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Sports TwitterOSU won't be caught looking past Wisconsin
Badgers have beaten OSU three straight times, and are the only Big Ten team with a winning record vs. Tressel.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
COLUMBUS — Ohio State coach Jim Tressel doesn't like his players to look ahead in the schedule, but he made sure their attention turned toward Wisconsin at the earliest possible moment.
Even before they peeled off their sweat-stained uniforms after beating Penn State on Saturday night, Tressel reminded them of the recent history against the Badgers.
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"He said, 'Remember we lost to them the last three times (in Columbus)," linebacker Marcus Freeman said. "He was saying, 'Congratulations, but we have Wisconsin coming up.' "
Tressel's skittishness about the Badgers is probably understandable. They're the only Big Ten team with a winning record against him, having gone 3-1, and they've prevailed in four of six meetings since 1999.
Asked why Wisconsin has been such a nemesis for the program, Tressel said: "They're a good team. A good team is a nemesis. It's tough to beat good teams."
The 19th-ranked Badgers made a seamless transition from the Barry Alvarez era to the Bret Bielema regime. They went 12-1 last year, setting a school record for victories while making Bielema only the third first-year coach in Division I-A to amass 12 wins.
"I think he's done a nice job of keeping the identity of what Wisconsin is all about," Tressel said. "They're all about physical football. They're all about taking care of the tempo of the game with your offense ... and (playing) very physical, pressure defense — a lot like what we believe in. Yet, he's added some wrinkles that you can see are probably some of the things he believes in."
Wisconsin star running back P.J. Hill is fourth in the Big Ten in rushing with a 118.4-yard average, but he's been bothered by a foot sprain. Backup Lance Smith, who ran for 79 yards and two TDs against Indiana last week, is banned from playing in road games as punishment for offseason legal problems.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125
or at dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com
| Illinois | 3-1 | |
| Indiana | 6-0 | |
| Iowa | 3-1 | |
| Michigan | 5-1 | |
| Michigan State | 5-0 | |
| Minnesota | 5-0 | |
| Northwestern | 6-1 | |
| Penn State | 5-2 | |
| Purdue | 4-1 | |
| Wisconsin | 1-3 | |
| Overall | 43-10 | |
