OCT. 31, 2006
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Here is a look at what some of the players, coaches and national pundits are saying after the Buckeyes win over Minnesota and before they travel to Illinois on Saturday:
Glen Mason, Minnesota head coach:
"You mean the Big Two and the Little Eight, or Little Nine, whatever you want to call it? For years there was that dominance and it looks like that's where we're headed again this year in the Big Ten."
"If they have a weakness, it's a lousy field. They just replaced the field, right? They need a new gardener."
Dominic Jones, Minnesota cornerback:
"They both have two great backs, great offensive linemen and great wide-outs who can beat you on the inside or outside. They're very similar. Troy (Smith) might be a little more mobile and that provides another threat."
"He's gone next year, right?"
Jim Tressel, OSU head coach:
"It was a little bit tough conditions from a wind standpoint and so forth and I'm sure it was even more difficult for Minnesota who plays indoors and that type of thing."
Jay Richardson, OSU defensive lineman:
"Even though we won last year it was like a loss because they ran and threw so well on us. We took it as a challenge."
Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune:
A word of warning to Illinois and Northwestern: Ohio State goes for the throat. And that's a compliment.
The Buckeyes, whose next two appointments are in Champaign and Evanston, didn't ease up Saturday against Minnesota. Leading 44-0 in the fourth quarter, Ohio State put its first-team defense back in the game after muffing
Neil Hayes, Chicago Sun-Times:
At no point this season has Ohio State been a more clear-cut No. 1. The Buckeyes crushed Minnesota 44-0 on Saturday. They rushed for 266 yards. They allowed 47. They had 19 more first downs than the Golden Gophers. They left no doubt who is the top team in the country.
Michigan never has been a more clear-cut No. 2. The Wolverines beat Northwestern 17-3 but collected no style points. Winds were gusting up to 50 mph in Ann Arbor. It was cold and miserable. Still, Michigan did not look like the best team in the country against the Wildcats.
Things can and often do change. Manningham will return. The wind will die down. The Michigan offense still has time to find a rhythm. If not, the Wolverines' defense is more than capable of forcing the turnovers necessary to win.
But as of this moment, Ohio State is hands down the best team in the country. Nobody else, not even the Wolverines, measures up.
Rob Oller, The Columbus Dispatch:
The reason it's pronounced Illinois and not Illinoise is that the Illini (2-7) have been incredibly quiet against the Buckeyes in recent years. Ron Zook and Co. won't have much to talk about this week, either.
Gene Menez, CNNSI.com:
Ohio State rode a stout defense and running game for a never-in-doubt victory over the Gophers so Smith wasn't needed to perform his usual Heisman-caliber heroics. He still had a nifty 21-yard touchdown run, his first of the season, which shows he can still be a running threat when he needs to.
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