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OSU players insist they ignore hype from media, focus on now
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Friday, Sep 12, 2008
COLUMBUS: Ohio State has played in more big games in the past two years than any BCS team in the country.
Fans could make a case for LSU and Florida, but only one team, the Buckeyes, played in the past two national championship games.
No. 5 OSU (2-0) will play No. 1 Southern Cal (1-0) on Saturday night at the Los Angeles Coliseum in an uber-hyped game with a lot at stake.
The perception exists and persists that unless Ohio State plays to the level of its talent, the Buckeyes will become the Buffalo Bills of college football — a team that never really figures out how to win the big one.
The players are aware of what's before them, OSU defensive end Lawrence Wilson said.
He also knows if the team wants to make it to three consecutive BCS National Championship Games, the road runs through USC.
''That's how it is,'' said Wilson, a St. Vincent-St. Mary graduate. ''We cannot change the past, but we have to focus on the present.''
He denies that the players have a chip on their shoulders. He also said they have not paid much attention to what the media said about the team since its mediocre showing against Ohio University last Saturday.
''I'd say we motivate ourselves,'' Wilson said. ''We don't need to listen to what the media has to say. We know what we have to do and the task we have ahead of us.''
Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel agreed.
''I think any time you can go out in a highly noticed game, you have an opportunity to make a statement to show you can only play the best you're capable of playing,'' Tressel said. ''I'm not sure that what's most important to our guys is that we make statements to others.''
No, but others will be looking, given the Buckeyes' recent history, losing by lopsided margins in two national championship games and always seeming to play to the level of their competition.
Prognosticators expected Penn State to give OSU a scare last season, but the Buckeyes won in an impressive fashion, 37-17.
By the same token, the Buckeyes can play down to their
opponents, as they did last week in a game that Ohio should have won. The Buckeyes eked out a 26-14 victory and barely looked credible in doing it.
Which team will show up Saturday?
The one that can look dominant?
Or the one that can give its fans fits?
This is one of the reasons why the game has been dubbed by ABC, ''Clash at the Coliseum.''
Buckeyes quarterback Todd Boeckman said the excitement doesn't surprise him.
''It's just a lot more hype. A lot more people want to talk about it. It's all [the media] wants to talk about,'' he said. ''We've been hearing about this game for the last four or five or six months.''
Has the experience of those two national championship games and a home-and-home series with Texas the past two seasons prepared this team?
''I think so,'' Boeckman said. ''Being part of those big games just kind of lets you know what to expect.''
OSU defensive back Malcolm Jenkins tried to put this week in perspective.
''For us, this year, every game is a big game,'' he said. ''To get where we want to get and prove what we want to prove, we have to win every game, and this is the most important one because it's the next one.
''The fact that everyone is telling us we don't have a chance makes it a little more fun. The stakes are a little higher. We know what we have to do to get better and how to prepare for it.''
Wells update
Tressel said Thursday it is doubtful that starting tailback Chris Wells will play Saturday night against No. 1 Southern California.
Tressel said there was lingering soreness for Wells in his right foot after he worked out on Wednesday night. Wells did not practice with the team Thursday morning just before it departed for Los Angeles.
''We were hoping he'd wake up this morning and feel even better than yesterday,'' Tressel said shortly before boarding the team bus to the airport. ''But it didn't happen. We'll see from here.''
Wells injured his right foot in the fifth-ranked Buckeyes' opener against Youngstown State. He did not play last week against Ohio and has not had contact in partial practices this week. He flew with the team Thursday afternoon.
Tressel did not rule out the possibility of the junior playing but did not sound optimistic.
''Beanie practiced about 20 carries yesterday, and maybe 20 percent of the practice,'' Tressel said. ''We didn't have him work today. He had more soreness this morning than we had hoped for. A late afternoon practice followed by a morning practice, we're hoping that's a little bit of the reason why. So we'll just have to play it by ear.''
Co-offensive coordinator Jim Bollman said after practice Wednesday night that Wells was about 75 percent healthy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/
COLUMBUS: Ohio State has played in more big games in the past two years than any BCS team in the country.
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Comments
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Bethesda, MD
Posted 04:39 PM, 09/12/2008
OSU can not beat USC with Todd B at QB. At half time USC 14 OSU 6 Pryor starts the second half. USC 28 OSU 23
medina, oh
Posted 09:10 PM, 09/12/2008
Amen, Todd B / T Pryor reminds me of Stanley Jackson/ Joe Germaine. Fortunately, Tress isn't John Cooper, so we will probably have Pryor as QB1 by the Big Ten games!
