[!--quoteo--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]Two narrow losses last year cost Ohio State a shot at the national title. Avenging both defeats so quickly would put the team well on its way to playing for it this season.
Two weeks after winning a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown, the top-ranked Buckeyes look to win the matchup of last year's Big Ten co-champions as they open conference play against No. 24 Penn State on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
Any thoughts Ohio State had of a perfect 2005 season abruptly ended in its second game of the year with a 25-22 home loss to eventual national champion Texas. Four weeks later, the Buckeyes traveled to Happy Valley and lost 17-10 to the Nittany Lions.
"We've got a bad taste from last year," Buckeyes guard T.J. Downing said. "You never forget the losses."
Ohio State did not lose again in 2005, earning a share of the Big Ten crown as Penn State suffered its only loss to Michigan.
"It's a little payback time," Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said. "What an opportunity to play the team we tied for the title."
It seemed clear that revenge would be on the Buckeyes' minds early this season with September matchups against Texas and Penn State.
One down, one to go.
The Buckeyes (3-0) rolled to a 24-7 victory over Texas in Austin on Sept. 9 in the first meeting of the nation's highest-ranked teams since 1996.
"They have (wideouts) Ted Ginn Jr., Anthony Gonzalez, all these different pieces," Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said. "It's so hard to take an educated gamble and say, 'Let's do this and focus on this and dare them to do this.' So you're kind of stuck."
The Nittany Lions' biggest test of the year came on the same day and they were not nearly as impressive, losing 41-17 at Notre Dame.
Ohio Stadium is the only Big Ten venue where Penn State (2-1) has not won since joining the conference in 1993. The Lions are 0-6 in Columbus since winning there 30 years ago.
That skid also includes the last time Penn State played the nation's No. 1 team, losing 28-9 at Ohio Stadium in 1998. The Buckeyes are looking to even the all-time series at 11 wins apiece.
"It's going to be big," Buckeyes tailback Antonio Pittman said. "It's a battle every week (in the Big Ten). Our house, their house - it'll be a true battle because we all want that league championship."
Both teams struggled in the early going against inferior teams last Saturday only to end up winning handily.
Ohio State rushed for 2 yards in the opening quarter and trailed late into the second quarter before pulling away to beat Cincinnati 37-7 for its 10th straight win.
Penn State could not take the lead until midway through the second quarter of a 37-3 victory over Division I-AA Youngstown State.
"We were a little erratic in some things that we have to improve on," coach Joe Paterno said. "But I think overall we made some progress. We are certainly not good enough yet."
Paterno's team likely must be at its best to win on the road against the Buckeyes, who have averaged 426.7 yards per game and have been tough to stop against the pass and the run.
While Pittman has rushed for 340 yards and 6.7 per carry, Troy Smith has hooked up with Ginn and Gonzalez a combined 31 times for 533 yards and seven touchdowns. Smith, one of Ohio State's eight returning starters on offense, has completed 69.1 percent of his passes for an average of 256.3 yards per game.
Penn State's defense already had a tough time with one Heisman-hopeful quarterback this season, allowing Notre Dame's Brady Quinn to complete 25 of 36 passes for 287 yards with three touchdowns. In their only game against a potent offense this year, the Lions failed to force a turnover while allowing the Irish to total 397 yards.
The duo of Anthony Morelli and Tony Hunt will try to find holes in an Ohio State defense which has surrendered only 26 points this season.
Hunt, a 1,000-yard rusher last season, is coming off his best performance of the year with 143 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries against Youngstown State. He was held to 110 rushing yards through the first two games.
Morelli played poorly last week as he went 11-of-27 for 154 yards. He failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in three games.
The junior faces a Buckeyes team which had eight sacks, including three by defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock, and three interceptions last week.
"They're coming together as a unit. We're making progress and growing in confidence," Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. "Now it's the Big Ten. Not it's for real."[/quote]
LinkLike Malcom Jenkins said, "It's payback time"!!!!!!!!!!
