Hey,

We were interviewed by VERSUS during the OSU vs USC tailgate when we were burnin' the birds. Guess what, we made there show.  Just wanted to let everyone know and make sure you tune in.

Go buckeyes!

Masters of the Tailgate OSU Oct. 28th 4:30 PM EST on VERSUS for more info go to www.mastersofthetailgate.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio – First Beanie then Boom then out went the lights on Michigan’s season. Chris “Beanie” Wells and Dan “Boom” Herron ripped off back-to-back 42- and 49-yard runs early in the third quarter, with Herron’s a touchdown to give Ohio State a 21-7 lead, and the Buckeyes rolled from that point on to clinch a share of their fourth-consecutive Big Ten Conference championship with a 42-7 win Saturday in front of 105,564 chilled but happy fans in Ohio Stadium.

The win not only clinched a fifth shared or outright Big Ten championship for Ohio State under coach Jim Tressel, but it also was the fifth-consecutive win for Ohio State over Michigan – a program first in 119 seasons of football. It also marked the seventh win over Michigan in Tressel’s eight seasons at the helm.

“It’s hard to believe because it’s just so difficult,” Tressel, Ohio State head coach, said regarding the team’s five-consecutive wins over Michigan.

Ohio State improved to 10-2 on the season and 7-1 in the Big Ten. Tressel has guided the Buckeyes to six 10-plus win seasons and time will tell if this team makes it to a sixth BCS bowl game. Michigan ends its season 3-9 overall and 2-6 in the Big Ten.

“It was a great day for those 28 seniors,” Tressel said. “Our kids played hard and Michigan played hard. I thought the turning point was when they punted to our 9 and two plays later we scored...with a big run by Beanie and a big run by Boom Herron.”

Leading by a 14-7 margin at halftime, Ohio State forced Michigan to punt on its first possession of the second half. Taking over on the 9-yard line, Wells burst through a hole on the left side for his second big gain of the day – he had a 59-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that gave the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead – and Herron duplicated the left side success by taking it to the house for his career-long touchdown run.
 
Wells finished with 134 yards off 15 carries. The big junior has now rushed for 412 yards and four touchdowns in three wins over Michigan. Included in his totals are runs of 62, 59, 52 and 42 yards.

By no means was this game over when Ohio State was leading, 21-7. It soon would be, though. An 81-yard punt return by Ray Small on Ohio State’s second possession of the second half set up an 8-yard touchdown pass from Terrelle Pryor to Brian Robiskie, extending the lead to 28-7.

Pryor, who lofted a lovely pass that connected with Brian Hartline in stride and turned into a 53-yard touchdown play in the second quarter, was 5-13 passing for 120 yards and had two touchdowns. He did throw an interception on Ohio State’s first series of the game, but the Ohio State defense, as cold and hard as the November day, stopped the Wolverines without a first down and a 35-yard field goal attempt by K.C. Lopata was wide left.

Herron, who scored on a 2-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter that gave Ohio State a 35-7 lead, finished with 80 yards and two touchdowns.

Classy senior Todd Boeckman came into the game in the fourth quarter and handed the ball off twice before hitting Hartline with an eight-yard strike to increase the lead to 42-7.

There was some tough sledding early on in this game. More than 10 minutes into the game, Ohio State had gained eight yards off 13 plays and Michigan was in the hole: minus-nine yards on nine plays.

But then Wells busted his 59-yarder up the middle to give the Buckeyes a jolt of energy and a 7-0 lead. The touchdown put Wells over the 1,000-yard mark for the second-consecutive season and moved him past Keith Byars into fourth place on the team’s career rushing charts with 3,276 yards.

Michigan’s lone score came on a one-yard run by Brandon Minor in the second quarter that put Michigan back into the game at 14-7.

Ohio State’s defense came to play. The Buckeyes held Michigan to just 198 yards and 11 first downs, and the Wolverines went more than 22 minutes into the game before securing its initial first down. On the day, the Buckeye defense recorded 10 three-and-out series.

James Laurinaitis, one of 28 seniors playing in their final home game, led the team with 12 tackles and one sack. Kurt Coleman continued his fine play with 10 tackles. Marcus Freeman, Doug Worthington and Cameron Heyward also had six or more tackles. Dexter Larimore and Heyward had quarterback sacks.

