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Tressel sees nonconference game as change of pace
By George M. Thomas Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Saturday, Oct 13, 2007
The biggest challenge for Ohio State today as the Buckeyes face off against Kent State will be trying to remain focused.
With KSU coach Doug Martin already blowing off the importance of this game and saying he plans to rest his best players to prepare for the stretch run of the Mid-America Conference season, it would seem that he's all but conceded it to OSU.
Perhaps he recalls recent history, when the Buckeyes, on their way to a national championship, rolled KSU 51-17 in the schools' first meeting, or he just believes that the MAC is more important than pulling an Appalachian State-sized upset of the No. 3 Buckeyes.
OSU coach Jim Tressel's phi
losophy: You rest, you rust. So, he plans to play the game with the starters getting as much work as he deems suitable given the score. Compounding the situation is that the Buckeyes were humming along in their Big Ten Conference schedule with three consecutive wins, and now they get a nonconference opponent.
All things being equal, Tressel said he'd prefer that all the nonconference games be played at the front end of the season.
''But there's nothing we can do about it. We have 11 teams in our league,'' he said. ''So someone's always going to have either a bye next year, because there will be byes next year, or someone other than a Big Ten team, and that's just the way it is.''
If anything, he's pragmatic about today's game as offering the Buckeyes a change of pace amid the tense Big Ten season.
''The fact that we've done a couple of weeks of the other, this is exciting. Change is exciting, whether it's for coaches or kids or whatever. That's why I don't mind a night game here or there, because it's a different feel,'' Tressel said. ''Right now at this moment, I love the thought of a noon game. I love the thought of playing at home. I know our guys feel the same way.''
KSU is 3-3 overall, 1-2 in the MAC and 1-2 in the conference's East Division and has a realistic shot at making up ground in the season's second half. Offensively, the Flashes have a huge weapon in compact running back Eugene Jarvis, should he play. This season, Jarvis has rushed for 851 yards on 144 attempts, an average of 5.9 yards per carry, and leads all MAC runners in yards. He also leads the conference's scoring list with 10 touchdowns.
''I know our guys have respect for (Jarvis) because they're saying he's a lot like Garrett Wolfe,'' Tressel said. ''And what they're saying is he's a lot like a guy who did pretty well against us. It's not like, oh, that guy was good. That guy did well against us.''
Wolfe, a running back for MAC member Northern Illinois, piled up 285 yards rushing and receiving in a loss to the Buckeyes last season.
Defensively, the Flashes lead the MAC in rushing defense and scoring defense and rank second in pass defense. They lead the conference in overall defense. It's statistics such as those that probably caught the attention of Buckeyes players.
''We want to treat it the same way we treat every game. If we lose, we won't have the opportunity to play in the championship game,'' wide receiver Brian Hartline said. ''We want to go undefeated this season. When we start thinking Kent State is a second-tier team, we start hurting ourselves, and that is not what we want to do.''
Is there a danger in overlooking KSU? Sure. That is why Tressel said his focus remains the same throughout the process.
''We really haven't talked about the ranking. We really haven't talked about the upsets and all that stuff that seem to be on the tip of everyone's tongue. We've talked a lot about getting better,'' he said. ''We've talked a lot about having a trend of improvement, which we think we have improved. We've got to continue that trend.''
Chris Wells update
Chris Wells has been hampered by a nagging ankle injury much of the season and had up-and-down practices this week.
''Chris had as good a practice Tuesday as I think he's had in a while. (Wednesday), not as good,'' Tressel said.
If Tressel decides that Wells can't play, his backup, freshman Brandon Saine, is 100 percent after having knee surgery earlier this season.
George M. Thomas can be reached atgmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/sportsblitz/.
The biggest challenge for Ohio State today as the Buckeyes face off against Kent State will be trying to remain focused.
Get the full article here.
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