Tweet
sports network
The Sports Network
By Gregg Xenakes, College Football Staff Writer
GAME NOTES: Thanks to four wins in their last five games, the Ohio State Buckeyes not only bounced back into the national rankings at 24, but also secured themselves a place in the Alamo Bowl versus Oklahoma State. The Buckeyes picked up three straight wins out of the gate in 2004 against the likes of Cincinnati, Marshall and NC State. Perhaps the fact that Ohio State then dropped three in a row to Northwestern, Wisconsin and Iowa in Big Ten Conference play had something to do with people not believing in the program though. Thanks to a win on the road at Michigan State and a 37-21 decision over arch-rival Michigan at home in the regular-season finale, the Buckeyes propelled themselves back into the national picture and a place in a postseason bowl. Meanwhile the Cowboys left no stone unturned with five consecutive victories to start the season, six wins in their first seven outings. However, like the Buckeyes, Oklahoma State had some trouble convincing fans that it was for real since the Pokes were hanging some of their credibility on triumphs over Tulsa, SMU and Missouri. With three losses in the last four games against Big 12 foes, the Cowboys were brought back down to reality rather quickly, and yet still earned the right to play in San Antonio. With regards to their history in the postseason, the Cowboys have a mark of 10-5 in bowl games dating back to a 1945 Cotton Bowl win over TCU when the school was known as Oklahoma A&M. More recently this OSU squad has fallen in the Cotton Bowl in 2004 versus Ole Miss, 31-28. This is the second time that the Cowboys are taking part in the Alamo Bowl and look to redeem themselves after a 33-20 setback versus Purdue in 1997. Meanwhile the Buckeyes have won their last two postseason bids, both of them coming in the Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State topped Kansas State last season 35-28 and earned the national title with a 31-24 double-overtime affair against Miami in 2003. Dating back to the 1921 Rose Bowl, Ohio State is 16-19 in the postseason. This game marks just the second meeting all-time between the two schools on the gridiron, with the Buckeyes taking the first tilt in a 37-13 decision at home in September of 1989. Over the years Ohio State has been wildly successful against the Big 12 Conference, going 26-3-1 versus the member schools, while OSU is just 2-6-1 when pitted against squads from the Big Ten.
Oklahoma State is first and foremost a running team, averaging 245 ypg on the ground to rank eighth in the nation in 2004. The squad averages just under five yards per attempt and has found the end zone 31 times through 11 games. The scheme was so successful for the Cowboys that they ran the ball an average of more than 50 times per game, leaving the so-called passing attack to settle for 144.1 ypg and 14 touchdowns. In terms of yardage only, Oklahoma State ranks 111th nationally out of 117 Division I-A programs. Responsible for more than half the team's ground game this season with 1,454 yards, Vernand Morency carried the ball an average of 25 times per game and scored 12 times. Quarterback Donovan Woods posted 10 rushing TDs and 364 yards for the Cowboys, but he averaged just 3.3 ypc compared to 5.8 ypc for Morency. Woods made the requisite passes when needed, hitting 63.6 percent for 13 scores and just four picks, while D'Juan Woods was the most active receiver with 29 catches for six touchdowns and an average of 22.4 yards per reception. Prentis Elliott made only 17 catches for the Cowboys and yet turned those into four TDs as well.
Opponents went after the Cowboys with a split approach, gaining an average of 170 ypg on the ground, leading to 18 touchdowns, and 225.5 ypg passing, resulting in 17 scores. Either way, Oklahoma State gave up a little too much on the defensive side of the ball far too often. Offenses managed to convert third downs almost half the time, but still averaged less than 28 minutes of ball possession per contest. Jamie Thompson is a player who can do a little bit of everything for OSU when called upon, leading the unit in tackles (81) and forced fumbles (three), while tying Darnell Smith for the second-most sacks with three. Thompson was also one of three players to record a pair of interceptions for the Cowboys and was credited with a defensive touchdown in the process. Thompson was forced to pick up a lot of the slack left by the injured Nathan Peterson (knee) who had registered six TFLs and led the group with four sacks, even though he made a grand total of just 14 stops in six games. A total of 10 different players recovered fumbles for the Pokes in 2004, which means there's a chance at any time for any one of them to change the outlook of the game.
