Football: No. 14 Ohio State Hosts Minnesota in Big Ten Opener – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Ohio State has won the last five meetings with the Golden Gophers and 21 of the last 22 overall
First And 10
Ohio State is 3-1 and 0-0 in the Big Ten
Minnesota is 4-0 and 0-0 in the Big Ten
This is the 48th meeting between the schools in football; Ohio State leads the series 40-7
Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel is 76-17 in eight seasons in Columbus; 211-74-2 in his 23rd season overall
Ohio State was picked as Big Ten preseason favorite and is the three-time defending Big Ten champion
Coach Tim Brewster is 5-11 in two seasons at Minnesota
The win over Ohio was the Buckeyes’ 800th all-time victory
Crowds of more than 100,000 have seen the last 44 games at Ohio Stadium
The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in pass defense and are second in total defense
Autumn quarter classes at Ohio State begin Wednesday, September 24
The Game
No. 13/14 Ohio State (3-1/0-0) hosts undefeated Minnesota (4-0/0-0) in a noon game Saturday, September 27, 2008, at Ohio Stadium (102,329). The game will be televised by the Big Ten Network. This will be the 2008 Big Ten Conference opener for both schools.
Series Record
The Buckeyes and Gophers are playing for the 48th time; Ohio State has a 40-7 advantage in the series, with a 20-3 mark in Columbus. The Buckeyes have won the last five games in the series, including a 30-7 OSU victory last season in Minneapolis. (Series info page 21)
Big Ten Openers
Since joining the Big Ten Conference in 1913, Ohio State is 68-23-4 in conference openers.
Tressel In Big Ten Openers (6-1)
2001: Ohio State 27, at Indiana 14
2002: Ohio State 45, Indiana 17
2003: Ohio State 20, Northwestern 0
2004: Northwestern 33, Ohio State 27 (OT)
2005: Ohio State 31, Iowa 6
2006: Ohio State 28, Penn State 6
2007: Ohio State 58, Northwestern 7
Minnesota Report Card (4-0)
| W, 31-27 | Northern Illinois |
| W, 42-17 | at Bowling Green |
| W, 35-23 | Montana State |
| W, 37-3 | Florida Atlantic |
800 Wins
Ohio State is the fifth major college football program to reach 800 all-time wins; that event occurred in the 26-14 win over Ohio University. The Buckeyes have an all-time record of 801-305-53 in their 119 seasons. The top 10 schools in terms of total program victories:
870 – Michigan
826 – Notre Dame
823 – Texas
820 – Nebraska
801 – Ohio State
794 – Penn State
791 – Alabama
779 – Oklahoma
772 – Tennessee
755 – Southern Cal
Bouncing Back
During the Jim Tressel era at Ohio State, in the games following the Buckeyes’ 17 losses, OSU has a 15-2 record. Eleven of those games were at Ohio Stadium, where the Buckeyes under Tressel are 10-1 in the game following a loss. Only once during the Tressel era has Ohio State recorded back-to-back losses, a three-game stretch with losses at Northwestern, to Wisconsin and at Iowa in October, 2004.
The Silver Bullets
In the 43-0 win over Youngstown State, Ohio State’s defense recorded the third shutout of the Jim Tressel era; others were in 2003 vs. Northwestern and 2006 vs. Minnesota. It was the first shutout by the Buckeyes in a season opener since OSU beat Miami (Fla.) 10-0 in 1977. The defense has held the opposition to single-digit scoring 31 times during the Tressel era.
Against Youngstown State, Ohio State’s defense allowed only 74 yards of offense. The Penguins registered -11 rushing yards on 21 attempts, the first time the Buckeye defense held an opponent to negative rushing yards since Cincinnati had -4 yards on 22 attempts Sept. 16, 2006.
Ohio State forced four Youngstown State punts and a YSU fumble on its five defensive possessions of the first half. Three of those five YSU drives resulted in three-and-outs. Overall, Ohio State forced YSU to punt on nine of its 12 possessions.
In the win over Ohio University, the Buckeye defense allowed just one offensive touchdown. At Southern Cal, led by 10 tackles from Malcolm Jenkins, the OSU defense gave up only four scores to the nation’s top team, and the Buckeyes held Troy (which entered the game averaging 48 points per outing) to just a touchdown and a field goal.