Ohio State’s senior class has now tied the seniors of 1998 and 2005 with 43 victories. With four wins over Michigan and four pairs of gold pants, the class is guaranteed to be remembered as one of the best in Ohio State history.

Pryor, Wells Each Top 100 Yards Rushing as Buckeyes Top Illini, 30-20

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- No way, Jim Tressel figured, would 11th-ranked Ohio State win by throwing the ball.

So on a gray, windy Big Ten kind of day, the Ohio State coach put the game in the hands of Chris Wells -- always a good place to put it for the Buckeyes this season.

The junior running back's 143-yard performance sunk Illinois, 30-20, and kept the Buckeyes (9-2, 6-1) in the chase for the Big Ten title. Freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor added another 110 yards rushing.

"We knew we would have a lot better chance of winning running the ball," Tressel said. "You could pass it but you couldn't try to make a living doing it."

The game also served as a little revenge for the 28-21 upset the Illini hung on the Buckeyes last November in Columbus, ruining a perfect season.

For Illinois (5-6, 3-4), Saturday was its own dose of cold, cloudy, wind-blown humility. The Illini are running out of chances to claim a spot in a bowl game, just a year after getting to the Rose Bowl.

More immediately frustrating, Illinois had 455 yards of offense Saturday, 101 more than the Buckeyes, but turned the ball over twice and committed a series of wind-aided special teams mistakes that cost them points.

"We've got to take advantage of the opportunities we have," said Illinois quarterback Juice Williams, responsible for both turnovers. "When we get in the red zone, we've got to put up points."

With the stiff, northwest wind and temperatures most of the day in the 30s, Saturday was made for Wells.

"It was a running back's dream," he said. "Cold and wet -- what more could you ask for?"

He carried the ball 24 times, patiently picking his way through Illini defenders for steady early gains and, later, bursting through holes for runs that exhausted Illinois' defense.

His shorts runs were punishing, but his longer ones were ego deflaters for Illinois.

On one 25-yard burst early in the third quarter, Wells hurdled safety Donsay Hardeman, drawing gasps from Illini fans.

Another, a 29-yarder later in the third quarter with the score still 23-13, stole the momentum from Illinois on one of its last chances to get back into the game.

Pryor, too, found room to run Saturday. His 110 yards came on just 13 carries, most of them through a tired Illinois defense in the second half.

The freshman quarterback threw the ball just 10 times, completing six for 49 yards and a TD.

Statistically, Illinois was more than a match for Ohio State.

The Illini had 292 yards of offense by halftime, 22 more than the Buckeyes were giving up a game before Saturday.

But by the midway point in the second quarter, the list of Illinois mistakes was long:

• A fumble by quarterback Juice Williams deep in Illinois territory, and an interception with the goal line in range.

• A punt blocked by Malcolm Jenkins for a safety.

• A punt and kickoff into the wind that went nowhere, giving the Buckeyes great field position.

"You can't turn the ball over and have a chance to win" Illinois coach Ron Zook said.

The Buckeyes made Illinois pay for every one of those mistakes.

The fumble, midway through the first quarter at the Illini 17-yard line, set up the game's first points when Pryor eased into the end zone from a yard out.

The safety led to a short kick, knocked down by that 20 mph wind, and set up Ohio State's second touchdown. Wells capped a 42-yard drive by falling into the corner of the end zone for a 16-7 lead.

Kurt Coleman's interception at the Ohio State 12 probably cost Illinois points, too. And then the Buckeyes took the ball 76 yards the other way for Pryor's touchdown pass to Dane Sanzenbacher and a 23-7 lead.

"Sometimes you say to yourself that you dodged a bullet because you gave up yards but got the turnovers," Tressel said.

The Buckeyes kept Williams under heavy pressure, early by the blitz and later via a flood of white jerseys pouring through the Illini offensive line.

"You can't be passive and wait back because they have too many weapons and too much talent," Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "You have to attack it and blitz and get after them and not let them take it to you."

Williams was sacked just twice, but was forced to run out of pressure and either throw on the run or scramble for what he could get on another half-dozen plays.

