Benefit held for crash victim
WSU vs. Milwaukee
Badin Spirit Olympics
Buckeyes know it will be loud in Happy Valley
Ohio State knows another 'white out' audience will be in tow to cheer the Nittany Lions on in prime time.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
COLUMBUS — Penn State University fans not only are passionate and boisterous, but some of them obviously do their homework.
Ohio State junior cornerback Malcolm Jenkins remembers walking into Beaver Stadium in 2005 when a voice from the crowd reminded him of a gaffe earlier that season.
Extras
"In the opener against Miami that year, I fumbled a kickoff return, and he was yelling that at me the whole time," Jenkins said with a smile.
The 22nd-ranked Nittany Lions are hosting the No. 1 Buckeyes at 8 p.m. Saturday, and the students are planning another "white-out" like the one they staged two years ago during a 17-10 victory.
Jenkins said that sea of white "was distracting at the beginning of the game. But we've seen so many different color 'outs' that I don't think it will affect us as much this year."
OSU coach Jim Tressel also isn't as concerned about the fans in white shirts as he is "the guys in the white pants. They've got good players, and they've got a good staff. They know who they are. They execute their systems."
The Nittany Lions, who are second nationally in attendance with an average of nearly 109,000, are facing a top-ranked team at home for only the second time. They beat No. 1 Notre Dame in 1989.
Penn State is 5-0 in Beaver Stadium this season, outscoring opponents 200-48.
"The environment there is as fun and electric and challenging as you could possibly have in the game of football," Tressel said. "... If you're expecting to hear, forget it."
The din created by a prime-time crowd at Penn State in '05 certainly unnerved the Buckeyes, who have won 18 straight Big Ten games and 26 consecutive regular-season outings since that defeat.
Asked why fans seem to get so worked up for night games, Tressel said with a hint of a smile: "I think they make a day of it. They begin their enthusiasm (early) and it just grows. And by 8 o'clock, your enthusiasm is overflowing."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125
or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Unhappy Valley
Ohio State is 2-5 in games in Happy Valley since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993. The Buckeyes' last three trips to Pennsylvania:
Year Result (w/rankings)
2001 Penn State 29, Ohio State 27
2003 No. 8 OSU 21, Penn State 20
2005 No. 16 Penn State 17, No. 6 OSU 10
