By: LARRY PHILLIPS (MansfieldNewsJournal.com) -- Woody Hayes didn't make a favorable impression in his first Rose Bowl trip, but his team certainly did. The top-ranked Buckeyes completed a national championship season by thumping USC 20-7 amid a Pasadena, Calif., rainstorm. Ohio State offered a workmanlike performance in a quagmire. Hayes' reaction to the opponent and the muddy Rose Bowl surface was, well, smug. When asked to compare the Trojans to teams in his conference, he jumped to the bait. "There were four or five Big Ten ... Read More

By: Toledo Blade staff -- LOS ANGELES - It did not take long for the oft-repeated question to come up. For the Ohio State Buckeyes, it is their version of Groundhog Day or dj vu all over again. One of the first inquiries sent Kurt Coleman's way after the Buckeyes faced the media in Southern California sought an explanation from the OSU senior safety as to why the Buckeyes have been unsuccessful in the last three bowl games - two National Championship ... Read More

By: Jon Spencer (News Journal via StatesmanJournal.com) -- COLUMBUS, Ohio — "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." It sounds like something a famous general would have said, maybe Patton or MacArthur, or former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes. Actually, those words were uttered by a captain, Ohio State senior defensive lineman Doug Worthington, as he talked about the Buckeyes preparing for the Rose Bowl and an Oregon offense that always keeps its finger on the fast-forward button. The pace in Buckeyes practices has been brisk, ... Read More

By: Jon Spencer (StatemanJournal.com) -- COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was easy to picture roses wilting and dreams dying as former Ohio State All-American guard Jim Lachey talked about his final football game as a Buckeye. "You go back in your mind and think, 'Boy, if we could have taken care of business one more time' … (and) not doing it on the field," said Lachey, reflecting on a 20-17 loss to underdog USC in the 1985 Rose Bowl, his only trip to Pasadena. "Taking off ... Read More

By: MATT MARKEY (ToledoBlad.com) -- COLUMBUS - Ohio State and Oregon got the jump on everyone else. While the rest of the country waited until Sunday night's bowl lottery to find out who would be playing where and what the opposition would be, the Rose Bowl had its combatants lined up a few days earlier. Ohio State was locked in with the Rose Bowl since a Nov. 14 win over Iowa gave the Buckeyes a fifth straight Big Ten championship. Oregon snagged ... Read More

By: MATT MARKEY (ToledoBlade.com) -- COLUMBUS - Earle Bruce is clearly no Martha Stewart, but the crusty former Ohio State coach grows roses in his garden, just like the famous horticultural maven. Roses mean a lot to Bruce, and not just for their brilliant hues and subtle perfume. In the botanical plot in his mind, roses to Bruce signify what at Ohio State was traditionally the ultimate accomplishment - a trip to the Rose Bowl. This year, the Buckeyes are back in ... Read More

By: Kyle Strittholt (BleacherReport.com) -- At the beginning of the season the Buckeyes were projected to finish second or third in the Big Ten, but for the fifth consecutive year they came out on top. People have constantly been criticizing the Buckeyes for being to conservative of a team and it is true they are, but it's because of this that they have been in the BCS more than any other team in college football. Early on in the season conservative play calling was the ... Read More

By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) -- COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jim Tressel likes to say that the most important stat for a quarterback is wins. By that standard, Terrelle Pryor's 10-2 record and No. 8 ranking isn't bad for sophomore. The only sophomore quarterbacks above Pryor in the BCS rankings are Kellen Moore for undefeated and No. 6 Boise State, and Cincinnati backup Zach Collaros, who played very well while stepping in for injured starter Tony Pike for undefeated No. 5 Cincinnati. But there ... Read More

By: Peter Schrager (FoxSports.com) -- In light of Jay Leno's ratings struggles in his new 10 o'clock timeslot, Newsweek.com posted one of those pithy Internet lists, highlighting 12 "Comics Who Aren't Funny" last week. Tops on the list was comedian Dane Cook. Though I understand where Cook could rub some people in the wrong way, the caffeinated stand-up comedian did just sell out Madison Square Garden, once had over 2.6 million fans on his MySpace page, and has been cast in the leading role ... Read More

From: CBS42.com -- The Buckeyes clinched a spot in the Rose Bowl with their thrilling 27-24 overtime home win over Iowa, but their postseason opponent is still a mystery. Oregon holds the slight edge with a 6-1 Pac-10 record - 6-1 ATS as well. The Ducks' lone loss came in a letdown spot vs. Stanford just one week after dismantling USC. However, a Rose Bowl berth is not a guarantee since both remaining league games are difficult contests - on the road at Arizona and ... Read More