Buckeye Nation started thinking ahead to the Texas rematch about three quarters early on Saturday, as #1-ranked OSU jumped out to a four-score lead just seconds into period two and cruised to a 35-12 victory over NIU to lift the lid on the 2006 campaign.
It had rained most of the day in Columbus, and
temperatures were more mid-October like than Labor
Day, but enthusiasm for the season opener, featuring
the alumni band and an opponent that will likely win its
conference easily, wasn’t deterred in the least.
The Huskies had first possession, and after misfiring on
a hitch-and-go, quarterback Phil Horvath dumped a
screen pass to the right to runningback Garrett Wolfe.
Picking up great blocks from the wideouts, Wolfe
motored for 31 yards before being run down by Nick Patterson. It was an eerie resemblance to the San Diego State game last year, when Brett Swain took a screen pass and cruised 80 yards down the same sideline for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage. The defense rose to the challenge, forcing a 3rd-and-5 situation where Vernon Gholston blew right by NIU’s All-American tackle Doug Free to bury Horvath for a loss of 8. Ted Ginn, Jr. returned the ensuing punt 22 yards to his own 34 and it was showtime for the Buckeye offense.
Ohio State started with four receivers, and Troy Smith dialed up freshman Brian Hartline out of the right slot for 32 yards to the Huskie 34. Cornerback Alvah Hansbro slid under Hartline and tripped him up or else Brian would’ve taken his first Buckeye reception to the house. Three carries by Antonio Pittman moved the ball to the 16, then Anthony Gonzalez got in on the action with a 9-yard catch over the middle. Pittman picked up 3 more before Troy Smith lost a yard after he ran into Doug Datish trying to option to the right. It would turn out to be Smith’s only carry of the game, but with the tremendous protection Troy got all day, why scramble? On third and goal, Smith drilled a pass to Ted Ginn, Jr. in the front corner of the endzone for the first score of the year. Ginn had sold the corner on a fade route, and then quickly turned out. The ball was in the air before Ted even made the cut and there isn’t a DB alive who could stop that play. It was the 20th straight game with a reception for Ted, and with Aaron Pettrey’s extra point the Bucks led 7-0.
It looked like the Scarlet and Gray defense of 2005 all over
again on Northern Illinois’ next series. Safety Brandon
Mitchell (right) dropped Garrett Wolfe for a loss of two,
Malcolm Jenkins busted up a pass intended for Britt Davis,
and then David Patterson pressured Phil Horvath into
throwing the ball away. Andy Dittbenner’s punt was
downed at the OSU 42, and on the next play Troy Smith
faked to Pittman and fired long to an embarrassingly open
Ted Ginn for six. Put the Huskies in blue jerseys and gold
helmets and it looked just like Smith and Ginn’s hookup on
the first series of last year’s Fiesta Bowl. Adding insult to
injury, Huskie safety Mark Reiter, who was late coming over on the play, managed to knock down corner Adriel Hansbro after Ginn crossed the goal line. Two passes to Ginn-two scores, and with Pettrey’s point-after it was 14-0, OSU.
The Huskies were backed up to their own ten as they launched their next possession. Freshman linebacker Ross Homan threw Wolfe for a two-yard loss, and then Horvath rolled left and held on to the ball long enough for Vernon Gholston to drill him for a loss of five. Wolfe could only manage six yards on third down, bringing the punt team on. Anderson Russell’s pressure forced one of punter Andy Dittbenner’s blockers to back into him, and his punt only traveled to the 20. Two runs by Antonio Pittman gained 5, and when tight end Rory Nicol ran an out route as Troy Smith dropped to throw on third down, linebacker Tim McCarthy followed, leaving the middle wide open. Anthony Gonzalez slid by McCarthy out of the right slot and Troy hit Gonzo between the 1’s for a 15-yard score. Aaron Pettrey was on target again, fattening the lead to 21-0.