He finished the day 17-of-26 for 192 yards with two touchdowns and the interception. Williams also ran for 60 yards, second for the Illini Saturday to running back Daniel Dufrene's 79 on eight carries.

The Buckeyes head into the last game of the regular season against Michigan with a chance for at least a share of the Big Ten title and an outside shot at the Rose Bowl.

Illinois will play Northwestern to try for a sixth win that could get the Illini to a bowl game -- perhaps the Motor City.

By NANCY ARMOUR
AP National Writer

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) -No apologies needed after this one.

Terrelle Pryor threw for three scores and Chris "Beanie" Wells ran for two more, leading No. 12 Ohio State to a 45-10 victory over Northwestern on Saturday that showed the Buckeyes are definitely over their loss to Penn State two weeks ago. Pryor was 9-of-14 for 197 yards, and added 33 on the ground. Wells finished with 140 yards on 28 carries.

It was Ohio State's fourth victory in a row over Northwestern, and it delighted the sellout crowd that appeared to be two-thirds Buckeyes fans.

More importantly, the win keeps the Buckeyes' chances for a fourth straight Big Ten title alive. Ohio State (8-2, 5-1) needs to win out and get some help from Penn State and Michigan State, who play each other in the season finale.

Mike Kafka got another start for Northwestern (7-3, 3-3) with C.J. Bacher still nursing a hamstring injury. But Kafka couldn't duplicate his big day from last week, when he set a Big Ten quarterback record with 217 yards rushing. Kafka finished with 83 yards rushing and a score and was 18-of-27 for 177 yards, but the Wildcats were no match for the bigger, stronger Buckeyes.

At least this one was closer than the past three games, when Ohio State outscored Northwestern 160-24.

Pryor apologized to his teammates after the loss to Penn State, saying his mistakes cost them the game. His fumble set up Penn State's go-ahead touchdown, and the Nittany Lions sealed the victory with an interception. With last weekend's bye giving him an extra week to stew about the loss, one question was how the freshman would respond against the Wildcats.

Quite nicely, thank you.

Pryor was 9-of-14 for 197 yards, and he showed the cool and poise of a veteran quarterback. Several times he found himself in jams that would have made most other quarterbacks throw the ball away or, worse, take a sack. Yet he always managed to come up with a big play.

On the first possession of the game, he stayed in the pocket for what seemed like forever on third-and-16. His patience paid off when he found Brian Hartline for a 44-yard reception that could have been a touchdown had Hartline not fallen down at the 2-yard line. Wells scored on the next play.

Pryor's most impressive escape came on Ohio State's sixth scoring drive, when he was chased from his own 32 all the way back to about the 20 on third-and-8. Northwestern linebacker Quentin Davie even got a hand on him, but Pryor shrugged it off.

After scrambling forward for a few yards, he lofted a pass to Hartline down the sideline for a 40-yard gain. Three plays later, Pryor connected with Rory Nicol for a 6-yard touchdown that put Ohio State ahead 31-10.

Wells gained only 55 yards in the loss to Penn State, and he couldn't get much going on Ohio State's first two possessions. But with the ball on his own 45 at the start of the second quarter, Wells let loose.

Taking the ball from Pryor, he ran into a pile at the line of scrimmage. But he found a hole, rumbled through it and had an open path to the end zone. Northwestern cornerback Jordan Mabin finally caught up to Wells around the 3-yard line and got a hand on the big back's shoulders. But he had all the effectiveness of a gnat, and Wells brushed him off and continued into the end zone, doing a little hop over the goal line to give Ohio State a 14-7 lead.

Bacher was upgraded to probable after Thursday's practice, and he was on the field for pre-game warm-ups, throwing a few passes. But it was Kafka who trotted onto the field when the Wildcats got the ball.

Kafka's mobility was even more vital this week, with backup running back Omar Conteh (knee) joining starter Tyrell Sutton (wrist) on the sideline. It looked as if Kafka might be in for another big day as he ran at will on Northwestern's opening drive. He carried the ball 10 times, including the last seven plays, and ran it in from a yard to tie the game at 7.

But Northwestern's offense was too one-dimensional to give Ohio State much of a challenge.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 3 Penn State snapped an 0-7 winless streak in Ohio Stadium as a Big Ten school with a 13-6 win over No. 10 Ohio State in front of an Ohio Stadium record crowd of 105,711 fans, most of whom were wearing scarlet as part of a “Scarlet Fever” promotion.