Terrelle’s First Start
Terrelle Pryor made his first career start at quarterback against Troy, marking the first time a true freshman started at quarterback for the Buckeyes since Art Schlichter in 1978. Pryor finished the game 10-for-16 passing for 139 yards and four touchdowns. He broke Schlichter’s freshman record of three touchdowns in a single game (vs. Purdue, Oct. 14, 1978).
His four TDs also tied Schlichter’s Buckeye freshman mark for passing touchdowns in a season.
It was the first four-touchdown game for a Buckeye quarterback since Todd Boeckman vs. Northwestern Sept. 22, 2007.
Pryor’s four TDs tie for the fourth-best single-game performance for a Buckeye, matching a mark set 13 times prior.
He also ran for 66 yards on 14 carries.
The Jeannette, Pa., product also rushed for 66 yards on 14 carries, and threw his first career touchdown pass, a 13-yarder to tight Rory Nicol on the game’s opening drive. He later threw his second on a 39-yard strike down the middle to receiver Brian Hartline. He completed a 38-yard TD pass to Brian Robiskie early in the fourth quarter and set the record for a Buckeye freshman QB with his 16-yard TD pass to Hartline later in the fourth. The 39-yard TD pass from Pryor to Hartline was the second-longest pass play of the season for Ohio State.
Three And Out
The Buckeye defense recorded seven three-and-outs versus Youngstown State, five in the wins over both Ohio University and Troy, and three against Southern Cal, an average of five per game to start the 2008 season.
In 2007, the Buckeye defense held the opponent to three-and-out on 48.5% of all possessions (66-136). Turnovers ended 18 of those other opponent drives.
Target Practice
For the 2008 season, 13 different Buckeyes have recorded at least one reception.
Eleven different Buckeyes caught at least one pass in the 43-0 win over Youngstown State. The leader in yardage was Brian Hartline, who totaled 59 yards on just two receptions, the long being 47 yards. Hartline has at least one reception in the last 22 games.
The leader in number of catches in the opener was freshman DeVier Posey, with four receptions for 47 yards, including a 25-yard score. Brian Robiskie, Ray Small and Chris “Beanie” Wells had three catches each. Robiskie, who had a 31-yard touchdown reception from Todd Boeckman against YSU, has caught at least one pass in his last 29 games.
Against Ohio University, six different Buckeyes were on the receiving end of Boeckman strikes; Ray Small had five receptions to lead the team.
Seven Buckeyes had receptions against Southern Cal, again led by Small with six catches.
In the win over Troy, four Buckeyes Hartline, Robiskie, Brandon Smith and Rory Nicol each had two receptions from Terrelle Pryor. Both of Hartline’s catches 39 and 16 yards were for touchdowns. Robiskie (38) and Nicol (13) also had touchdown catches against Troy.
Turnovers
The Buckeyes rank 26th in the nation this week in turnover margin, averaging +0.75 per game.
Ohio State came up with five turnovers against Ohio, the biggest being a Shaun Lane recovery of a fumbled Ohio punt return attempt with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter, setting up the Buckeyes’ go-ahead score. Lawrence Wilson, Anderson Russell, Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis had interceptions for OSU against the Bobcats.
That marked the most turnovers forced by Ohio State since the 2006 Northwestern game, when OSU had two interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
Kurt Coleman nabbed two interceptions (the first picks of his career) in the win over Troy; the last Buckeye to record two interceptions in a single game was James Laurinaitis at Washington in 2007.
The Buckeyes had a fumble recovery against Youngstown State, and Chimdi Chekwa recorded an interception in the endzone against Southern Cal.
Bucks Win 77 Percent of Ohio Stadium Games
The Buckeyes boast an all-time record of 382-105-20 (.773) in Ohio Stadium since that facility opened in 1922.
Ohio State has hosted 44 consecutive crowds of 100,000 or larger at Ohio Stadium; six of last year’s crowds ranked among the top 25 all-time. Ohio State’s all-time record in Columbus is 525-152-35 in 712 games.
Before the 2007 season, the old grass field in place at Ohio Stadium since 1990 was removed for a new synthetic surface called FieldTurf.
