No. 11 Ohio State at Minnesota Game Notes – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/25/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
#11 Ohio State (7-1, 3-1) at Minnesota (1-7, 0-4)
Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010 – 7/8 p.m. ET
TCF Bank Stadium (50,805)
Minneapolis, Minn.
THE BROADCASTS
Television: ABC will televise the game. Mike Patrick (play-by-play) and Craig James (analyst) will have the call in the booth with Ray Bentley on the sidelines.
Radio: WBNS (97.1 FM The Fan) is the flagship station for the 73-station Ohio State radio network. The Jim Tressel pregame show airs 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Paul Keels will call the play-by-play with former Buckeye Jim Lachey in the booth and Marty Bannister on the sidelines. The game can also be heard on Sirius satellite radio 121 and XM 141.
FIRST AND 10
• With 6,998 total yards, Terrelle Pryor is set to become just the third Ohio State player to eclipse 7,000 yards of total offense
• The Buckeyes rank among the NCAA Top 10 in eight statistical categories
• Ohio State leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the NCAA in both turnover margin (+1.38) and total defense (234.5)
• Ohio State leads the Big Ten and ranks sixth in the NCAA with 40.8 points per game
• Coach Jim Tressel (236 wins) is the second-winningest active FBS coach behind Penn State’s Joe Paterno (398)
• Tressel is the only coach in NCAA annals to win 100 games at two different schools
• Ohio State has won 40 of its last 45 Big Ten conference games
• Junior DeVier Posey has caught at least one pass in 22 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the Big Ten
• Junior Daniel “Boom” Herron has scored at least one touchdown in seven consecutive games
• The Buckeyes are averaging an FBS-best 5.87 three-and-outs per game
DID YOU KNOW?
Junior linebacker Andrew Sweat has been on a tear filling in for injured starting linebacker Ross Homan the past two games.
Sweat has 16.0 tackles, 2.5 TFL, one interception, a forced fumble and a pass break-up in those two games after recording 28.0 tackles and 1.5 TFL in his first 21 career games combined.
MINNESOTA AT A GLANCE
The Gophers enter Saturday’s game 1-7 and 0-4 in the Big Ten and are under the direction of interim head coach Jeff Horton.
Minnesota is coming off a 33-21 loss to Penn State last week in Minneapolis. In that game Minnesota quarterback Adam Weber became the fifth Big Ten quarterback to reach 10,000 career yards and now trails only Purdue’s Drew Brees (11,792) and Curtis Painter (11,163), Northwestern’s Brett Basanez (10,580), and Iowa’s Chuck Long (10,461) for all-time passing yardage. Weber also holds the Minnesota record with 69 career touchdown passes.
In the loss to Penn State, Weber tossed three touchdown passes to Da’Jon McKnight and finishing 26-of-49 for 299 yards. Running back DeLeon Eskridge rushed 26 times for 111 yards in the loss. Weber is fourth in the Big Ten with 245.1 yards passing per game while McKnight is sixth in the Big Ten with 67.8 yards per game.
SERIES RECORD
The Buckeyes and Gophers are playing for the 50th time; Ohio State has a 42-7 advantage in the series, with a 22-3 mark in Columbus and a 20-4 record away from Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes have won the last seven games in the series, including a 38-7 victory last season in Columbus.
Since joining the Big Ten Conference in 1913, Ohio State is 459-191-28 all-time in Big Ten games. The Buckeyes’ all-time conference win percentage of 69.8% is the best of any Big Ten school.
IN OCTOBER
The Buckeyes boast an all-time record of 363-127-28 in October games. Ohio State is 249-63-20 in October home games and 115-64-8 on the road that month.
Ohio State is 15-3 in October games since the start of the 2006 season.
IN NIGHT GAMES
Ohio State is 7-3 at home and 27-14 away from home in night games (games starting 5 p.m. or later local time) since 1959 and 34-17 in night games all-time.
Under Coach Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes are 16-11 in night games and 8-4 in Big Ten night games away from Ohio Stadium. Tressel’s teams are 3-3 at home in night games.
TRESSEL 100 BUCKEYE WINS
In the 38-10 victory over Indiana, Jim Tressel (100-21 at Ohio State) became the third-fastest coach to win 100 games at a Big Ten school behind Michigan’s Fielding Yost and Bo Schembechler, each of whom did it in 119 games. Tressel is the fastest to win 100 games at Ohio State ahead of John Cooper (138 games) and Woody Hayes (144 games).
