	Pat Angerer, Iowa
JAMES LAURINAITIS, OHIO STATE	Linebacker	Greg Jones, Michigan State
Navorro Bowman, Penn State	Linebacker	Marcus Freeman, Ohio State
Vontae Davis, Illinois	Defensive Back	Traye Simmons, Minnesota
Otis Wiley, Michigan State	Defensive Back	Kurt Coleman, Ohio State
Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State	Defensive Back	Lydell Sargeant, Penn State
Allen Langford, Wisconsin	Defensive Back	Anthony Scirrotto, Penn State
Zoltan Mesko, Michigan	Punter	Aaron Bates, Michigan State

HONORABLE MENTION: ILLINOIS: Jon Asamoah, Michael Hoomanawanui, Derek Walker; INDIANA: Chris Hagerup; IOWA: Bryan Bulaga, Ryan Donahue, A.J. Edds, Bradley Fletcher, Brent Greenwood, Brandon Myers, Amari Spievey; MICHIGAN: Obi Ezeh, Tim Jamison, Terrance Taylor; MICHIGAN STATE: Trevor Anderson, Charlie Gantt, Brian Hoyer, Justin Kershaw, Brandon Long, Joel Nitchman, Chris Rucker, Blair White; MINNESOTA: Kyle Theret, Adam Weber; NORTHWESTERN: John Gill, Keegan Kennedy, Sherrick McManis, Eric Peterman, Brad Phillips, Brendan Smith, Amado Villarreal; OHIO STATE: Nader Abdallah, Rory Nicol, Terrelle Pryor, Brian Robiskie; PENN STATE: Jeremy Boone, Tony Davis, Josh Gaines, Dennis Landolt, Mark Rubin, Stefen Wisniewski; PURDUE: Anthony Heygood, Ryan Kerrigan, Greg Orton, Kory Sheets, Desmond Tardy, Torri Williams; WISCONSIN: P.J. Hill, Andy Kemp, DeAndre Levy, Mike Newkirk, Matt Shaughnessy, Eric Vanden Heuvel, Philip Welch.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:	Shonn Greene, Iowa
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:	James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:	Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State
DAVE McCLAIN COACH OF THE YEAR:	Joe Paterno, Penn State

UNANIMOUS SELECTIONS IN ALL CAPS
* Additional honorees due to tie

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Right: Brian Hartline hauls in a perfect strike from Terrelle Pryor for a 53-yard touchdown in the second quarter. (AP Photo)

The domination continued for a fifth-straight year as Ohio State easily defeated Michigan 42-7 in front of 105,564 fans at Ohio Stadium, Saturday afternoon.

The 35-point victory was the second-largest margin for Ohio State over Michigan since the Buckeyes defeated the Wolverines 38-0 back in 1935, and it also gave head coach Jim Tressel a 7-1 record vs. Michigan during his eight-year tenure.

So where’s the rivalry?

Ohio State got off to a slow start and avoided a costly mistake early in the first quarter on their first possession when Terrelle Pryor was intercepted by Stevie Brown at the OSU 47 yard line and returned it 34 yards down to the 13.

But Michigan’s offense struggled to get any yards all day, and after three plays netted zero yards plus a false start penalty pushed them back five, K.C. Lopata’s 35-yard field goal try was wide left.

Ohio State had three, three-and-outs before finally breaking through when Chris Wells ran down the right side for a 59-yard touchdown run on the Buckeyes’ first play of their fifth possession that put OSU ahead 7-0 with 3:57 left in the first quarter. It was Ohio State’s longest play from scrimmage this season.

The Buckeyes’ made it 14-0 with 13:10 remaining in the second quarter on their next possession, going 78 yards on eight plays capped off on a 53-yard pitch and catch from Pryor to Brian Hartline for the score.

Michigan’s lone points on the board came on a fourth-and-goal play from the OSU 1 yard line when Brandon Minor punched it in to cut Ohio State’s lead in half at 14-7 with 2:51 left until halftime.

The game’s first possession of the second half saw Michigan gained 38 yards on eight plays before being forced to punt.

