Ohio State to meet 'nemesis' Wisconsin
No team has felt as comfortable facing Ohio State as Wisconsin.
The Badgers have knocked around the Buckeyes and knocked down their head coach.
Literally.
During a postgame celebration some Ohio State players still are unable to forget, Buckeye Head Coach Jim Tressel hit the canvas during Wisconsin's 2004 postgame dance on Ohio Stadium's block "O."
The Buckeyes will try to defend their No. 1 ranking today at noon against No. 19 Wisconsin.
"If you were at the game, you still remember it," OSU linebacker Marcus Freeman said. "I remember seeing (Tressel get knocked down) on TV. I wasn't too happy about it."
A loss today and Ohio State can forget about the national title dance. One loss, the one most of the country seems to be waiting on, will send the Buckeyes tumbling in the polls.
Wisconsin has beaten Tressel three of four times, but second-year Badgers Head Coach Bret Bielema has never led Wisconsin to one of those.
There has been no shortage of motivation for Tressel to use. He is fond of putting together video highlights during the week. Perhaps one of himself dusting off after the 24-13 loss made its way to his players.
"Football is an emotional game, and probably the emotion that's most important is the one of focusing on what needs to be done," Tressel said.
"You've got to know the task at hand, and you've got to be emotionally in that moment. ... Emotions are huge as long as you have the proper focus."
So immediately after beating Penn State in Happy Valley, Tressel told his team who the next opponent was. And in the same sentence, he reminded them the Badgers won the last time in Ohio Stadium. In fact, he told them, they've won the last three in Columbus.
"There's always teams that you know they're good, and you're going to get emotionally ready to play. Wisconsin is one of those," Tressel said.
"They're a good football team. As long as our guys have been alive, they've known Wisconsin is a good football team. Bad blood? No. I'm not sure what that does for you other than distract you.
"A good team is a nemesis. It's tough to beat a good team. Their system is similar. I think Bret's done a good job. He took over for a guy (Barry Alvarez) that did an extraordinary job. ... I think he's done a nice job of keeping the identity of what Wisconsin is all about."
What Wisconsin has been about this year is not beating a ranked team. The Badgers' seven wins are against teams with a combined 25-36 record. They lost to Illinois and Penn State, giving up more than 30 points to each.
But Bielema said his team has played its best football the last two weeks against Indiana and Northern Illinois.
Wisconsin is hoping a bruised foot to running back P.J. Hill is healed. The bruise is above a plate that was surgically implanted in his foot. Hill is a typical power back running behind a large Wisconsin line.
"He sets the tempo," Tressel said. "He gives them the identity. They've had a history of having those physical backs. He's carried that torch forward. He's the guy that if you allow him to take the game over, you've got a problem."
Ohio State hasn't had a problem staying focused with the No. 1 ranking. In Tressel's 85 games at Ohio State, the Buckeyes have been the country's top-ranked team 18 percent of the time. They've never lost a regular-season game with that pressure.
"We're still the No. 1 team," Freeman said. "We've been here for two or three weeks now. We have to realize the bull's eye that No. 1 brings with it. Instead of trying to climb the charts and trying to shoot for your ranking, you have to be ready to defend your ranking."
Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail todd.porter@cantonrep.com