The NCAA reports that Tressel is the first coach in its records to win 100 games at multiple schools.
HEYWARD, HOMAN LOTT TROPHY QUARTERFINALISTS
Ohio State seniors Cameron Heyward and Ross Homan are two of 23 quarterfinalists for the 2010 Lott IMPACT Trophy, awarded to college football’s Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. The award is given to the player who exhibits the same characteristics Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott embodied during his distinguished career: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
There are 10 defensive linemen on the quarterfinalist list; eight linebackers and five defensive backs. The Big 12 and the Big Ten have five players on the list, the Pac-10 four, the SEC and ACC three each, the WAC two and one independent, Army. The semifinalists will be announced Nov. 3 and the four finalists Nov. 24. Those four finalists will be flown to Newport Beach, Cal., for the annual black-tie banquet that will be televised by FOX.
Now in its seventh year, the Lott is the first – and only – college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player. Former Buckeye James Laurinaitis won the award in 2008. In six years, the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation has donated more than $750,000 to various charities, including $25,000 to each of the winners’ universities.
BOWL ELIGIBLE
With the 38-10 win over Indiana, the 2010 Buckeyes became bowl eligible, one of the first seven teams nationally to have achieved that status this season. There are now 24 bowl-eligible teams in the NCAA FBS.
NOTING THE BUCKEYES
HEAD COACH JIM TRESSEL
• Ohio State is 15-3 in Ocotber games since the 2006 season and 31-10 overall in the Tressel era. Tressel’s teams always finish strong, going 26-4 in November games under Tressel. That is the fourth-best November record among FBS teams in this span. The only teams with better November records in this span are: USC (29-1), Boise State (32-3) and Florida (31-3).
• Jim Tressel has taken Ohio State to seven BCS bowls. That is tied with USC’s Pete Carroll and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops for the most by any coach.
• Ohio State is 9-1 in Big Ten openers under Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes have won their Big Ten opener in each of the last five seasons, winning the conference title each season since 2005.
• Ohio State is 92-6 when it has allowed fewer than 24 points in the nine seasons under Tressel.
• Ohio State has never recorded a losing Big Ten record in nine seasons under Jim Tressel. The Buckeyes went 4-4 in 2004.
• Ohio State is 26-4 in November games since Jim Tressel became coach in 2001. The Buckeyes are 14-1 in November games since 2005, suffering a 28-21 loss to Illinois Nov. 10, 2007.
• Under Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes are 29-2 at Ohio Stadium versus non-conference teams, the only loss coming to No. 3 USC, 18-15, in 2009 and 25-22 to No. 2 Texas in 2005. The Buckeyes are 34-4 overall in regular season non-conference games since 2001.
• Ohio State is 34-4 in non-conference regular-season games since Jim Tressel became the Buckeyes coach in 2001.
• Ohio State is 91-7 in the games in which it has rushed for at least 125 yards since Jim Tressel became the Buckeyes coach in 2001. Ohio State is 10-15 in the games in which it has failed to rush for that total in this span.
• Ohio State is 20-2 under Jim Tressel after a loss. Only once have the Buckeyes lost consecutive games in the Tressel era (2004).
QB TERRELLE PRYOR
• Terrelle Pryor is 26-4 as Ohio State’s starting quarterback. That includes an 8-1 mark in 2008 and an 11-2 record in 2009. Pryor started at wide receiver in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl.
• With 104 yards rushing in the win at Illinois, Pryor (1,818 career rushing yards) surpassed Rex Kern (1,714) for second place among Ohio State quarterbacks. See complete list on page 7.
• With 6,998 yards of total offense in his career, Pryor has moved passed Archie Griffin (5,589) for eighth place on Ohio State’s all-time list.
• Pryor completed a school-record 16 consecutive passes in the win over Ohio, breaking the old single-game mark of 12 set by Jim Karsatos in 1985. The 16 consecutive also was the second most in Big Ten history, trailing Iowa’s Chuck Long (22).
• Pryor currently ranks second among Ohio State quarterbacks in career rushing yards with 1,818. He trails only Cornelius Greene (2,066).
• Pryor is the first Big Ten quarterback to return the season after winning Rose Bowl MVP since Ohio State’s Joe Germaine in 1997. The last Big Ten player to return the season after winning Rose Bowl MVP was Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne in 1999. Dayne went on to the win the Heisman Trophy in 1999.
