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Tressel says team needs to maintain its focus to finish season No.1
By George M. Thomas Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Wednesday, Oct 03, 2007
COLUMBUS: Jim Tressel and the Ohio State Buckeyes turned on the news Sunday and found themselves in a familiar position: ranked among the five best football teams in the country.
After a wild weekend in college football that saw Oklahoma, Florida, West Virginia and Texas all ranked higher than the then-No. 8 Buckeyes fall in upsets, OSU now stands at No. 4 in the country and possesses a legitimate shot at making another run toward the national championship.
To let Tressel tell it, the issue of the team's ranking never popped up after the win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers 30-7 on Saturday night.
''No, in the locker room after the game, we were most anxious to go home. It was whatever time at night, and they weren't ready for any epiphany from me about anything,'' Tressel said in his weekly news conference Tuesday afternoon.
For the players, the ranking is a number providing no different feeling for now.
''I think a lot of teams look to Ohio State, and that's a big game for them,'' wide receiver Brian Robiskie said. ''We come in with that target on our chest, and we know that. Our coaches do a great job of preparing us for each team and making us aware of that.''
Make no mistake about it, however: When the season began, this OSU team set its sights on winning the Big Ten and the national championship, despite the fact that many experts pegged them for no better than third in the league.
They squeaked into the Top 10 in one national poll and were left out of it in another.
''There are some great teams in college football right now,'' linebacker Marcus Freeman said. ''For us to be No. 4 in the nation is just a goal of ours to keep striving to be No. 1 in the nation. And that's what we're going to try to do every week. We can't control anything but what we do.''
Freeman said that the Buckeyes' leap in the polls this week was not the result of a difference in perception by poll voters.
''I think the biggest surprise is the number of Top 10 teams that lost this week, and I think that with that, you're going to move up fairly fast,'' he said.
Robiskie said the ranking doesn't surprise him because the team knew its potential coming into the season. What the Buckeyes have to do is take care of business on the field, and the rest will come, he said.
That in itself shows focus that Tressel appreciates.
''You know, we're a young team, but I would like to think that we're mature enough to think on Oct. 2 where you're ranked doesn't really have much credence,'' Tressel said. ''And hopefully they'll stay focused on the task at hand as to what we need to get better at, and I think they will. We've got a long way to go if we're going to be the best team in the nation.''
Returning wounded
Running back Brandon Saine is close to returning to action after having knee surgery almost two weeks ago.
Tressel said that had he been asked Monday about Saine's status, he would have said the back would have no chance of playing soon.
That changed after a rehab session in which Saine ran at full speed and showed no effects, the coach said.
Before the injury, Saine had been making strides relieving Chris Wells.
Cornerback Andre Amos also was cleared to return to the team.
Linebacker joins team
The NCAA gave linebacker Jermale Hines permission to join the team last week.
A heavily recruited prospect out of Cleveland's Glenville High School, Hines will start with special teams.
''Now, he has missed some growth, and he wasn't allowed to even be in watching films and meetings and all that, so we'll have to see in the defensive scheme of things how quickly he'll get back,'' Tressel said, ''but the thing I was impressed with Jermale, I was amazed how he picked up all that our defense does, which is significant.''
Top players
Coaches selected Robiskie as Offensive Player of the Week, and Freeman received the honor on defense. Punter A.J. Trapasso was named Special Teamer of the Week. Coaches chose Jim Cordle the Offensive Lineman of the Week.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/
COLUMBUS: Jim Tressel and the Ohio State Buckeyes turned on the news Sunday and found themselves in a familiar position: ranked among the five best football teams in the country.
Get the full article here.
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