After that, it took just two plays for Ohio State to go 91 yards, a 42-yard pitch to Chris Wells down the near-sideline, and a 49-yard touchdown run by Boom Herron that put the game out of reach at 21-7 with 11:04 to go in the third quarter.

Later in the third period, Michigan’s Zoltan Mesko tried to pooch punt when the Wolverines faced a forth-and-15 at the OSU 39 that was fielded by Ray Small at the 12 and returned 80 yards to the UM eight yard line. On the very next play, Pryor hit Robiskie in the middle of the end zone to put the Buckeyes ahead 28-7 with 3:34 remaining in the third.

Ohio State scored two touchdowns less than two minutes into the fourth quarter as Herron added his second TD of the game on a two-yard run, and fifth-year senior quarterback Todd Boeckman tossed a threaded needle 18-yard TD pass to Hartline.

Dominating defense?

Michigan had minus-one yards of total offense in the first quarter and was held to just 198 yards for the entire game. UM quaterback Nick Sheridan, a former walk-on, was 8-of-24 passing for 87 yards and was sacked twice. The Wolverines managed to get 111 yards on the ground with Minor gaining 67 on 14 carries. Overall, Michigan averaged just 2.7 yards on 41 rushing attempts.

The Maize and Blue were just 1-of-17 in third down conversions, with the only one coming in the second quarter during their only scoring drive, and were forced to punt 12 times. Two other possessions ended on fumbles, and one on a missed field goal.

5.4 yards and a cloud of dust?

Ohio State ran the ball 43 times compared to 16 passing attempts. Beanie Wells had 134 yards on 15 carries and Boom Herron added 80 yards on eight tries. Overall, the Buckeyes averaged 5.4 yards per rushing attempt, gaining 232 yards.

Terrelle Pryor was 5-of-13 passing for 120 yards and two touchdown, while Todd Boeckman was 3-of-3 for 64 yards and a score. Combined, Ohio State had 184 yards passing.

Wolverine killer?

Beanie Wells’ 59-yarder in the first quarter gave him three TD runs of 50 yards or longer against Michigan during his career. He had a 52-yard TD run against the Wolverines in 2006 and a 62-yarder in 2007.

Big plays?

Ohio State had 59 offensive plays for an average of 7.1 yards per snap. Of those 59, nine went for 10 or more yards, and six went for 30 or more.

Up next, Ohio State will either play in one of the BCS bowls or the Capital One Bowl playing a yet-to-be-determine opponent. The official announcement will come in two weeks.

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No. 10 Ohio State (9-2, 6-1) vs. Michigan (3-8, 2-5)

Date: Saturday, November 22
Time: 12:00 PM ET
Place: Ohio Stadium - capacity 102,329
TV: ABC Sports will televise the game. Brad Nessler will be joined in the booth by Bob Griese and Paul Maguire. Stacey Dales is 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: Partly sunny skies and a game time temperature of 34 degrees.
Latest Line from The Sports Network: Ohio State is an 20 1/2-point favorite. The Over & Under is 44 1/2.
Series History: This is the 105th meeting between the two schools. Ohio State owns a 41-57-6 record against Michigan. Since 1951, the Buckeyes hold a 29-26-2 lead, including victories in six of the seven games during the Jim Tressel era. Ohio State has won the last four meetings with Michigan. The series is split 21-21-1 in games played at Ohio Stadium.
Last Season: Ohio State won 14-3 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.
Analysis and Prediction: In the last two contests, Ohio State is averaging nearly 38 points a game, so the offense is progressing nicely, but will we see Terrelle Pryor throw the ball? I think he’s going to have to chuck the rock more than 10 times if the Buckeyes are going to have success.

Michigan’s defense is allowing almost 28 points per game and have yielded 34 touchdowns to opposing offenses, including 18 rushing scores. While they have been able to limit their opposition to 3.4 rushing yards per attempt, the Wolverines are surrendering 12.4 yards per pass completion and have only come up with eight interceptions all season.

Michigan’s offense could be without some key personnel, though its not like they were any good anyway, because the Wolverines are 105th in the nation in total offense. But the bigger problem is turnovers. The Wolverines have given the ball away a league-worst 28 times. Ohio State has forced 26 takeaways, second-most in the Big Ten.