• In the BCS Era (since the 1998 season), three previous quarterbacks returned after winning Rose Bowl MVP: Vince Young (Texas, 2005), Matt Leinart (2004, USC) and Ken Dorsey (2002, Miami). All three quarterbacks led their teams to the BCS title game the season after winning Rose Bowl MVP. Leinart and Young led their team to a BCS title while Dorsey lost to Ohio State in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.
• Pryor rushed for a first down or ran for a touchdown 58 times last season, trailing only Big Ten rushing champion and offensive player of the year John Clay from Wisconsin (84).
• Pryor had two games in which he passed for at least 200 yards and rushed for at least 100 last season. Since 1996, the only other Big Ten players to have at least two performances with 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards are Indiana’s Antwaan Randle El, Northwestern’s Zak Kustok and Illinois’ Juice Williams. Pryor has done that two times this season, against Miami (113 rush/233 pass) and Eastern Michigan (104 rush/224 pass).
• Ohio State is 16-2 in the games in which Pryor has rushed for at least 50 yards.
• Ohio State is 9-1 against Big Ten opponents when Pryor has rushed for at least 50 yards.
• Ohio State is 14-1 in the games in which Pryor has rushed for at least one touchdown. The Buckeyes’ only loss in these performances was the 26-18 loss on Oct. 17, 2009, at Purdue.
• Ohio State is 23-1 in the games in which Pryor has thrown at least one touchdown pass.
• Only five times in Ohio State history has a Buckeye quarterback rushed for 100 yards and passed for 200 yards or more in the same game, a feat achieved four times by Terrelle Pryor. The times it has happened at OSU:
Ohio State 200 yd passing/100 yd rush games
T. Smith vs. Michigan, 2004: 145 rush/241 pass
T. Pryor vs. Toledo, 2009: 110 rush/262 pass
T. Pryor vs. Minn., 2009: 104 rush/239 pass
T. Pryor vs. Miami (FL), 2010: 113 rush/233 pass
T. Pryor vs. E Mich, 2010: 104 rush/224 pass
RB BRANDON SAINE
• Brandon Saine recorded the third 100-yard game of his career against Marshall with 103 yards and two touchdowns (4, 45) on nine carries.
• The Buckeyes are 10-0 in Saine’s career when he has rushed for at least 50 yards.
• Ohio State is 14-0 when Saine scores a touchdown.
RB DAN HERRON
• “Boom” Herron has scored at least one touchdown in seven consecutive games.
• Herron is Ohio State’s leading rusher with 520 yards and is second in the Big Ten with 11 rushing touchdowns. He is averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
• Herron surpassed 1,500 yards in the win over Purdue. He now has 1,559 yards and 24 rushing touchdowns in his career.
• The Buckeyes are 15-2 in Herron’s career when he has rushed for at least 50 yards.
• Ohio State is 15-3 when Herron has a rushing touchdown.
WR DeVIER POSEY
• Posey has caught at least one pass in 22 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the Big Ten.
• Posey hauled in two touchdown passes in the season opener against Marshall, and totaled 105 yards receiving on four catches in the Miami win, the third 100-yard receiving game of his career. His totals of 103 yards on eight catches vs. Indiana were his fourth career 100-yard game.
WR DANE SANZENBACHER
• Senior wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher averaged 37.6 yards per catch in the season opener against Marshall, including a 65-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
• Sanzenbacher tied a Buckeye record with four touchdown receptions (31, 9, 7, 8 yards) against Eastern Michigan, sharing that mark with Terry Glenn (vs. Pitt, 1995) and Bob Grimes (vs. Washington State, 1952).
• Ohio State is 31-5 in the games in which Sanzenbacher has recorded at least one catch.
K DEVIN BARCLAY
• Senior kicker Devin Barclay is 24th among NCAA leaders with 1.50 field goals made per game. He tied a school record with five in the win over Miami. He is 21st in the NCAA in scoring with 9.50 points per game.
• Barclay tied an OSU record (set by Vic Janowicz vs. Iowa in 1950) with 10 PAT versus Eastern Michigan.
• Barclay had an string of eight consecutive games with at least one field goal made snapped when the Buckeyes posted all touchdowns in the 49-0 shutout of Purdue.
TEAM/MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
• Ohio State totaled 415 yards of total offense in the first half against Purdue, the most in the half in the Jim Tressel era and the most since the 1998 season.
• Ohio State has won 40 of its last 45 Big Ten conference games and 13 of its last 14 overall.
• Ohio State is 459-191-28 (.698) all-time in Big Ten games since 1913, the best winning percentage among Big Ten schools.
