College football: Ohio State not taking Purdue for granted
Associated Press
COLUMBUS — Stuck in between a tough road trip to Wisconsin and another potentially tricky away game at Michigan State, No. 12 Ohio State has a home date it would be tempting to write off as easy.
Purdue comes to the Horseshoe today having lost three of four and with a quarterback coming off one of his worst games. Maybe that’s why the daily newspaper in Columbus had a story earlier this week which said, “Ohio State probably could use a bye week. Purdue will do.”
Not so fast. These Boilermakers (2-3, 0-1 Big Ten) know their chance for a successful season could be slipping away.
“Our back is against the wall,” wide receiver Desmond Tardy said. “It’s time for everybody to believe and not hope.”
Defensive tackle Ryan Baker added, “This team is motivated by anger right now. We want to win. We’re going to do everything it takes to win the game.”
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel doesn’t think his team can afford to look past anybody, particularly the Boilermakers.
“The danger is even looking one play ahead because if you’re not doing what you need to do on this play it could make the difference in a game and in a season,” he said. “The guys who have been around here a long time know the fact that when Ohio State and Purdue square off it’s been overtimes, last-second wins — it’s been battles.”
It’s true that the Buckeyes have an overwhelming 36-12-2 upper hand in the series, and haven’t lost at home to the Boilermakers in 20 years.
Yet in recent years, the Boilermakers have annually given the Buckeyes fits.
In 2000, Purdue quarterback Drew Brees hit Seth Morales on a long pass in the final minutes for a 31-27 win that spurred the Boilermakers on to the Rose Bowl. In 2002, Ohio State won the national championship but had its closest call at Purdue. It took a fourth-and-1 bomb from Craig Krenzel to Michael Jenkins to steal a late TD for a 10-6 win. A year later, the Buckeyes were No. 4 in the nation but had to go to overtime to escape with a 16-13 victory over the Boilermakers at Ohio Stadium.
Purdue took the 2004 meeting 24-17, before a three-year gap in the series. A year ago, the Buckeyes rolled to a 23-7 win.
Purdue’s Curtis Painter went to the air 60 times in that game, completing 31 for 268 yards. He completed 13-of-22 passes for only 112 yards with an interception in last week’s 20-6 loss to Penn State while moving within 12 yards of becoming only the fourth Big Ten quarterback to pass for 10,000 yards in a career. Still, an angry coach Joe Tiller replaced him with Joey Elliott late in the game, with Elliott leading the way to Purdue’s only score.
Painter will start against the Buckeyes. Tailback Kory Sheets is fifth in the Big Ten in rushing (100 yards per game). The defense hung in against Penn State’s Spread HD offense, giving up lots of yards but holding the Nittany Lions to their lowest point total of the season.
Tiller, who has announced he will step down at the end of the year, said his players always seem to feel they can play with Ohio State.
“We’ve played pretty well over there and lost in overtime, lost on a kick in the last series of one game (1999),” Tiller said. “So we’ve been pretty competitive with them. I think our players just believe they can go over there and compete.”
The Buckeyes aren’t talking as if they’ll have an easy time of it.
“They’re going to play their best game against us,” said tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells, who went for 168 yards and a touchdown in the 20-17 victory against Wisconsin last week.
Ohio State is also locked in at quarterback, although with a different one from a year ago. Todd Boeckman tossed two touchdown passes against the Boilermakers in 2007. This year, he’s been supplanted by speedy freshman Terrelle Pryor, who has looked good while learning how to play in the collegiate ranks.
“This guy loves to run, and he’s got some speed, and he’s got some size. That’s a big threat,” Baker said. “If a play doesn’t seem to work out, if all else fails — run.”
Purdue has lost its last 16 games against ranked teams.
“What we look for is to try to improve as the season moves along, regardless of the opponent,” Tiller said. “What we want to do is get better. We don’t measure ourselves against our opponent, we measure ourselves against ourselves.”
BUCKEYES PERISCOPE
BUCKEYES BUZZ: It’ll likely be a special day when Purdue coach Joe Tiller coaches in his home state for the final time today.
Tiller, who will be 66 years old on Pearl Harbor Day, was born in Toledo, attended Rogers High School and then went on to play at Montana State University. He was an assistant at his alma mater, Washington State (twice), Calgary of the Canadian Football League and Purdue before becoming one of the first head coaches to feature the spread offense at Wyoming (1991-96) and then Purdue (1997-now).
“He came in and spread it out and a lot of people have followed suit,” coach Jim Tressel said.
A quick wit and football innovator, Tiller will be sorely missed in a conference dominated by dry, humorless head coaches who have little perspective beyond a film room or a sideline. He plans to retire at the end of this season.
“Joe’s just a regular guy,” Tressel said. “It’s going to be an exciting day for him to be coaching his last game here. He’s been great for the game. He’s honest as the day is long. He’s just been a great thing for college football.”
True to form, Tiller isn’t getting all mushy about his final trip to Ohio Stadium.
Since the Boilermakers haven’t won here since 1988, he was asked why Columbus is such a difficult place to play.
“It’s in Ohio,” he cracked.
WALKING AROUND: The Boilermakers had a brief walkthrough after arriving at the stadium Friday.
HONORED GUESTS: Ohio State’s honorary captain for the Purdue game is DB Donte Whitner, on a bye week from the Buffalo Bills. Also joining the team on the bench is Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, a member of the Wounded Warriors who was the featured speaker at the spring coaches’ clinic.
DANIELS IMPROVING: Ohio State QBs coach Joe Daniels, who lost a kidney to cancer, said he’s feeling good these days. He missed all of spring practice while he recovered. Now he’s returned to the team in a full-time role.
“I think what happens, I probably get more exhausted than the other guys, although they’re tired too,” he said. “That’s part of coaching. During the season you accept the fact that you’re going to be tired. It seems to happen to me just a little bit quicker. But I feel good. I really do.”
AT HALFTIME: Honored at halftime will be former Ohio State and U.S. gold-medal winning star basketball player Katie Smith. She’s fresh from being named the most valuable player of the WNBA finals, won by her Detroit Shock.
ON GUARD: Buckeyes CBs coach Paul Haynes said he doesn’t expect Purdue QB Curtis Painter to have another lackluster game like he did a week ago against Penn State.
“He’s a winner, he’s a competitor. So on any given day he can have a breakout game, because you’ve seen it out of him,” he said. “Would it surprise me? Not at all. Because he’s a very talented quarterback.”
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Filed by Associated Press October 11th, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 4% |
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