The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Buckeyes fans feeling angst

Bengals guard against letdown vs. Raiders
10:50 p.m.
Unknown OSU kicker thrust into spotlight
9:10 p.m.
Cribbs expects to play Sunday against Lions
3:05 p.m.
OSU looking to extend winning streak over UM
11/21/09
Ohio State-Michigan series has slipped in stature
11/21/09
> More sports headlines

The Associated Press Updated 7:51 PM Monday, November 2, 2009

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

BUCKEYES BUZZ:@ Two numbers are scaring a lot of Ohio State fans.

— The two teams who have beaten the Buckeyes this season have a combined record of 9-8.

— The Buckeyes' next two opponents have a combined record of 17-1.

No wonder there's an uneasy feeling among the faithful. Half are confident the Buckeyes can run the table, lock up at least a share of a fifth straight Big Ten crown and play in a Bowl Championship Series game.

The other half figure three huge games in a row — at Penn State (8-1), home with Iowa (9-0) and at Michigan (5-4) — is asking too much of a young team. They figure the Buckeyes will falter somewhere.

Either way, there's plenty of angst to go around.

Imagine the best possible scenario for Ohio State. The Buckeyes win all three games, go 10-2 and earn a BCS berth in the Rose Bowl. Even that has a bittersweet tinge.

The likely opponent? The Red-hot Oregon Ducks, who flat destroyed Southern California — which won at Ohio State — by a 47-20 count on Saturday night.

NO PETTREY:@ Jim Tressel would not disclose the severity after Saturday's New Mexico State game of K Aaron Pettrey's right (kicking) leg injury other than to say "he got banged up pretty good."

Ohio State officials late on Monday afternoon would say only that Pettrey would miss the Penn State game.

The Columbus Dispatch, citing Pettrey's mother Lillian, said Pettrey tore the medial collateral ligament in his knee, would have surgery on Tuesday and would miss the rest of the regular season.

Pettrey is the Big Ten's leading scorer at 8 points per game.

TEAM AWARDS:@ Each week Ohio State's coaching staff selects its players of the week. The envelope, please ...

— The player of the week on defense is LB Ross Homan, who had seven tackles and an interception.

— The offensive honoree is WR Dane Sanzenbacher, who had two TD catches.

— Singled out on special teams was DB Donnie Evege, who had three tackles.

Other awards dished out include TE Jake Ballard as the Jim Parker lineman of the week; S Anderson Russell as the top player on the back seven on defense; and scout team players of the week QB Kenny Guiton, LB Grant Dziak and RB Joe Gantz.

CONFERENCE KUDOS:@ The Big Ten's players of the week are Minnesota QB Adam Weber (416 yards, 5 TDs passing in a win over Michigan State); Minnesota DT Garrett Brown (seven tackles, three for a loss, a fumble caused and one recovered); Wisconsin LB Chris Borland (a native of Kettering, who had four tackles and one for a loss in a shutout of Purdue); and Michigan State KR Keshawn Martin (44 ypr, including a 93-yarder for a TD).

BCS BABBLE:@ Florida remains No. 1, followed by Texas, Alabama, Iowa, Cincinnati, TCU, Boise State, Oregon, LSU and Georgia Tech in the latest Bowl Championship Series rankings.

Ohio State is No. 16 and Penn State 11th.

___

November 02, 2009 10:59 PM EST

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

The oly time I feel angst is when I have to take a huge dump and can't.

Buckeye Dave
4:15 PM, 11/5/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Another sad excuse for an article at Dayton Daily "News". I am a buckeye fan and I am surrounded by many many more fans. None of us feel angst over a few footballl games. You are making this larger than it is although that is typical news/media hype. Do not look up as the "sky is falling". DDN should remember it is young men playing a game. Do we want our team to win? Yes. Is it the end of the world and are we full of angst if they lose? No. DDN needs to get some new reporters/journalists

No Angst Here
8:23 AM, 11/4/2009

REPORT ABUSE

it doesn't matter who the bucks play in a bowl game or what bowl they go to they always embarrass themselves, proving they are a good Ohio team (and not even the best one this year) and not much more.

vest
5:36 AM, 11/4/2009

REPORT ABUSE

The Road to Pasadena starts Saturday at Happy Valley before 109,000 screaming Nittany Lion fans . QB Terrelle Pryor will be under the gun and the pressure to win in the Keystone State will be great for him . Coach Tressel is 90 -21 in 9 1/2 seasons . Let's Go Buckeyes bring home a win and get on the road to the Rose Bowl for 2010 .

Jon
4:56 PM, 11/3/2009

REPORT ABUSE

Hey Pohlerbear Here is a career puzzle 24 years and 9 national championships games. I would guess you aren't very old due to lack of maturity by the way you write. I assume you don't recall the Earl Bruce - John Cooper years. Trust me Tressel has raised the bar on Buckeye expectations.
I remember the Woody Years from 68-78 and talk about frustrations.
Careful what you wish for as an example here are few.
Miami Flor, Nebraska, Florida State, Notre Dame, Washington just to name a few.

centerville buckeye
3:59 PM, 11/3/2009

REPORT ABUSE

There are 7 additional comments

SHOW ALL

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.