Garrett Wolfe wasn’t about to throw the towel in just yet. Phil Horvath again went with a screen pass, this time to the left, and with great blocking once more Wolfe got loose, juked Nick Patterson and breezed for 65 yards before Antonio Smith came all the way across the field to halt him at the 12. Two plays later Brandon Mitchell blitzed, forcing Horvath to hurry a throw in the right flat to Britt Davis. Linebacker Larry Grant- Jim Tressel’s only junior-college transfer to date at Ohio State, picked it off and scampered 49 yards before slipping while trying to cut back. Grant wasn’t the only one to hit the turf on the play- referee Dave Witvoet got his feet tangled up with Garrett Wolfe and tumbled to the ground, dislocating his shoulder. Head linesman John Kouris assumed the referee duties (including the on-field microphone), and the crew operated one man short the rest of the day.
The Buckeyes immediately looked to take a page out of their opponents’ playbook and tried a screen pass to Maurice Wells, but defensive end Ken West batted it down. After Mo ran for three, he circled out of the backfield on third down and gathered in a short toss from Smith. Showing off the wheels, Wells sped down to the 10, setting the stage for freshman Chris Wells, who entered the game and pounded for 2 yards as the quarter ended. All of us at the north end of Ohio Stadium were grateful to finally have some action coming our way, and with the new rules designed to speed up play (clock starting on the kickoff instead of the return as well as immediately after a change of possession when there’s no TV timeout), the Buckeyes actually lost a chance to have a record-setting point total for one period. This was the third time a Jim Tressel-led Ohio State team had scored 21 points in a quarter. In the 2002 Outback Bowl against South Carolina, the Bucks had rallied from a 28-7 fourth quarter deficit to tie the game at 28 before losing on a field goal at the gun. The next season the eventual national champs jumped on Kent State 21-0 after one as they rolled up a 51-17 victory. Suffice it to say that without the changes in timekeeping for 2006 there would’ve been a new record since Chris Wells followed Doug Datish and fullback Dionte Johnson into the endzone five seconds into the second quarter. The 8-yard burst was hopefully the first of around fifty touchdowns we’ll see from the gem of this year’s recruiting class, and it gave OSU a 28-0 cushion.
Marcus Perez returned the ensuing kickoff 30 yards to the NIU 31, and Garrett Wolfe popped off a 13-yard run on first down to give the Huskies life, but the march fizzled and Andy Dittbenner punted into the endzone.
Here came the Bucks- an 18-yard grab by Anthony Gonzalez and a pair of out routes to sophomore Brian Robiskie (another play that looks absolutely unstoppable) for 10 and 12 put the ball at the Huskie 35. But for the first time all day the offense ran aground and Ryan Pretorius’ 51-yard field goal try was on target but just short. Northern Illinois leaped on the opportunity as their money man Garrett Wolfe rumbled for 15 and then danced and spun for 22 more to the Buckeye 29. The defense forced a 3rd-and-13, but for the first time in five tries the Huskies converted as Phil Horvath hooked up with tight end Jake Nordin for 19 to the OSU 13. But Nordin’s fortunes took a quick turn as he dropped a first-down crossing route, and then Jay Richardson stormed in to grab Wolfe for a loss of 5. Horvath had to throw the ball away on third down, so kicker Chris Nendick entered and broke the ice with a 35-yard field goal to get the Huskies on the board.
Ohio State’s offensive line really began to assert itself on the next possession as Antonio Pittman broke off chunks of 14, 13 and 10, giving OSU a first down at the NIU 39. On 3rd-and-2 moments later, Chris Wells ran right over safety Brad Pruitt for 5 and a first down, a display of running power that hasn’t been seen in Columbus consistently since Maurice Clarett. A holding call on Alex Boone handicapped the drive at this point, and Aaron Pettrey was given a turn on a 44-yard field goal try. The kick had enough leg, but was wide right, so the Buckeyes headed to the locker room with a 28-3 advantage.