Score By Quarters
This season in the first quarter, the Buckeyes have outscored the opposition 26-7. In the second quarter, the opponents are ahead 31-23, and the opponents lead in the third quarter as well, 21-13. Ohio State has outscored its 2008 opponents 38-0 in fourth-quarter play.
The Buckeyes are outscoring opponents by more than 10 points per game (25.0-14.8).
Ohio State W/L Records
Seasons: 119th
All-Time Record: 801-305-53
Big Ten: 443-188-28
Ohio Stadium: 382-105-20
Bowl Games: 18-21
September Games: 144-22-5
September Home Games: 119-10-4
Coaching Staff Assignments
Here’s a breakdown of the Ohio State coaching staff assignments for the 2008 season.
On the field:
Paul Haynes: Safeties
Darrell Hazell: Wide Receivers, Assistant Head Coach
Jim Heacock: Defensive Coordinator, Defensive Front
John Peterson: Tight Ends, Recruiting Coordinator
Dick Tressel: Running Backs
In the booth:
Jim Bollman: Offensive Coordinator, Offensive Line
Joe Daniels: Quarterbacks, Passing Game
Luke Fickell: Co-Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers
Taver Johnson: Cornerbacks
For Starters
When the Ohio State-Minnesota game kicks off, the Buckeyes will have a total of 38 players with at least one game of starting experience. Tops among those are: James Laurinaitis (30); Malcolm Jenkins (30); Marcus Freeman (28); Alex Boone (27); Steve Rehring (26); Rory Nicol (26) and Donald Washington (22).
First-time starters (8) in 2008: C Mike Brewster, OT Bryant Browning, TB Dan Herron, DB Jermale Hines, LB Ross Homan, QB Terrelle Pryor, FB Brandon Smith, and TB Maurice Wells.
Average Per Down
Here’s a breakdown of how the 2008 Ohio State offense is operating on first, second, third and fourth down.
On first down, the Buckeyes have run a total of 112 plays, gaining 534 yards for an average of 4.8 yards per play. On second down, OSU has tried 90 plays for 531 yards, a 5.9 average. On third down, the Buckeyes have run 54 plays, gaining 200 yards for a 3.7 average. Ohio State has tried only four fourth-down attempts, gaining 43 yards.
Ohio State’s touchdowns this season have come four times on first down (three rushing and a passing TD), three times on second down (all passing), twice on third down (both passes) and once on fourth down (a rush).
First Impressions
Eleven freshmen (four redshirt/seven true freshmen) saw their first collegiate action in the opener against Youngstown State.
True freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor connected with another true freshman, Lamaar Thomas, on a 9-yard pass in the first quarter, the first college completion for both. Pryor finished with 35 yards passing and 52 yards rushing in his debut, scoring on an 18-yard fourth-quarter run.
Redshirt freshman Joe Bauserman passed for 22 yards in his initial effort; his first collegiate completion went to true freshman DeVier Posey for four yards. Posey was the leading Buckeye receiver with four catches against YSU. Posey scored a touchdown on his first college catch, a 25-yard strike from Todd Boeckman.
Dan “Boom” Herron, a redshirt freshman, rushed for 17 yards on five carries in his first game. Other freshmen who saw action against Youngstown State: Mike Adams, Mike Brewster, Nate Oliver, Etienne Sabino, J.B. Shugarts and Solomon Thomas.
Good For Three
Ryan Pretorius’ four-for-four showing on field goals against Youngstown State marked the eighth time a Buckeye had four field goals in a game, and the first time since Josh Huston converted five attempts vs. Texas in 2005.
Pretorius connected on field goals of 28, 31, 26 and 50 yards, the last just two yards shy of his career best (52 vs. Cincinnati, 2006). He currently leads the NCAA with an average of three made field goals per game.
Junior Aaron Pettrey made a career-long 54-yard field goal in the fourth quarter against Youngstown State, the fourth-longest field goal made by a Buckeye in Ohio Stadium history.
Pretorius was 27 and 38 yards and wide on a 53-yard attempt against Ohio University. He made a 29-yard field goal at Southern Cal but was wide on a 46-yard attempt. Ohio State did not attempt a field goal against Troy.