The game, the second-lowest scoring game in this 24-game rivalry after a 7-6 Penn State win in 1956, was not about the speedy and skilled position players that lead both teams’ offenses. For Ohio State, Chris “Beanie” Wells had 55 yards rushing; Terrelle Pryor just six yards rushing but he did throw for a career-high 226 yards. For Penn State, Evan Royster had 77 yards rushing; Daryll Clark had 160 total yards before leaving in the third quarter with an injury, and Derrick Williams gained just 60 all-purpose yards.

Quite simply, this game was about two marvelous defensive squads punishing the opposing team’s offense. The Buckeyes came into the game averaging 211 rushing yards in games Wells plays in, but managed just 61 rushing yards and 287 total yards. Penn State came in averaging 482.1 yards and 45.4 points per game but gained just 281 total yards and scored its touchdown after a drive of only 38 yards.

“That was a hard-fought football game,” Jim Tressel, Ohio State head football coach, said. “I was proud of the way our kids played. It was the slimmest of margins and I tip my cap to Penn State. They played extremely hard and didn’t make mistakes. They came away with a hard-fought win.”

The game turned on a fourth-quarter turnover, the first of the game. Trailing 6-3, Penn State scored on a 1-yard run by backup quarterback Pat Devlin with 6:25 to play. The play capped a 38-yard drive that was set up after Terrelle Pryor fumbled on third-down as Mark Rubin punched the ball out the freshman’s grasp. Star linebacker Navorro Bowman recovered the ball at the Ohio State 38 and Devlin led them on seven plays to the deciding score.

Ohio State had two chances after the touchdown but it punted after its first chance. Penn State then used more than three minutes before Kevin Kelly connected on a 35-yard field goal to up the lead to 13-6.

With less than a minute to play, Pryor moved Ohio State just across midfield on the Buckeyes’ last possession, but his deep throw with 27 seconds remaining on the clock was picked off Lydell Sargeant.

The first half ended in a 3-all tie as the two teams traded field goals in the last 93 seconds. Kelly kicked a 31-yard field goal with 1:33 to play in the first half and Ohio State’s Aaron Pettrey countered with a 41-yarder with seven seconds to play. A 49-yard pass from Clark to Graham Zug set up Kelly’s kick. A 33-yard pass from Pryor to Brian Robiskie set the Buckeyes’ up for their score.

Ohio State took the lead, at 6-3, after Pettrey connected on a 36-yard field goal with just over three minutes to play in the third quarter.

Penn State’s Jeremy Boone averaged 43.5 yards per punt and dropped three inside the Ohio State 20. Ohio State’s A.J. Trapasso averaged 38.5 yards per punt, including 52- and 59-yard efforts, plus dropped three inside the Penn State 20.

Defensively, Rubin and Navorro led Penn State with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively. Ohio State’s James Laurinaitis had 12 tackles and Anderson Russell hade nine.

The Buckeyes move to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten while the Nittany Lions improve to 9-0 overall and 5-0 in conference action.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Terrelle Pryor became the first player to tell Ohio State coach Jim Tressel to bench him if he didn’t produce.

Then, the Buckeyes’ quarterback made the request moot against Michigan State.

Pryor turned some of his potential into production, running for a score and throwing for another in the first quarter to help the 12th-ranked Buckeyes build a four-touchdown lead en route to a 45-7 win Saturday over the 20th-ranked Spartans.

“He stopped in my office right before we left Friday and said, `If I don’t move the ball down the field, you should bench me,”’ Tressel recalled. “That’s just the way he is.”

The freshman finished 7-of-11 for 116 yards and a TD and had 72 yards rushing on 12 carries, including an 18-yarder for a score early in the game.
 
Pryor showed poise and touch when he threw before sitting on the big lead with handoffs.

When he ran, Pryor displayed speed and power by running past defenders and stiff-arming some to the ground.

“It’s just like high school,” said Pryor, who became a YouTube sensation as a prep star in Pennsylvania.

The Buckeyes (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) stayed in first place atop the conference as did Penn State, setting up a marquee matchup Saturday night at Ohio Stadium.

