Buckeyes Put Perfect 12-0 Mark On The Line Against Wolverines
Ohio State closes out the regular season Saturday by hosting Michigan in jammed-packed Ohio Stadium, where a stadium-record crowd of more than 105,000 is expected to witness the annual season finale between two of college football's most storied and respected programs.
This will be the 99th meeting between the two gridiron giants, who through the years have combined to win more than 1,400 games and capture 68 Big Ten titles.
While this game is always circled in red by both teams, the stakes are at an all-time high this year.
Ohio State is 12-0 on the year and 7-0 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes are ranked second nationally in both major polls and were No. 1 in last week's BCS standings. A win Saturday would clinch a share of the Big Ten title for OSU (Iowa is already in at 8-0) and virtually guarantee Jim Tressel's team of a spot in the national championship game in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Jan. 3.
Michigan is 9-2 on the year and 6-1 in the Big Ten. The Wolverines are rated ninth in this week's ESPN/USA Today poll and 12th in the Associated Press voting. Coach Lloyd Carr's squad has won its last three games and seven of its last eight.
Michigan is coming off a 21-14 win over Wisconsin in Ann Arbor. Ohio State kept its unbeaten streak in tact last week with a pulsating 23-16 overtime victory at Illinois.
Saturday's game will be televised by ABC Sports (Ohio State's sixth consecutive and eighth overall appearance of the year on ABC) and will kickoff at 12:10 p.m. EST. WBNS Radio, the flagship station for the Ohio State radio network, begins its network programming one hour before kickoff and will have exclusive coverage of Coach Tressel's comments immediately following the game.
ESPN's College Game Day will be on campus for the game, as will ESPN's radio version of College Game Day. Pacific West Radio Sports will broadcast the game nationally outside of Ohio.
Senior Day For 13 Buckeyes
Seniors Chris Conwell, Mike Doss, Cie Grant, Andy Groom, Scott Kuhnhein, Donnie Nickey, Kenny Peterson, Michael Stafford, David Thompson, Jack Tucker, Chris Vance, Matt Wilhelm and Jeremy Uhlenhake will be playing their final game in Ohio Stadium and will be introduced, along with their families, prior to the game.
"This senior class has been small in number, but large in leadership," said Ohio State coach Jim Tressel. "It has been willing to do whatever the team needs. Any extraordinary season has a group of seniors who are having their career best year."
Senior managers Pat Fuller and Kevin Groom also will be recognized.
A Quick Glance At The Coaches
Big Ten and National Coach of the Year candidate Jim Tressel is in his second year at Ohio State, where his record of 19-5 for all games includes a 12-3 mark in Big Ten play. Tressel, now in his 17th season as a head coach, has a career record of 154-62-2. Prior to Ohio State, Tressel spent 15 highly-successful years as head coach at Youngstown State, where he was a four-time pick as the Division 1-AA National Coach of the Year. Tressel is 1-0 against Michigan following a 26-20 victory last year in Ann Arbor.
Lloyd Carr is completing his eighth season as the head coach at Michigan. His record with the Wolverines is 75-22 and includes a mark of 49-14 in Big Ten play. He is 5-2 against Ohio State.
The Ratings Game
For the second-consecutive week, Ohio State is a solid No. 2 behind Miami in both major polls. The Buckeyes, who began the season ranked 12th by ESPN/USA Today and 13th by the Associated Press, and the Hurricanes are the only major unbeaten teams remaining in college football. Additionally, Ohio State was first in last week's Bowl Championship Series standings. This is Ohio State's highest ranking since the 1998 campaign, when the Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 for the first nine weeks of the season. The Buckeyes are 3-0 against ranked teams this year, including a 25-7 win over third-ranked Washington State Cougars
The Story Line
Ohio State, the last Big Ten team to win a consensus national championship in football, could make history Saturday by becoming the first Big Ten team to qualify for the Bowl Championship Series title game. The Buckeyes have several streaks on the line, including wins in 13-consecutive regular-season games and eight straight victories in Big Ten action. A victory Saturday would give Ohio State a share of its 29th conference championship.
A Look At The Buckeyes
Ohio State has won a school record 12 games this year and is ranked second nationally in both major polls. A win Saturday, would enable the Buckeyes to gain a share of the Big Ten title and secure a spot in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the national championship game Jan. 3, 2003. After launching the season with a convincing 45-21 win over Texas Tech in the Pigskin Classic, the Buckeyes have recorded wins over Washington State (25-7), Penn State (13-7) and Minnesota (34-3), all of whom were nationally ranked at the time they played Ohio State. This is the first 12-0 start for the Buckeyes, who have won 13 regular-season and eight conference games in a row.
Heading into this week's game against Michigan, the Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in scoring defense (12.5 points a game), as well as total defense (312.9 yards per game). Ohio State is also second in rushing defense (75.2 yards per game).
Led by All-America safety Mike Doss, linebacker Matt Wilhelm, and arguably the best defensive front in college football, the Buckeyes have played rock solid defensively of late, allowing a total of 46 points in the last six games, including just 16 in the second half of those games. Ohio State has been particularly effective against the run, holding each of its last four opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground. In the win over Penn State, the Nittany Lions' fine senior running back, Larry Johnson, netted 66 yards on 16 carries.
Offensively, the Buckeyes are averaging 30.4 points and 381 yards per game. Ohio State is third in the league in scoring and fourth in rushing offense (199.4) yards per game.
With quarterback Craig Krenzel at the controls, the Buckeyes have converted 44 of 52 red zone opportunities. They also lead the Big Ten in time of possession.
In punter Andy Groom and kicker Mike Nugent, the Buckeyes boast the top kicking tandem in college football. Groom leads the Big Ten with an average of 45.1 yards per punt on 48 kicks. Nugent leads the league in field goals made (24) and percentage (92.3 percent). He is fourth in overall scoring (9.2 points a game).
Buckeyes Just Keep Finding A Way To Win
Ohio State ran its record to 12-0, but needed an overtime session to down Illinois, 23-16, on a cold, windy day in Champaign. It was the first overtime game for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State jumped out to a 6-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Illinois narrowed the margin to 6-3 at halftime and took a 10-6 lead early in the third quarter on a 19-yard pass from John Beutjer to Walter Young. Eugene Wilson set up the score with a 52-yard punt return to the OSU 23.
The Buckeyes came right back to take the lead on their next possession -- Craig Krenzel teaming up with split end Michael Jenkins from 50 yards out.
With OSU leading 16-13 in the closing minute of regulation play, Illinois marched from its own 25 to the
Ohio State 31 and kicked a 48-yard field goal to tie the game as time expired.
Ohio State struck first in the extra session, scoring on an 8-yard run by Maurice Hall on third down. Krenzel kept the drive alive with a key 14-yard scramble from the 25.
Illinois then took its turn, but when tackle Tim Anderson batted down a fourth-down Beutjer pass, the Buckeyes were 12-0 for the first time in school history.
Linebacker Matt Wilhelm had 12 tackles for the Buckeyes and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following the game.
Coach Tressel On The Buckeyes
"We have said right from the beginning that in order to win the Big Ten championship, and that is our goal, you have to win all your games at home. That is what we are going to be focusing on this week, getting ready to play at home against a very good Michigan team
