By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) -- If the Buckeyes look distracted this week against Illinois, blame the classroom. Ohio State started classes Wednesday, taking the players away from the all-football approach they held through the first three games. After what he thought was a great practice Tuesday, Jim Tressel said he noticed the difference Wednesday, when football became just a part of his players' live. Practice was good, but not great. Junior linebacker Ross Homan is happy to focus on football all the ... Read More

By: Jay Lee (DailyIllini.com) -- Illinois senior quarterback Juice Williams still remembers running into Ohio Stadium for the first time two years ago. "I won't ever forget coming out of the steps and seeing the field, the press box, the red, the gray, the fans," Williams said. "Growing up as a kid, those are the things that you want to experience." The Illini, who were then unranked, traveled to Ohio State as a 15-point underdog to take on the top-ranked, undefeated Buckeyes. Ohio State watched ... Read More

By: AP via DaytonDailyNews.com -- COLUMBUS, Ohio — What's brewing today with the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes ... BUCKEYES BUZZ: Expect security to be somewhat tightened as you enter Ohio Stadium — or even drive near it — for the 3:30 p.m. kickoff against Illinois on Saturday. Federal bulletins sent to police departments this week and obtained by The Associated Press said officials knew of no specific plots against stadiums and other entertainment ... Read More

By: Todd Porter (CantonRep.com) -- COLUMBUS — The keys to the Ohio State offense are always in Jim Tressel’s pocket. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t hand them over for a test drive every now and again. Buckeyes wide receiver coach Darrell Hazell called some of the plays during last week’s win over Toledo, and Tressel said that isn’t contrary to most games. But last week it was as evident as ever with Hazell front and center and Tressel standing about 30 yards away. Tressel, at first, played ... Read More

By: AP via SportingNews.com -- COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There's no need for Ohio State's veterans to watch video of Illinois quarterback Juice Williams. They've seen the replays in their minds, over and over again. Williams put together a personal highlight reel in 2007 when he led the Illini to a stunning victory over a Buckeyes team that came into the game top-ranked and undefeated. The most toxic clip is of Williams engineering a drive that ate up the final 8 minutes while Ohio ... Read More

By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) -- Down off a loss to USC, Ohio State bounced back big with a 38-0 win over Toledo, a MAC school that was overmatched on both sides of the ball. Now maybe this is a spot for some Ohio State overconfidence as the Buckeyes start Big Ten play against Illinois on Saturday. But Jim Tressel said today that he thought Tuesday's practice for the Buckeyes was "as good a practice as we've had in a long time. I ... Read More

From: AP via DaytonDailyNews.com -- COLUMBUS, Ohio — What's brewing today with the 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes ... BUCKEYES BUZZ:@ Coach Jim Tressel is trying to initiate a new, healthier way of greeting people. During his Tuesday newsconference, Tressel spoke of P Jon Thoma, who had the flu last week and was unable to play in the 38-0 win over Toledo. Thoma has recovered and is scheduled to play on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. when the 13th-ranked Buckeyes host Illinois. Tressel said he had spoken to several ... Read More

By: Bill Blanton (Examiner.com) -- “Three yards and a cloud of dust” was how Woody Hayes described the run-heavy offenses of the Ohio State football program in the 1950s and 1960’s. Though national championship caliber teams need more balance on offense then what Hayes described, the ability to run the ball and get short yards to convert third downs and “move the chains” is as important today as it was then. Though the 2009 version of the Ohio State football team posted 247-yards rushing ... Read More

By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) -- Maybe the Ohio State Buckeyes just needed a vacation, a weekend away. Nothing extravagant, more like a "staycation," a spot a couple of hours from Columbus. Like Cleveland. A day to check out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, grab some dinner, pound a Mid-American Conference team, clear their heads, forget about that USC loss a week earlier. "I feel pretty good," Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor said Saturday afternoon. "And I'm losing memory of that ... Read More

By: Tim Bielik (BleacherReport.com) -- Well it's been a long summer, but at last it's finally here. College football finally kicks off the 2009 season this week. It's been an offseason full of questions and unsolved mysteries for a team that has been to the BCS for the past four seasons. Ohio State welcomes the Navy Midshipmen to the Horseshoe on Saturday, a truly unorthodox opponent before the non-conference game of the year against the USC Trojans. After crushing losses, the Buckeyes have been the subject ... Read More

BY: MARK SNYDER (Detroit Free Press) -- Though it might pain Michigan fans to hear it, the Big Ten owes a major debt to Ohio State. With the Buckeyes' remarkable consistency the past seven years -- six seasons of at least 10 wins -- they have secured their place as one of the nation's elite programs. They've rolled over elite offensive and defensive players and still plow through the Big Ten with no consistent competition. Yet they're decried nationally for their struggles in the spotlight. Losses ... Read More

By: Kyle Strittholt (BleacherReport.com) -- There is nothing quite like the Ohio State/Michigan game at the end of November. You have two programs with so much history and a game where rankings don’t matter. A game where you could have a horrible season, but this one win can make the season a whole lot better. In the last decade there has been some close games between the two schools, unfortunately for Michigan fans, Ohio State has came out on top nine times out of ten ... Read More

By: Bill Kurelic (ESPN.com) -- The past two years Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has had great success recruiting the state of Pennsylvania. Two years ago, Tressel landed the No. 1 prospect in the Keystone State, quarterback Terrelle Pryor. He also signed linebacker Andrew Sweat, another prospect ranked among the top 10 in the state of Pennsylvania. Last year, Tressel landed the No. 1 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania again -- linebacker Dorian Bell. Tressel also signed Bell's teammate, defensive back Corey ... Read More