Ohio State’s Chris “Beanie” Wells had season highs with 31 carries, 140 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

“Pryor played an excellent game and Wells was dominant,” Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. “They came together today and had zero turnovers.”

Meanwhile, the Spartans had three fumbles and two interceptions after losing the ball just six times in their first seven games.

“Five turnovers? That’s a loss. Missed tackles? That’s a loss,” Dantonio said. “But we’re a 6-2 football team. We have to move on.”

Wells’ second TD put Ohio State ahead 28-0 midway through the second quarter.

A big play on defense early in the fourth ended Michigan State’s comeback hopes.

After allowing backup quarterback Kirk Cousins to drive the Spartans down the field for a TD to open the second half, Malcolm Jenkins’ sack forced Cousins to fumble and defensive end Thaddeus Gibson scooped up the football and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown.

“We were working to at least try and be respectable,” Dantonio said. “You can’t snap your fingers and say, `It’s 28-all.’ You have to claw your way back. If we could’ve gotten to 14 and been down 14, the whole complexion of the sideline changes.”

The Buckeyes added a field goal and returned another fumble for a TD to finish the rout of Michigan State, which hadn’t lost by 38 points to match the combined total from Dantonio’s seven previous setbacks.

The Spartans were off to their best start since 2003, but seemed to show they’re not ready to be a contender in a conference dominated recently by the Buckeyes.

“I didn’t expect to get beat like that,” Javon Ringer said.

Michigan State was handed its most lopsided loss at home since Nick Saban’s debut in 1995, when they by 40 to Nebraska.

“I thought we did a good job in warmups today,” Spartans defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said sarcastically when asked what his unit did well on defense.

Ringer was held to season lows with 67 yards rushing and 16 attempts a day after the school launched a Web site to tout him as a Heisman Trophy candidate.

“Our D-line did a great job of letting us fly around and make plays,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said.

Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer didn’t start the second half against because of an injured right hand, but returned in the fourth quarter. Hoyer was scheduled for a concussion test Sunday.

Hoyer finished 5-of-13 for 27 yards and an interception. Cousins was 18-of-25 for 161 yards with a TD, interception and fumble.

Michigan State will get a chance to bounce back next week at Michigan Stadium, where the Spartans haven’t won since 1990.

Ohio State is shooting for its fourth straight Big Ten title and perhaps a third straight appearance in the BCS national championship game, winning five straight since getting blown out at USC.

Pryor helped the Buckeyes score 21 points in the first quarter against a team that hadn’t allowed a point in its first four home games this season and was giving up less than 17 points a game overall.

He was 5-for-5 for 86 yards in the first quarter and ran for 62 yards on four carries, including a 32-yard gain on the opening drive, that made Pryor smile when recalling what he told Tressel the previous day.

“I wanted to let him know if I don’t take us down the field, bench me,” Pryor said. “I love when I have to challenge myself.”

Columbus, Ohio – Ohio State defeated Purdue, 16-3, Saturday in Ohio Stadium before 105,378 fans and an ABC-TV regional audience. Ohio State did not score an offensive touchdown but its special teams and defense provided just enough points and big plays to secure the victory.   

The halftime show by the Ohio State marching band was titled “TV Land.” The set featured nostalgic theme songs from shows like “I Love Lucy” to today’s pop culture favorites “The Simpsons” and “The Family Guy.” How appropriate the choice of set was because Purdue has not won in Ohio Stadium in 20 years and breaking that six-game losing streak proved once again to be a “Mission Impossible.”

Chris “Beanie” Wells played a starring role on offense with 94 rushing yards, increasing his career total to 2,664 yards and into the school’s all-time Top 10. The defense was led by a Malcolm who was in the middle of everything: Malcolm Jenkins. The senior cornerback blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown and recorded an interception, four solo tackles and a pass break-up.

Ohio State’s defense wasn’t out to make “Friends” today, keeping the Boilermakers out of the end zone and limiting them to 298 yards of total offense, and in the end it created enough “Cheers” from the crowd to help the team improve to 6-1 on the season and 3-0 in the Big Ten Conference.

“It began with special teams,” Jim Tressel, Ohio State coach, said. “The special teams stepped up today. There was a key punt block and early on A.J. Trapasso backed them up to their goal.