The halftime show saluting band musical arranger Richard Heine and
featuring the traditional quadruple “Script Ohio’s” was tremendous
as always, but I felt short shrift was given to the 1996 Rose Bowl
squad (right), who had their 10-year reunion over the weekend. I
realize with the alumni band in tow that the home opener halftime
show is longer, and a good number of the ’96 team members are
still in the NFL and this was probably the only weekend they could
get most everyone together. But ordinarily when reuniting teams
gather on the field for a game they are introduced individually. A
list of those from the Rose Bowl team that were present was rolled
on the scoreboard, and the P.A. announcer briefly ran down the
group’s accomplishments and that was that. I love the band as
much as anyone but couldn’t we have cut one number so the ’96
team could get their proper due?
The Buckeye offense began the second half with their first 3-and-out of the season, and A.J. Trapasso’s first punt carried 43 yards before being fair caught at the NIU 20. A 9-yard reception by Britt Davis and three carries by Wolfe brought up a first down at midfield. The Huskies were hit with a holding call to force a 1st-and-17, but tight end Jake Nordin immediately got 15 of it back with his third catch of the day. With a second-and-2 at the Buckeye 42, Phil Horvath had to throw the ball away but Jay Richardson was called for roughing. It must have been heinous because the officials marked off a TWENTY-yard penalty to the 22. Jay Richardson is now the proud owner of the only 20-yard penalty in Ohio State football history. Garrett Wolfe gashed the “D” for 8, but once again the stop troops flexed a little muscle. Richardson and Marcus Freeman popped Wolfe for a loss of 1, then Phil Horvath mishandled the third-down snap and was sandwiched for another loss to the 20 by Vernon Gholston and Antonio Smith. Chris Nendick drove through a 37-yard field goal to make it 28-6, Bucks.
On the Buckeyes ensuing march, a pair of Pittman runs and Rory Nicol’s first reception since the 2004 Alamo Bowl brought up a 4th-and-2 situation at the Huskie 35. It was “Beanie” time now, and not only did Chris Wells power for 9 and a first down, he got the next four carries in a row, carving out 25 yards to the NIU one. But then the Bucks went to the “Wells” once too often, as “Beanie” ran into Stan White and fumbled. Mark Reiter recovered at the 5 for Northern Illinois and Wells’ debut, while eye-popping, had now produced a “coaching opportunity”. It was a long road back for Eddie George after costly goal line fumbles against Illinois his freshman year, and Archie Griffin’s first ever carry as a Buckeye was a fumbled pitchout. Perhaps the Chris Wells saga mirrors those?
OSU’s defense turned up the heat with a 3-and-out, and Anthony Gonzalez’ 10-yard punt return gave the Bucks great field position at the Huskie 38. Smith went right to Gonzo for 10, then Ray Small took a swing pass for 8 more. Antonio Pittman rambled for 10, then Rory Nicol looked like he had scored on a crossing route but his knee went down at the one. Pittman appeared to have hammered over but somehow was ruled short. Just like at the end of quarter one, time expired and the Bucks would have a chance to punch it in at the north end. And they did just that as Pittman followed Dionte Johnson over the right side and dove in for the score. It took “Pitt” eight games to cash in on the ground last year, so that monkey was quickly off his back. Two seconds into the final period the Scarlet and Gray were in complete control, 35-6.
The score surely didn’t matter to Garrett Wolfe, though. On the first play of NIU’s next series, Wolfe’s blockers decked Larry Grant and Jamario O’ Neal, springing him for 51 yards to the Buckeye 20. A holding call looked as if it would short-circuit the drive, but Horvath completed a 14-yard toss to Jarret Carter on 4th-and-9 to keep the drive going. The stubborn OSU defense forced another 4th down play from the 6
moments later, but Wolfe took a screen
pass to the right, cut right between
Marcus Freeman and Brandon Mitchell,
and blew right by Malcolm Jenkins into
the endzone for an inexcusable
touchdown. Wolfe is going to make a lot
of defenders miss, and I guess I wouldn’t
be as focused if I was up 35-6, but if
anything like that happens next Saturday
night it will be magnified 100 times. Ask
100 Buckeye fans what they remember
about Nate Salley and see if 99 of them, fairly or unfairly, mention Limas Sweed. NIU went for two but Mitchell atoned somewhat by sacking Horvath, leaving the count at 35-12.