• Through eight games, Ohio State ranks first in the Big Ten in scoring offense (40.75), scoring defense (14.00), total defense (234.50), turnover margin (+1.38), rushing defense (85.75), pass defense (148.75), pass efficiency defense (94.23) and kickoff returns (26.24). The Buckeyes are second in the conference in total offense (449.38).
• Ohio State has won 56 straight regular-season non-conference games against teams not ranked in the AP Top 25. The last unranked non-conference team to beat Ohio State was Pitt, a 42-17 winner on Sept. 17, 1988.
• Ohio State has won 57 straight regular-season non-conference home games against teams not ranked in the AP Top 25. The last unranked non-conference team to beat the Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium was Florida State, a 34-17 winner on Oct. 2, 1982.
• Last season Ohio State became the first FBS team to beat five teams that finished with at least 10 wins: Iowa (11-2), Penn State (11-2), Wisconsin (10-3), Oregon (10-3) and Navy (10-4).
• Ohio State is one of only three FBS teams to record at least 10 wins in each of the past five seasons. The other two are Virginia Tech and Texas.
• Ohio State finished fifth in the final AP poll of the 2009 season. The Buckeyes have finished in the Top 10 in that poll in each of the five seasons since 2005.
• Ohio State has won at least a share of the Big Ten title in each of the last five seasons. That is tied with Michigan from 1988-92 for the second-longest run of consecutive titles. Ohio State holds the record with six straight championships from 1972-77.
• Ohio State has recorded 34 Big Ten championships all-time. The only football program with more is Michigan with 42.
• Ohio State has won three outright Big Ten titles in the last four years. That is more than the rest of the Big Ten in the last decade. The only other Big Ten teams to win the conference title outright since 2000 were Illinois in 2001 and Michigan in 2003. The Buckeyes shared the conference title with Penn State in 2008.
• The Buckeyes have recorded at least 10 wins in each of the last five seasons. The Buckeyes have a chance to become the first team in Big Ten history to record six straight 10-win seasons. The only other Big Ten team to have this long of a run of double-digit victories was Michigan from 1901-05.
• Ohio State has made 92 consecutive appearances in the AP Top 25 poll, the longest active streak among FBS teams. Alabama is second with 41.
• Ohio State has finished in the top 10 of the final AP poll in seven of the eight seasons since 2002. The only time the Buckeyes finished outside of the top 10 in this span was 2004, when Ohio State ended up ranked 20th.
• Ohio State is the only FBS team to have finished in the top 10 in the final AP poll in each of the last five seasons.
• Ohio State has finished in the top 10 in the final AP poll in each of the last five seasons. That has only happened once previously in OSU football history. The Buckeyes were in the top 10 of the final poll in each season from 1972-76.
• Ohio State has appeared in a BCS bowl in seven of the last eight seasons.
• The Buckeyes appeared in a BCS bowl for the eighth time overall last season. That is the most all-time, leading USC and Oklahoma (7).
• Ohio State has been to a BCS bowl in each of the last five seasons. It is the longest active streak among FBS teams. The only team with a longer run of BCS bowls was the seven straight made by USC from 2002-08.
• Ohio State is 5-3 all-time in BCS bowls. That is tied with Florida (5-1) for the second-most all-time BCS bowl wins. The only team with more BCS bowl wins is USC (6-1).
• Ohio State enjoyed one of the most successful decades in Big Ten history during the 2000s. The Buckeyes went 102-25 (.803) in the 10 seasons from 2000 through 2009. That was the most wins by any Big Ten team in any decade all-time. The 102 wins tied USC for the fourth-most wins by an FBS team in that span — Boise State (112-17), Texas (110-19) and Oklahoma (110-24).
• The 102-win total is at least 16 more than any other Big Ten team during that span. Wisconsin had the second-most wins with a record of 86-43 since the 2000 season.
• Ohio State has won six Big Ten titles since the 2000 season. That is the third-most in any decade by any Big Ten team. Ohio State won eight and Michigan had seven in the 1970s.
• Ohio State won six Big Ten titles since the 2000 season. That is at least twice as many as any Big Ten team. Michigan has the second-most over this span with three.
• Ohio State has appeared in a bowl game in each of the 10 seasons since 2000. Nine of those appearances have been January bowl games. The Buckeyes’ run is the longest active streak in the Big Ten. They are among 11 FBS teams to have appeared in a bowl game in each of the last 10 seasons, joining Boston College, Florida State, Florida, Georgia Tech, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech.