“And our defense made Purdue take the long path to the goal line all day, and they didn’t give up a touchdown.”

Purdue, 2-4 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten for only the second time under Joe Tiller, played a spirited game on defense, limiting Ohio State to just 222 yards and not letting quarterback Terrelle Pryor hurt them too much through the air (97 passing yards) or on the ground (27 yards).

“Hit and miss was the way I’d describe the offense,” Tressel said. “We’re not consistent and we certainly did not control the line of scrimmage.”

Right about the time people were tuning into the game, trouble found the Boilermakers. Just three minutes in, Jenkins stormed in from the left side to block Chris Summers’ punt and Etienne Sabino recovered and returned it 20 yards for the score. It was the first blocked punt return for Ohio State since the 2005 season when A.J. Hawk scored on an 8-yard return vs. Northwestern.

Then with five minutes to go in the quarter and Purdue at the Ohio State 32, Thaddeus Gibson sacked Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter and forced a fumble that Lawrence Wilson recovered. Behind 16 and 22-yard runs by Wells, the Buckeyes marched 56 yards to take a 10-0 lead on a 24-yard field goal by Ryan Pretorius.

Jenkins intercepted Painter on the first play of the second quarter to give the Buckeyes the ball on the Purdue 29. Ohio State could not punch a score into the end zone and Pretorius’ 38-yard field goal try was wide left.

After holding the Boilermakers on downs after they had reached the Ohio State 45, Ohio State added another field goal – this time a 49-yarder by Aaron Pettrey – to take a 13-0 lead that stood until intermission.

Purdue scored on its first possession of the second half, a school-record 53-yard field goal by Carson Wiggs, to cut the lead to 13-3. Ohio State increased the lead to 16-3 early in the fourth quarter on a 22-yard Pretorius field goal.

That would be all the scoring for this game, although a significant milestone was reached. Purdue’s Painter went over 10,000 career passing yards early in the first quarter, becoming just the fourth Big Ten player to accomplish the feat.

The three-time defending Big Ten champion Buckeyes, a winner in 15 of the last 18 games against Purdue, takes to the road next week for a game against surging Michigan State, also unbeaten in the conference at 3-0.

Buckeyes Comeback to Defeat Badgers, 20-17

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Ohio State looked much different under the lights with its new double-threat backfield.

Terrelle Pryor ran for an 11-yard touchdown with 1:08 left, and Chris ``Beanie'' Wells had 168 yards rushing and a score, lifting the 14th-ranked Buckeyes to a 20-17 victory over No. 18 Wisconsin on Saturday.

``Guys really don't know who to key on, me or Terrelle,'' Wells said. ``I like that about our offense, having two guys out there who can really run the ball.''

The last time the Buckeyes (5-1, 2-0 Big Ten) played a marquee game at night, they got pounded by Southern California last month. Wells didn't play in that game and Pryor, the talented freshman, wasn't the starter.

But Wells is feeling better and Pryor is getting comfortable at quarterback.

``All the hype, and all the people saying, 'You're great,' this is the time to show it,'' Pryor said.

The 19-year-old Pryor sure did, leading Ohio State on two fourth-quarter scoring drives and snapping a 16-game home winning streak for the Badgers (3-2, 0-2). He also helped his coach, Jim Tressel, even his record at 3-3 against Wisconsin.

``Every snap he gets, he learns from. He was under duress tonight,'' said Tressel, after his first game in Madison in five years. ``They were playing hard, they were coming after him, they were going to make him do things with lots of people in his face and he's coming of age.''

Pryor did it on the game-winning drive through the air and on the ground, and before the possession he got an earful from Wells on the sideline.

``I told him, 'It's a man's world right now, and he's taking a step into manhood right now,''' said Wells, who had a 33-yard TD run in the first quarter. ``He said he was ready.''

Trailing 17-13, Pryor twice found trusted receiver Brian Hartline for big gains, even though Hartline fumbled on the second completion for 27 yards and needed teammate Brian Robiske's recovery to keep possession at the Wisconsin 35.

Wells, who has been wearing a lineman's shoe to protect his injured foot, gained 13 more yards on three carries, and Pryor added another first down on a third-and-1 sneak from the 15 with under 2 minutes to play.