Only nine days before the Buckeyes were set to appear in the postseason, the school made a startling announcement when it suspended quarterback Troy Smith for violating team and NCAA rules and standards. Smith, who started the last five games for OSU and was 4-1 in those outings, won't even make the trip to Texas with the squad, which means the weight of the Buckeye offense now lies on Justin Zwick according to the depth chart. Just a sophomore, Zwick connected on 50.6 percent of his passes this season as the only other player on the team to attempt a pass for the Buckeyes. He accounted for five touchdowns, but six interceptions, which is one of the reasons why you can expect to see a heavy dose of the running game. Tailback Antonio Pittman averaged 5.4 ypc for the squad and Lydell Ross tallied a team-best three touchdowns on the ground, for a squad that was limited as far as offensive options are concerned. However, the good news for OSU is that it has this year's Lou Groza Award winner standing on the sidelines in senior kicker Mike Nugent. A finalist for the award in 2002, Nugent was also named the team's MVP by his teammates and became the school's first First-Team All-American kicker after connecting on 20-of-23 field goal attempts, which included five from 50 yards or more to lead the nation.
Luckily for the Buckeyes, even though the team's offense doesn't produce a lot of points, the defense manages to hold up more than it's fair share by limiting opponents to just 19.3 ppg, placing 21st in the nation at the end of the regular season. Teams gained just under 130 yards on the ground versus the unit and landed in the end zone just nine times on running plays. As the leading tackler for the Buckeyes, A.J. Hawk set the bar relatively high for his teammates as he posted an amazing 136 tackles through 11 games, the main reason why he was named an All-American and a First-Team Big Ten Conference member. Hawk also picked off a pair of passes, forced a fumble and made eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage on the campaign. Linebackers Bobby Carpenter added 89 tackles (6.5 TFLs) and Anthony Schlegel another 79 stops while leading the group in both tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (3.5). Schlegel made a huge impact for Ohio State this season after being forced to sit out 2003 following his transfer from Air Force where he posted 116 tackles as a sophomore. Ashton Youboty proved to be the top pass defender for the Buckeyes, making a team-best four interceptions and accounting for 11 pass breakups.
While the Buckeyes might not come right out and say it, the fact that Smith is unavailable for this game really hurts them. Not only does the offense now need to work on someone else's rhythm, but Zwick has not had a great deal of success to this point. However, OSU has feasted on the Big 12 over the years and one of the nation's stingiest defenses will find a way to keep the team in the game, giving Nugent a chance to win it.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Ohio State 21, Oklahoma State 18
The Sports Network
By Gregg Xenakes, College Football Staff Writer
GAME NOTES: Thanks to four wins in their last five games, the Ohio State Buckeyes not only bounced back into the national rankings at 24, but also secured themselves a place in the Alamo Bowl versus Oklahoma State. The Buckeyes picked up three straight wins out of the gate in 2004 against the likes of Cincinnati, Marshall and NC State. Perhaps the fact that Ohio State then dropped three in a row to Northwestern, Wisconsin and Iowa in Big Ten Conference play had something to do with people not believing in the program though. Thanks to a win on the road at Michigan State and a 37-21 decision over arch-rival Michigan at home in the regular-season finale, the Buckeyes propelled themselves back into the national picture and a place in a postseason bowl. Meanwhile the Cowboys left no stone unturned with five consecutive victories to start the season, six wins in their first seven outings. However, like the Buckeyes, Oklahoma State had some trouble convincing fans that it was for real since the Pokes were hanging some of their credibility on triumphs over Tulsa, SMU and Missouri. With three losses in the last four games against Big 12 foes, the Cowboys were brought back down to reality rather quickly, and yet still earned the right to play in San Antonio. With regards to their history in the postseason, the Cowboys have a mark of 10-5 in bowl games dating back to a 1945 Cotton Bowl win over TCU when the school was known as Oklahoma A&M. More recently this OSU squad has fallen in the Cotton Bowl in 2004 versus Ole Miss, 31-28. This is the second time that the Cowboys are taking part in the Alamo Bowl and look to redeem themselves after a 33-20 setback versus Purdue in 1997. Meanwhile the Buckeyes have won their last two postseason bids, both of them coming in the Fiesta Bowl. Ohio State topped Kansas State last season 35-28 and earned the national title with a 31-24 double-overtime affair against Miami in 2003. Dating back to the 1921 Rose Bowl, Ohio State is 16-19 in the postseason. This game marks just the second meeting all-time between the two schools on the gridiron, with the Buckeyes taking the first tilt in a 37-13 decision at home in September of 1989. Over the years Ohio State has been wildly successful against the Big 12 Conference, going 26-3-1 versus the member schools, while OSU is just 2-6-1 when pitted against squads from the Big Ten.