• Ohio State has appeared in a January bowl game in each of the last five seasons. The only other FBS team to play in that month in each season in this span is Florida.
• Ohio State ended the Big Ten’s six-game Rose Bowl skid when it defeated Oregon, 26-17. The previous Big Ten team to win the Rose Bowl was when Wisconsin defeated Stanford, 17-9, on Jan. 1, 2000.
• Ohio State has been to 15 bowl games in 16 seasons since 1994. Fourteen of those bowl appearances have taken place in January.
• Ohio State has appeared in eight BCS bowls. That is as many as Michigan (4), Penn State (2) and Wisconsin (2) combined.
• OSU is 94-17 (.846) since the start of the 2002 season, the fourth-best record among FBS teams in this span. The only teams with a better record are: Boise State (100-11, .900), USC (97-14, .872) and Texas (93-16, .853).
• Ohio State is 51-9 (.850) since the start of the 2006 season, the fourth-best record among FBS teams in this span.
• Ohio State is 39-5 in Big Ten games since the 2005 season, winning the conference title each year in that span. The only FBS team with a better conference record in this span is Boise State.
• The Buckeyes are 58-5 at Ohio Stadium since the start of the 2002 season.
• Ohio State is 31-3 in Big Ten home games since the start of the 2002 season.
• Ohio State is 19-2 in Big Ten road games since Oct. 22, 2005.
• Ohio State is 14-1 in November games since 2005, only suffering a 28-21 loss to Illinois on Nov. 10, 2007. Only Florida (19-1) and USC (16-1) have better records in this month in this span.
• Terrelle Pryor and Brandon Saine each rushed for more than 700 yards during the 2009 season. It is the first time a pair of Buckeyes reached that rushing total in the same season since 1989. Carlos Snow had 990 rushing yards and Scottie Graham added 977 that season.
• Terrelle Pryor, Brandon Saine and Dan Herron each recorded at least 600 rushing yards during the 2009 season, marking the first time in program history that the Buckeyes featured three players with at least 600 yards rushing.
THREE AND OUT
The Ohio State defense is averaging 5.87 three-and-outs per contest this season. The game-by-game totals in that statistic: vs. Eastern Michigan (10); Ohio (8); Illinois (6); Marshall, Indiana (5); Miami (3); Wisconsin (1); Purdue (9). Ohio State was third in the nation in 2009 behind TCU and Alabama, averaging 5.61 three-and-outs per game.
GROUND SUPERIORITY
Over the last 13 games dating to last season, the Buckeyes have outgained the opposition on the ground by +1,862 yards (2,931 to 1,069) — an average of +143.2 yards per game. Ohio State has averaged 225.5 yards per game during that span to the opponent’s 82.2 and has totaled 30 rushing touchdowns to the opposition’s seven.
In non-conference home games under Tressel (since 2001), the Buckeyes have outgained opponents on the ground by an average of 98.9 yards per game and have scored 61 rushing touchdowns to the opponent’s 11.
CAUSING TURNOVERS
Ohio State is third in the nation in turnover margin, with a +1.38-margin per game. The Buckeyes have forced 21 opponent turnovers through seven games, committing just 10. In Buckeye annals, only seven previous squads have forced 40 or more turnovers for a season:
| YEAR | INT | FUML | TOT |
| 1986 | 27 | 21 | 48 |
| 1950 | 19 | 25 | 44 |
| 1969 | 20 | 22 | 42 |
| 1980 | 25 | 17 | 42 |
| 1952 | 21 | 20 | 41 |
| 1968 | 25 | 16 | 41 |
| 1957 | 16 | 24 | 40 |
UNDER TRESSEL:
| YEAR | INT | FUML | TOT |
| 2001 | 20 | 11 | 31 |
| 2002 | 18 | 12 | 30 |
| 2003 | 15 | 10 | 25 |
| 2004 | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| 2005 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| 2006 | 21 | 6 | 27 |
| 2007 | 11 | 8 | 19 |
| 2008 | 15 | 14 | 29 |
| 2009 | 24 | 11 | 35 |
| 2010 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
Individually, 16 Buckeyes have already registered a forced or recovered turnover this season:
Dorian Bell: FF (Marshall)
Chimdi Chekwa: 2 INT (Miami); FF (Marshall)
Dominic Clarke: INT (Ind)
Cameron Heyward: INT (Miami); FR (Ohio)
Jermale Hines: INT (Illinois); FR (Purdue)
Ross Homan: INT (Ohio); FF (Ohio); FR (Marshall)
Orhian Johnson: INT (Purdue); FF (Ohio)
Storm Klein: INT (Purdue)
Tyler Moeller: INT (Ohio); FF (Marshall, Ohio)
Nate Oliver: FR (Marshall); FF (Purdue)
Brian Rolle: INT (Marshall/TD, Ind); Blkd PAT (EMich)
John Simon: FR (EMich)
Andrew Sweat: INT (Wisc); FF (Purdue)
Solomon Thomas: FF (Ind)
Devon Torrence: INT (Ind); FR (Ohio)
Nathan Williams: FR (Ohio); FF (Purdue)
1,000/5,000 CLUB
Quarterback Terrelle Pryor became the sixth active quarterback among FBS schools to have at least 1,000 rushing yards and 5,000 passing.