``Pryor and Wells are two good players. We knew they were going to get their yards,'' linebacker Jaevery McFadden said. ``We contained them pretty well until that last drive, then we just let it get away and it hurts.''

Pryor, who finished 13-of-19 with 144 yards passing and an interception, ran an option with Wells flared out wide, but he chose to keep it himself and reached the end zone after Wisconsin's defense looked confused by the formation.

``At times we did some good things, but he's elusive, he presents a challenge,'' Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. ``In the end on the last play we weren't good enough.''

McFadden said Ohio State's late substitution confused the Badgers' defense, and Tressel was aware what was happening from the Buckeyes' sideline.

``They didn't get lined up, and we were saying, 'Snap it! Snap it!' because there wasn't anyone lined up over there,'' Tressel said.

Wisconsin quarterback Allan Evridge, who needed to play efficiently to give the Badgers a chance, committed his second turnover when Malcolm Jenkins intercepted a pass to seal the game with 53 seconds left.

``Just didn't see Jenkins,'' said Evridge, who finished 13-of-25 for 147 yards and also lost a fumble.

Pryor made his share of head-scratching freshman plays and refused to throw a pass away under pressure, taking four sacks and numerous hits. But he moved the Buckeyes in position to take its first lead since the first half, settling for Ryan Pretorius' 34-yard field goal with just under 11 minutes to play to make it 13-10.

Wisconsin, needing to rebound after a demoralizing loss to Michigan, answered with a quick drive capped on third-and-goal from the 1 when P.J. Hill powered through linebacker Ross Homan to give Wisconsin a 17-13 lead.

Hill had 63 yards on 16 carries.

That set the stage for Pryor, who snapped the Badgers' 11-game winning streak at night and handed them their first lose at Camp Randall Stadium since Nov. 12, 2005, against Iowa.

``As you sit there on the sideline, you're holding your breath on each and every play, hoping he could break one,'' Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis said.

Wells remains in awe, too.

``It was incredible the way he handled that last drive,'' he said. ``He's a special player, and he has so many great things ahead of him.''

Columbus, Ohio – Three-time defending Big Ten Conference champion Ohio State opened defense of its Big Ten crowns with a 34-21 win over previously unbeaten Minnesota Saturday before 105,175 fans at Ohio Stadium.

“I thought our kids came out and played hard,” Jim Tressel, Ohio State coach, said. “We were ready.”

Led by the return of Chris “Beanie” Wells and the all-around skills of quarterback Terrelle Pryor, the Buckeyes rolled to a season-high 279 rushing yards, and 414 total yards, in handing the Golden Gophers their first defeat after four wins. The Buckeyes improved to 4-1 with the win.

Wells rushed for 80 first-half yards and 106 total yards to lead the rushing attack. Pryor, making his second-consecutive start, finished with 97 yards rushing off eight carries (12.1 yards per carry average). He scored two touchdowns: one on a 33-yard run in the first quarter – after Wells had ripped off a 28-yard carry on his second rush of the game – and one on a 1-yard rush in the third to give the Buckeyes a 27-6 lead.

Pryor also passed for 70 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown pass to Brian Robiskie with 33 seconds left in the first half to extend the lead to 20-3. A 21-yard run by Wells, in which he hurdled a charging Minnesota defender, set up Pryor’s touchdown pass to Robiskie.

“I thought he [Beanie] did alright,” Tressel said. “I wasn’t real pleased with his first couple carries with a so-so run and the fumble. After that he got warmed up. It’s tough when you don’t practice for three weeks or so. I thought his last 10 carries were more like how we need him to be. Hopefully he’ll be better next week.

“Terrelle has that speed and he loves to compete. That’s a plus. That adds something to the package. I put him in again later because I wanted him to throw some balls. I wanted us to progress in the passing game. He needs as much experience as he can get.”

Todd Boeckman saw second-half action and completed 5-of-9 passes for 65 yards and one touchdown. He connected with Robiskie on a 31-yard scoring play in the fourth quarter for Ohio State’s final points of the game. He and Pryor combined to complete 13-of-22 passes for 135 yards for the game.

Robiskie had the best statistical day of the season for an Ohio State receiver with eight catches for 90 yards and the two scores.