The offense cranked it up one more time as Pittman carried twice for 15 before Troy unloaded to Ginn on the post. Ted had to slow up just a touch for the ball or it would’ve been an easy six. As it was, the play was good for 56 yards to the 9. After Chris Wells picked up 4, Troy Smith, Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez came off to the cheers of the 103,000-plus in Ohio Stadium. Justin Zwick entered at QB, but on the first snap Justin tripped over guard Tim Schafer’s foot as he was pulling around to lead Chris Wells. The ball came loose and linebacker Tim McCarthy fell on it, ending the hopes of everyone who had “2” and “2” in the office pool.
The Huskies punched out a couple of more first downs, but tackles-for-loss by Todd Denlinger and Lawrence Wilson put out the fire. The Bucks ran out the clock and headed to the south stands for a well-deserved round of “Carmen Ohio”.
RANDOM THOUGHTS - By the time you read this, the new AP poll will be out. (The pollsters were waiting for the conclusion of the Florida State/Miami game). Ohio State will certainly hold on to the #1 spot, but will Texas move up to #2 after Notre Dame’s close call with Georgia Tech? If so, it will be the third time an AP 1 vs. 2 matchup has involved the Buckeyes. #1 OSU won the national title by beating #2 USC in the Rose Bowl on January 1, 1969, while #2 OSU defeated #1 Miami, FL on January 3, 2003 to capture their last national crown.
The only other time that Texas has hosted a #1 team was on November 4, 1950 when the 7th-ranked Longhorns upset top-ranked SMU 23-20. Ironically, two weeks later the Buckeyes, led by eventual Heisman winner Vic Janowicz, would move to #1 in the poll, only to immediately lose to Illinois 14-7 the week prior to the Snow Bowl. And whom had SMU knocked off that year in their second game during their climb to #1? Wes Fesler’s Buckeyes, by a score of 32-27 in Columbus on September 30th.
Ohio State is now 7-0 in games where they have either been preseason #1 or in the top spot when the first AP poll came out. How have they fared when they’ve carried the #1 ranking into game two?
Oct. 24, 1942- 20-6 over Northwestern
Oct. 4, 1969- 41-14 over Washington
Oct. 3, 1970- 34-10 over Duke
Sept. 12, 1998- 49-0 over Toledo
After slipping by SMU 23-20 in their 1958 opener, OSU dropped the next week from #1 to #3. The 1980 squad slipped down to #2 after having to overcome a 21-3 deficit to beat Syracuse 31-21.
Texas cornerback Tarell Brown, a senior starter, was arrested early Monday morning on charges of unlawfully carrying a weapon (a loaded 9MM handgun) and possession of marijuana. He has been released while former Longhorn linebacker Aaron Harris, who was with Brown, remains in jail as of Monday night. Texas coach Mack Brown says Tarell will be held out of all team functions until they gather information to make a team decision. A 56-7 win over freakin’ North Texas is really a reason to party, huh?
Troy Smith was named co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his performance on Saturday. Smith shares the honor with Minnesota runningback Alex Daniels, a graduate of Columbus Brookhaven High School who rushed for 155 yards and 3 touchdowns during Minnesota’s win over Kent State last Thursday night. Troy was 18 of 25 through the air for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns, just missing the 300-yard passing mark for what would have been the third straight game. As it is, Smith has thrown for at least 226 yards in 7 of his last 8 games, and is now 14-2 as a starter, including 9-0 in Ohio Stadium.
Ohio State 35 Northern Illinois 12
Click Logo to return to Home Page
September 2, 2006
VS
Attendance 103,896
Ohio Stadium -
Columbus, OH