| QB | School | Rush | Pass |
| Colin Kaepernick | Nevada | 3,575 | 8,556 |
| Andy Dalton | TCU | 1,550 | 9,092 |
| Jake Locker | Washington | 1,806 | 6,988 |
| Austen Arnaud | Iowa State | 1,171 | 6,270 |
| Tyrod Taylor | Virginia Tech | 2,064 | 5,876 |
| Diondre Borel | Utah State | 1,292 | 5,786 |
| Terrelle Pryor | Ohio State | 1,818 | 5,180 |
| In the wings: | |||
| Dwight Dasher | M. Tennessee | 2,004 | 4,657 |
| Jerrod Johnson | Texas A&M | 877 | 8,011 |
| Russell Wilson | NC State | 848 | 7,106 |
| Adam Weber | Minnesota | 828 | 10,199 |
AVERAGE PER DOWN
Here’s a breakdown of how the 2010 Ohio State offense is operating on first, second, third and fourth down.
On first down, the Buckeyes have run a total of 257 plays, gaining 1,614 yards for an average of 6.2 yards per play. On second down, OSU has tried 183 plays for 1,237 yards, a 6.7 average. On third down, the Buckeyes have run 99 plays, gaining 640 yards for a 6.4 average. Ohio State has tried only seven fourth-down attempts, gaining 23 yards.
Ohio State’s touchdowns this season have come 20 times on first down (10 rushing and 10 passing TD), 13 times on second down (six passing and seven rushing), six times on third down (five passing and one rushing) and once on a fourth-down rush.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
This season in the first quarter, the Buckeyes have outscored the opposition 100-35. In the second quarter, the Buckeyes are ahead 123-34. Ohio State holds a 54-9 advantage in third-quarter scoring, and has outscored its 2010 opponents 49-34 in fourth-quarter play.
Ohio State has held the opposition scoreless in 17 quarters this year (53.1%).
The Buckeyes are outscoring opponents by 26.8 points per game (40.8-14.0) this season.
THE SILVER BULLET DEFENSE
• Ohio State’s defense has given up just 10 touchdowns in 2010 and has recorded 21 turnovers in eight games. They are currently third in the nation with a +1.38 turnover margin.
• The Ohio State defense is averaging 5.87 three-and-outs per contest this season. The game-by-game totals in that statistic: vs. Eastern Michigan (10); Ohio (8); Illinois (6); Marshall, Indiana (5); Miami (3); Wisconsin (1); Purdue (9). Ohio State was third in the nation in 2009 behind TCU and Alabama, averaging 5.61 three-and-outs per game.
• Among FBS teams, Ohio State ranks third in total defense (234.5), third in TO margin (+1.38), fifth in rushing defense (85.8), fifth in pass defense (148.8) and ninth in scoring defense (14.0 ppg).
• Among Big Ten teams, Ohio State ranks first in the Big Ten in total defense (234.5), scoring defense (14.0 ppg), rush defense (85.8), pass defense (148.8), TO margin (+1.38), pass defense efficiency (94.2) and opponent first downs (104/13.0 pg). They rank second in opponent third-down conversion percentage (30.4).
• It had been 29 games since the Buckeye defense had allowed a 100-yard individual rushing performance until John Clay ran for 104 yards Oct. 16, 2010 in Madison. The previous was USC’s Joe McKnight, who gained 105 yards on 12 carries in the 2008 meeting in Los Angeles. That streak was second-longest in the nation at the time.
