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Ohio State can learn from Huskies, Cardinal

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The Associated Press 6:06 PM Friday, November 13, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio — What's brewing today with the 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes ...

BUCKEYES BUZZ:@ There are countless examples of a team coming off a big, emotional win, turning around and ... falling flat.

Guarding against that is Job One at Ohio State this week. The Buckeyes can use two teams as examples.

Maybe the most shocking result of the season so far was Washington, winless a year ago, beating then-unbeaten No. 3 USC 16-13 on Sept. 19.

USC was also involved in another stunning loss two weeks ago, getting embarrassed 47-20 at Oregon.

It's instructive what happened the next week for both of those upset victors.

Maybe still trying to get over the hangover from beating the Trojans, Washington turned around seven days later and was beaten 34-14 at Stanford.

After Oregon's startling, lopsided victory, the high-flying Ducks came back last week and also lost, to Stanford, 51-42.

Mind you, Stanford's a good team. But, still, the Cardinal has lost three times already and may well close out the season with three losses in a row.

Ohio State's Jim Tressel puts the onus on 18- and 21-year-old kids who get satisfied with a big win. His staff has talked to the team about not thinking too much about the win last week at Penn State, instead concentrating on this week's showdown against Iowa at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

"Is it a natural thing? Probably in some ways," he said. "Satisfaction probably is a natural thing. Hopefully it's offset by hunger which is stronger. That's what we'll find out on Saturday."

THE FOURTH MAN:@ The fourth captain for the Iowa game is OL Jim Cordle.

WITH HONORS:@ The honorary captain is another OL, former All-American John Hicks.

THEY'RE HE-ERE!@ Iowa had a walkthrough at Ohio Stadium on Friday afternoon. It was closed to the public and media.

QUOTABLE:@ Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz on Ohio State's defense: "They're impressive. They're fun to watch on film if you're not playing against them. So our margin for error will be very thin."

QUOTABLE II:@ Tressel, asked if by winning the last four Big Ten titles his team has made it look easy: "You haven't been around here that long if you think (that)."

ACHES AND PAINS:@ QB Terrelle Pryor is stiff and sore from bruises sustained over a 10-game season. Heading into last week's game, his motion was limited by an ankle injury and he was unable to do some things he normally can when healthy.

Some rest this week has paid dividends.

"I feel like I'm getting better day to day," Pryor said on Wednesday night. "There were just some cuts that I couldn't make (at Penn State). That's pretty much it, some of the cuts, no matter where you are on the field, going left or right, it's hurting. But there's always (something) in the back of the head, saying, 'Just keep going.' It hurts day to day, it's still hurting. But there's nothing I can do about it."

___

November 13, 2009 11:01 PM EST

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