Oklahoma State is first and foremost a running team, averaging 245 ypg on the ground to rank eighth in the nation in 2004. The squad averages just under five yards per attempt and has found the end zone 31 times through 11 games. The scheme was so successful for the Cowboys that they ran the ball an average of more than 50 times per game, leaving the so-called passing attack to settle for 144.1 ypg and 14 touchdowns. In terms of yardage only, Oklahoma State ranks 111th nationally out of 117 Division I-A programs. Responsible for more than half the team's ground game this season with 1,454 yards, Vernand Morency carried the ball an average of 25 times per game and scored 12 times. Quarterback Donovan Woods posted 10 rushing TDs and 364 yards for the Cowboys, but he averaged just 3.3 ypc compared to 5.8 ypc for Morency. Woods made the requisite passes when needed, hitting 63.6 percent for 13 scores and just four picks, while D'Juan Woods was the most active receiver with 29 catches for six touchdowns and an average of 22.4 yards per reception. Prentis Elliott made only 17 catches for the Cowboys and yet turned those into four TDs as well.
Opponents went after the Cowboys with a split approach, gaining an average of 170 ypg on the ground, leading to 18 touchdowns, and 225.5 ypg passing, resulting in 17 scores. Either way, Oklahoma State gave up a little too much on the defensive side of the ball far too often. Offenses managed to convert third downs almost half the time, but still averaged less than 28 minutes of ball possession per contest. Jamie Thompson is a player who can do a little bit of everything for OSU when called upon, leading the unit in tackles (81) and forced fumbles (three), while tying Darnell Smith for the second-most sacks with three. Thompson was also one of three players to record a pair of interceptions for the Cowboys and was credited with a defensive touchdown in the process. Thompson was forced to pick up a lot of the slack left by the injured Nathan Peterson (knee) who had registered six TFLs and led the group with four sacks, even though he made a grand total of just 14 stops in six games. A total of 10 different players recovered fumbles for the Pokes in 2004, which means there's a chance at any time for any one of them to change the outlook of the game.
Only nine days before the Buckeyes were set to appear in the postseason, the school made a startling announcement when it suspended quarterback Troy Smith for violating team and NCAA rules and standards. Smith, who started the last five games for OSU and was 4-1 in those outings, won't even make the trip to Texas with the squad, which means the weight of the Buckeye offense now lies on Justin Zwick according to the depth chart. Just a sophomore, Zwick connected on 50.6 percent of his passes this season as the only other player on the team to attempt a pass for the Buckeyes. He accounted for five touchdowns, but six interceptions, which is one of the reasons why you can expect to see a heavy dose of the running game. Tailback Antonio Pittman averaged 5.4 ypc for the squad and Lydell Ross tallied a team-best three touchdowns on the ground, for a squad that was limited as far as offensive options are concerned. However, the good news for OSU is that it has this year's Lou Groza Award winner standing on the sidelines in senior kicker Mike Nugent. A finalist for the award in 2002, Nugent was also named the team's MVP by his teammates and became the school's first First-Team All-American kicker after connecting on 20-of-23 field goal attempts, which included five from 50 yards or more to lead the nation.
Luckily for the Buckeyes, even though the team's offense doesn't produce a lot of points, the defense manages to hold up more than it's fair share by limiting opponents to just 19.3 ppg, placing 21st in the nation at the end of the regular season. Teams gained just under 130 yards on the ground versus the unit and landed in the end zone just nine times on running plays. As the leading tackler for the Buckeyes, A.J. Hawk set the bar relatively high for his teammates as he posted an amazing 136 tackles through 11 games, the main reason why he was named an All-American and a First-Team Big Ten Conference member. Hawk also picked off a pair of passes, forced a fumble and made eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage on the campaign. Linebackers Bobby Carpenter added 89 tackles (6.5 TFLs) and Anthony Schlegel another 79 stops while leading the group in both tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (3.5). Schlegel made a huge impact for Ohio State this season after being forced to sit out 2003 following his transfer from Air Force where he posted 116 tackles as a sophomore. Ashton Youboty proved to be the top pass defender for the Buckeyes, making a team-best four interceptions and accounting for 11 pass breakups.
While the Buckeyes might not come right out and say it, the fact that Smith is unavailable for this game really hurts them. Not only does the offense now need to work on someone else's rhythm, but Zwick has not had a great deal of success to this point. However, OSU has feasted on the Big 12 over the years and one of the nation's stingiest defenses will find a way to keep the team in the game, giving Nugent a chance to win it.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Ohio State 21, Oklahoma State 18
Comment