• Since the beginning of the 2005 season, the Ohio State defense has allowed only eight 100-yard rushers during a span of 73 games. That mark is tied with Boston College for the best record by an FBS school during that time period. (see chart)
• Ohio State has held 58 opponents to 21 points or fewer since the start of the 2005 season. That is second behind TCU (59) for the most among FBS teams in this span. Virginia Tech is third with 56.
• Ohio State has allowed fewer than 10 points 28 times since the start of the 2006 season.
• OSU has allowed 13.4 points per game since the start of the 2005 season. That is the best scoring defense among FBS teams in this span.
• Ohio State has allowed 114 touchdowns overall since the start of the 2005 season. That is the fewest by any FBS team in this span. TCU is second at 119.
• Ohio State has allowed 102 touchdowns from scrimmage since the start of the 2005 season, the fewest by any FBS team in this span. TCU is second at 112.
• Ohio State has surrendered 45 rushing touchdowns since the start of the 2005 season. That mark is tied with Alabama for the fewest among FBS teams during tha span.
• Ohio State has surrendered 57 passing touchdowns since the start of the 2005 season, the second-fewest among FBS teams.
• OSU had 24 interceptions in 2009. That was tied with Alabama and Boise State for the second-most among FBS teams. Only Texas had more with 25.
• The Buckeyes intercepted 24 of the 417 passes thrown against them last season. The 5.8 interception percentage was second-best among FBS teams, trailing only Air Force (6.1 pct) and Clemson (also 5.8 pct).
• Ohio State finished the 2009 campaign ranked among the NCAA Top 10 in five categories: total defense (5th), scoring defense (5th), turnover margin (5th), pass efficiency defense (5th) and rushing defense (7th). Ohio State ranked 13th among the NCAA leaders in pass defense.
Past defensive rankings under Tressel:
2001: 33rd in total defense (10th in TO margin)
2002: 23rd in total defense (2nd in scoring def, 3rd in rushing defense)
2003: 10th in total defense (2nd in rushing defense)
2004: 30th in total defense
2005: 5th in total defense (1st in rushing defense, 5th in scoring defense)
2006: 12th in total defense (5th in scoring defense, 10th in pass eff. def.)
2007: 1st in total defense (1st in scoring defense, 1st in pass defense, 3rd in rushing defense, 4th in pass efficiency defense)
2008: 14th in total defense (6th in scoring defense, 6th in TO margin)
Fewest 100-yd rushers allowed (FBS Teams Since 2005)
| 1. | Ohio State | 8 |
| Boston College | 8 | |
| 3. | Alabama | 9 |
| 4. | Boise State | 10 |
| 5. | Penn State | 13 |
FOR STARTERS
The Buckeyes have 32 players on the 2010 roster with at least one game of starting experience. Those are: Cameron Heyward (41); Bryant Browning, Chimdi Chekwa (35); Mike Brewster, Terrelle Pryor (31); Ross Homan (26); Jermale Hines (24); Dane Sanzenbacher (23); Justin Boren (21); Brian Rolle, DeVier Posey (20); Devon Torrence (19); Dexter Larimore, J.B. Shugarts (18); Brandon Saine (17); Zach Boren (14); Dan Herron, Mike Adams (12); John Simon (8); Nathan Williams (7); Jake Stoneburner, Orhian Johnson (6); Andrew Sweat (5); Tyler Moeller (4); Andrew Miller, Solomon Thomas, Reid Fragel (3); C.J. Barnett, Taurian Washington, Aaron Gant (2); Marcus Hall, Christian Bryant (1).
First-time starters in 2010: C.J. Barnett, Christian Bryant, Reid Fragel, Orhian Johnson, John Simon, Andrew Sweat and Solomon Thomas.
The Boren brothers – Justin (OG) and Zach (FB) – products of Pickerington, Ohio, are the first siblings to start in the same game for the Buckeyes since John (LB) and Mike (NG) Sullivan from Mentor, Ohio, started nine games together during the 1988 season.
OHIO STATE TO WEAR SPECIAL NIKE UNIFORMS FOR MICHIGAN GAME
Ohio State is one of 10 of the top college football programs that will wear uniquely designed Nike uniforms for at least one game during the 2010 season. Ohio State will wear the innovative design for the Michigan game November 27, saluting the Buckeyes’ 1942 national championship team.
Other premier schools participating include Alabama, Boise State, Florida, Miami (FL), Oregon State, Pitt, TCU, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
OHIO STATE WILL HOST BUFFS IN 2011
Ohio State and Colorado will meet on the football field Sept. 24, 2011, at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Ohio State will pay the Buffaloes $1.4 million for the one-time matchup.