As long as Ohio State doesn’t come out flat and take Michigan lightly, which I seriously doubt will happen, or cough up the football all over the yard, which I don’t foresee either, then the Buckeyes should win rather easily.

Ohio State 38, Michigan 13

STATISTICS
OFFENSE	OHIO STATE			MICHIGAN
	Statistical Average	Big Ten Rank	NCAA Rank	Statistical Average	Big Ten Rank	NCAA Rank
Scoring Offense	26.9	5	T-53	21.5	9	T-87
Total Offense	332.7	10	84	299.2	11	105
Rushing Offense	187.9	3	29	150.9	8	60
Passing Offense	144.8	11	107	148.3	10	106
DEFENSE	OHIO STATE			MICHIGAN
	Statistical Average	Big Ten Rank	NCAA Rank	Statistical Average	Big Ten Rank	NCAA Rank
Scoring Defense	13.6	2	7	27.7	10	80
Total Defense	286.6	2	13	362.5	8	66
Rushing Defense	115.3	3	26	128.3	6	45
Passing Defense	171.4	2	13	234.2	10	89

STARTING LINEUPS
OHIO STATE Offense		MICHIGAN Defense		MICHIGAN Offense		OHIO STATE Defense
75 Alex Boone 6-8, 312, Sr.	L T	D E	90 Jim Jamison 6-3, 265, Sr.	71 Mark Ortmann 6-7, 287, Jr.	L T	D E	93 Nader Abdallah 6-4, 300, Sr.
64 Jim Cordle 6-4, 297, Jr.	L G	D T	97 Will Johnson 6-5, 282, Sr.	74 John Ferrara 6-4, 283, So.	L G	D T	97 Cameron Heyward 6-6, 287, So.
50 Michael Brewster 6-5, 296, Fr.	C	N T	67 Terrance Taylor 6-0, 308, Sr.	50 David Molk 6-2, 284, Fr.	C	D T	84 Doug Worthington 6-6, 276, Jr.
63 Ben Person 6-3, 323, Sr.	R G	D E	55 Brandon Graham 6-2, 273, Jr.	60 David Moosman 6-5, 286, Jr.	R G	D E	90 Thaddeus Gibson 6-2, 240, So.
70 Bryant Browning 6-4, 312, So.	R T	S L B	49 John Thompson 6-1, 235, Sr.	52 Stephen Schilling 6-5, 295, So.	R T	W L B	51 Ross Homan 6-0, 229, So.
88 Rory Nicol 6-5, 252, Sr.	T E	W L B	8 Jonas Mouton 6-2, 214, So.	85 Kevin Koger 6-4, 238, Fr.	T E	S L B	1 Marcus Freeman 6-1, 239, Sr.
2 Terrelle Pryor 6-6, 235, Fr.	Q B	M L B	45 Obi Ezeh 6-2, 248, So.	8 Nick Sheridan 6-1, 207, So.	Q B	M L B	33 James Laurinaitis 6-3, 240, Sr.
87 Brandon Smith 6-2, 251, Sr.	F B	F S	3 Stevie Brown 6-0, 209, Jr.	13 Greg Mathews 6-3, 206, Jr.	W R	F S	21 Anderson Russell 6-0, 205, Jr.
28 Chris Wells 6-1, 237, Jr.	R B	S S	27 Brandon Harrison 5-9, 208, Sr.	4 Brandon Minor 6-1, 208, Jr.	R B	S S	4 Kurt Coleman 5-11, 188, Jr.
80 Brian Robiskie 6-3, 199, Sr.	W R	C B	14 Morgan Trent 6-1, 193, Sr.	9 Martavious Odoms 5-9, 168, Fr.	W R	B C	2 Malcolm Jenkins 6-1, 201, Sr.
9 Brian Hartline 6-2, 186, Jr.	W R	C B	6 Donovan Warren 6-0, 185, So.	22 Darryl Stonum 6-2, 184, Fr.	W R	F C	5 Chimdi Chekwa 6-0, 188, So.

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