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Hello and welcome to another edition of Cus Words Sports!
Normally I aim to send out each new edition of Tressel Tales on Tuesdays, but this edition was delayed because of basketball interviews on Monday that forced me to push everything back.
In addition to my work with Press Pros Magazine covering local high school sports and Ohio State, I am covering both the men’s and women’s basketball teams for the new BuckeyeInsiders.com, so be sure to venture over there to check that out.
This week in the Tressel Tales, the Buckeyes traveled to Indiana looking to bounce back from a humbling loss at UCLA the previous week.
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Game recap: Ohio State 27, Indiana 14
The Buckeyes trailed 7-3 early then reeled off 17 straight points to take a 20-7 lead in the third quarter.
Antwaan Randle El, Indiana’s star option quarterback, threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to running back Levron Williams to bring the Hoosiers within six points, but the Ohio State offense put together a 10-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to restore a two-touchdown lead.
Jonathan Wells scored from seven yards out with 10:37 to go to make it 27-14, and the defense forced turnovers on the final two Indiana possessions to close it out.
First safety Dustin Fox dislodged the ball from Indiana’s Kris Dielman after a 31-yard catch and cornerback Derek Ross recovered.
On the next possession, Will Allen picked off Randle El to finish off the Hoosiers with only 1:34 to go.
After a nightmare game at UCLA the week before, senior QB Steve Bellisari completed 15 of 21 passes for 194 yards and did not turn the ball over.
He was aided greatly by a resurgent running game. Wells ran for 69 yards on 19 carries, but the offense got a bigger lift from freshman tailback Lydell Ross. He carried 25 times for 124 yards.
Linebackers Matt Wilhelm and Joe Cooper led the defense with eight tackles apiece.
Randle El completed 14 of 21 passes for 181 yards with an interception and a touchdown. He also ran for 70 yards on 12 carries and was not sacked. Williams led the Hoosiers in rushing (78 yards) and receiving (62 yards).
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Notes from Ohio State’s win:
The win capped the first week of the Tressel tenure that came after a loss. It was safe to say some fans did not take the UCLA setback in stride, as evidenced by vitriolic calls into local radio shows. The coach also spent the week fielding questions about whether or not Bellisari would remain the starter.
He eventually revealed he never expected to make a change at the position unless practice went horribly for the senior. “Now that doesn’t mean that he will be our quarterback forever,” Tressel said via Buckeye Sports Bulletin archives. “The key to the quarterback position is prolonged consistency. That’s the key to excellence. I think people won’t stop asking questions in this particular place until he shows consistency over time.”
Perhaps the most encouraging part of Bellisari’s day was a greater efficiency on third down, when he was 4 for 5 passing including clutch catches by emerging sophomore Michael Jenkins, who finished the day with 60 yards on three grabs.
While Wells entered the season considered the bell cow back for the Buckeyes, Tressel did not rule out leaning on both the senior Wells and the freshman Ross moving forward. “I think in a tailback-oriented offense, you always need to come with double barrels,” Tressel said. “Going into next week, Jonathan and Lydell would be that first double barrel.” The Buckeyes ran 53 times in 74 offensive plays.
Mike Doss had four tackles, including one for loss, but his impact was greater than that as he was charged with keeping track of the dangerous Randle El, an option quarterback still adept at hurting teams through the air.
Doss also blocked a punt for the second straight game. That was recovered by safety Will Allen, who also recorded the first interception of his career.
Despite the win, Ohio State did not move back into the top 25. That meant the Buckeyes would spend consecutive weeks unranked for the first time since November 1994.
During the week, Tressel also took what he later called the most difficult question he had ever received in 27 years as a coach: Did he ever try to motivate players via comments to reporters?
“I’ve never used the media for anything but appreciation for covering us. I’ve never used (the media) as a motivation light or a a negative light. I don’t ask anyone or tell anyone what to reporter or to write about us.”
During the game, Randle El became the first player in Division I-A history to pass for more than 6,000 yards and run for more than 3,000. “He’s not a big guy, but he’s slippery,” Cooper said of the 5-10, 194-pounder. “You always have to respect slippery guys and great athletes like him. Plus, he’s a strong kid.”
Ohio State prepared for the elusive Randle El by putting redshirt freshman receiver Bam Childress at quarterback for the scout team during the week. It made sense because he had been a dual-threat quarterback while earning Ohio Mr. Football honors at Bedford Chanel High School. “That was real fun,” he told BSB after the first practice of the week. He did so well mimicking Randle El, some of his teammates took to calling him, “Antwaan Randle Bam.”
Next up:
A rare night game at home against rarely ranked Northwestern.
The No. 14 Wildcats, who shared the Big Ten title the previous season, featured a no-huddle offensive attack headlined by dual-threat quarterback Zak Kustok and tailback Damien Anderson, who got more points in the Heisman voting than any returning player.
Previous editions of the Tressel Tales:
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