Ohio State’s 2011 non-conference schedule will be: Sept. 3 vs. Akron; Sept. 10 vs. Toledo; Sept. 17 at Miami (Fla.); Sept. 24 vs. Colorado. The two schools last met in football in 1986. Ohio State leads the all-time series by a 3-1 margin.
NOT SINCE 1922-24
Ohio State ranks second among all NCAA Div. I programs with 84 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 97 consecutive seasons.
BUCKEYES NAME CAPTAINS
Six seniors, OL Bryant Browning, DL Cameron Heyward, LB Ross Homan, LB Brian Rolle, RB Brandon Saine and WR Dane Sanzenbacher, were elected as captains for the 2010 season, marking just the second time in Ohio State’s 121-year history that six Buckeyes will serve as season-long captains for the Buckeyes. In 1982, Glen Cobb, Jerome Foster, Joe Lukens, Marcus Marek, Tim Spencer and Gary Williams served as captains. The Buckeyes elected five captains in 1974, 1989 and 1990.
REMEMBERING TATUM
The Buckeyes are wearing a “32” black decal on the back of their helmets this season in memory of All-American Jack Tatum, who died in July. From 1968-70, Tatum was one of the dominant defensive players and most intimidating forces in college football. A three-year starter, a two-time All-American and the national Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, he was known for his tenacity and fierce style of play. The Oakland Raiders selected him in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft. In his nine-year career, he was named to the Pro Bowl three times and was a member of the 1976 Super Bowl champion Raiders. He was inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
WEEKLY HONORS
Four Buckeyes have been honored thus far in 2010 as Big Ten players of the week:
Safety Tyler Moeller was recognized as defensive player of the week for his work against Marshall, recording a team-best seven tackles, a quarterback sack, two TFL, a pass breakup and a forced fumble in his return to action after missing the 2009 campaign.
Earning Walter Camp and Bronko Nagurski national defensive player of the week and Big Ten defensive player of the week honors, senior cornerback Chimdi Chekwa had two interceptions and six tackles (four solo), including one for a loss, as second-ranked Ohio State defeated 12th-ranked Miami 36-24. Chekwa also broke up two Hurricane passes.
Kicker Devin Barclay, with an Ohio State record-tying five field goals against the Hurricanes and 18 points scored, shared Big Ten special teams player of the week honors with Michigan State kicker Dan Conroy. Barclay was also one of three weekly all-stars selected by the Lou Groza Award.
Terrelle Pryor, who scored touchdowns rushing and receiving and also threw four touchdown passes against Eastern Michigan was named the Big Ten offensive player of the week Sept. 27. Pryor ignited the highest scoring game in Jim Tressel’s 10 years as Ohio State coach (73 points). Pryor completed 20 of 26 passes for 226 yards against the Eagles and he rushed for 104 yards off seven carries. He also caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from his Jeannette High School teammate, Jordan Hall, in the fourth quarter.
Pryor was also named Big Ten offensive player of the week versus Indiana Oct. 11, when he threw for a career-best 334 yards and three passing touchdowns.
HONOR ROLL
For 2009, 31 Buckeyes were named to the Big Ten’s all-academic team; the Buckeyes have led the conference over the past eight years. Those honored last season were: Devin Barclay, Zach Boren, Bryant Browning, Ben Buchanan, Chimdi Chekwa, Jim Cordle, Todd Denlinger, Zach Domicone, Nate Ebner, Donnie Evege, James Georgiades, Garrett Goebel, Adam Homan, Ross Homan, Orhian Johnson, Dexter Larimore, Jake McQuaide, Andrew Miller, Andrew Moses, Aaron Pettrey, Terrelle Pryor, Anderson Russell, Etienne Sabino, Dane Sanzenbacher, Ryan Schuck, Austin Spitler, Jake Stoneburner, Andrew Sweat, Marcus Williams, Nathan Williams, Lawrence Wilson.
Additionally, 44 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.
Three current Buckeyes – Josh Kerr, Scott Sika and Aaron Gant — are already graduates of The Ohio State University. Sika and two other seniors, Ricky Crawford and Chris Malone, were put on scholarship for the Fall Quarter.
UP NEXT
Ohio State is idle Saturday, Nov. 6, before hosting Penn State Saturday, Nov. 13, at Ohio Stadium in a Big Ten matchup. Minnesota visits Michigan State on Nov. 6.