Scoreless Quarters
Ohio State has held its opponent scoreless in 10 of 16 quarters of action (62.5%) during the 2008 campaign. The Buckeye defensive unit has given up only six touchdowns through four games.
Against Ranked Teams
Ohio State is 124-101-12 all-time when facing a ranked opponent, and 36-40-7 on the road against ranked teams. Under Coach Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes are 30-10 overall and 9-5 on the road against ranked teams.
In Non-Conference Games
Under Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes are 23-1 at Ohio Stadium versus non-conference teams, the only loss coming 25-22 to No. 2 Texas in 2005.
Honor Roll
A league-best 24 Ohio State football players were named to the Big Ten’s 2007 all-academic team, marking the sixth year in a row the Buckeyes led the conference. Additionally, 45 Ohio State football players qualified for the annual OSU Scholar-Athlete Dinner in May, which requires a grade-point average of 3.00 or better for the past academic year.
The Graduates
Ohio State has seven seniors on its roster who have already earned bachelor’s degrees from OSU. Those are: Todd Boeckman, Marcus Freeman, Ryan Lukens, Ben Person, Steve Rehring, Jon Skinner and A.J. Trapasso.
According to a survey by Boston College, Ohio State ranks among the Top 10 nationally in the number of players with degrees on the 2008 roster:
13 – Miami (Fla.)
10 – Boston College, Virginia Tech
9 – Maryland
8 – Auburn, Clemson, Pitt
7 – Arizona State, Memphis, Ohio State, Penn St.
NFF Honorees
A number of past and present Buckeyes have been recently recognized by the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. In July, quarterback Rex Kern (1968-70) took part in the College Football Hall of Fame enshrinement festival in South Bend, Ind.
In December, former head coach John Cooper (1988-2000) will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as part of its newest class, along with former OSU assistant coach Lou Holtz (1968). At that same gala at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria, Ohio State director of athletics Gene Smith will receive the John L. Toner Award for superior athletics administration, and Ohio senator John Glenn will receive the Foundation’s highest honor, its Gold Medal.
Cooper will also be recognized in an on-campus salute at the Ohio State-Penn State game October 25.
The Captains
Seniors Todd Boeckman, Malcolm Jenkins, James Laurinaitis and Brian Robiskie were elected as 2008 captains of the Ohio State football team.
“I’m extremely thankful and honored by the confidence shown by my teammates in my leadership,” said Boeckman. “It’s a great feeling to have that type of role in this football program. You’re part of something much bigger than yourself.”
“When you think back on all the past captains at Ohio State, you realize what a great honor and opportunity this is,” said Jenkins. “This team is a very special collection of remarkable people; that’s why I came back for another year to be around these guys.”
“It’s unbelievable to have the chance to represent the type of player and people we have on this team as their captain for another year,” Laurinaitis said. “With the number of outstanding leaders we have on our team, I will work to lead everyone in every way I can, on and off the field.”
Previous two-year captains: Richard T. Ellis (1891-92), Archie Griffin (1974-75), Glen Cobb (1981-82), Thomas Johnson (1984-85), Joe Cooper (2000-01), Steve Bellisari (2000-01).
“First and foremost, it humbles you. To have the respect of your teammates in such a way is definitely an honor,” Robiskie said. “The tradition of guys who have led this team in the past shows you what an honor it is.”
Not Since 1922-24
Ohio State ranks second among all NCAA Div. I programs with 83 consecutive seasons since last posting back-to-back losing records. The Buckeyes have not been under .500 for two or more consecutive seasons since 1922-24, which trails only Tennessee; the Vols have not had back-to-back losing seasons since 1909-11, a span of 96-consecutive seasons.
| School | Years | Last |
| Tennessee | 96 | 1909-11 |
| Ohio State | 83 | 1922-24 |
| Southern Miss | 73 | 1933-34 |
| Arizona State | 60 | 1946-47 |
| Alabama | 50 | 1854-57 |
Where They Go Next
Continuing Big Ten play, Ohio State visits Wisconsin next Saturday for an 8 p.m. Eastern game at Camp Randall Stadium that will be televised nationally. Minnesota hosts Indiana next Saturday.