“I hope we throw it more effectively down the road than we did today,” Tressel said. “It didn’t feel as if we threw and caught and protected as well as we’re going to need to.”

Defensively, the Buckeyes held the Golden Gophers well below their 36.2 points per game average. Hamel, Minn., native James Laurinaitis led the charge against his home-state team with 12 tackles. Ross Homan had 10 tackles and recovered a fumble that led to the Buckeyes’ final touchdown. Donald Washington (interception) and Anderson Russell (fumble recovery) recorded second-quarter turnovers that led to 10 Ohio State points and a 20-3 halftime lead. Russell finished with two forced fumbles and seven tackles in addition to his recovered fumble.

Trailing 34-6, Minnesota scored two touchdowns in the final 8 minutes of the game. The first came on a Ralph Spry 3-yard run and the second came on a 22-yard fourth-down pass from Adam Weber to Da’Jon McKnight. Weber was 23-of-36 passing for 187 yards. The Golden Gophers managed just 81 rushing yards off 28 carries.

“We got a little sloppy in the last quarter, but we wanted to get a lot of kids into the game and when you substitute so much we lost a little bit of our edge,” Tressel said.

Ohio State has now won six-consecutive games over Minnesota and 22 of the last 23 dating to the 1981 season. The all-time series is in Ohio State’s favor, 41-7.

Columbus, Ohio – Freshman Terrelle Pryor made his first collegiate start a memorable one by throwing four touchdown passes to lead No. 13 Ohio State to a 28-10 victory over Troy in front of 102,989 fans at Ohio Stadium.

Getting the starting nod over senior Todd Boeckman, who had started the last 16 games for Ohio State, Pryor played virtually the entire game while setting an Ohio State freshman record with his four touchdown passes. His scores went to Rory Nicol (covering 13 yards), two to Brian Hartline (37 and 16 yards) and to Brian Robiskie (38 yards). For the game, Pryor was 10-for-16 for 139 yards with one interception in addition to the four touchdown passes. He also rushed for 66 yards.

Dan “Boom” Herron led Ohio State in rushing for the third-consecutive game with 94 yards off 20 carries.

“We knew we were going to start Terrelle going into the game,” Jim Tressel, Ohio State coach, said. “I had the feeling as if Terrelle was having some rhythm and he was wanting to throw the ball a bit. I thought he did a good job.”

Kurt Coleman recorded two interceptions to spark the defense. His first interception, in the second quarter, led to Ohio State’s second touchdown of the game. His second, early in the third quarter, stopped a Troy drive that had reached the Ohio State 34. James Laurinaitis totaled 12 tackles to lead the Buckeyes in that category.

Troy came to play – the Trojans had 310 offensive yards to 309 for Ohio State – and this game was a one-play contest until the fourth quarter.

“This was a very valuable game because Troy is a tough team,” Tressel said. “That was a physical game. Both teams played hard and expended energy. I was proud of the way our guys took on the challenge when it was a four-point game. They did a great job rising up.”

The game changed on the strength of two A.J. Trapasso punts. Late in the third quarter and with the score 14-10, Trapasso unleashed a 60-yard punt that was downed at the Troy 1. The Buckeye defense held and, two plays after the punt, Pryor hit Robiskie with a 38-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 21-10.

Another terrific Trapasso punt on Ohio State’s next series traveled 35 yards to the Troy 4. After the defense held, Pryor went to work again, finding Hartline in the end zone to cap a four-play drive for a 16-yard touchdown pass and a 28-10 lead.

“Two of the great plays of the second half were A.J. Trapasso knocking those two punts down on the 4 and the 1,” Tressel said.

The first half was virtually an even contest. Ohio State led, 14-10, at halftime behind two Pryor touchdown passes but Troy wasn’t phased and actually led in total yards – 170 to 164. Each team had one turnover. Ohio State was called for five penalties; Troy three.

Pryor led the Buckeyes to a touchdown on the opening series of the game. The nine-play drive was capped by a 13-yard pass from Pryor to Nicol.

The first quarter ended with Troy threatening in Ohio State’s red zone. Troy was not able to crack the goal line despite having a first down inside the 5 and settled for a 22-yard Sam Glusman field goal, making the score 7-3.

The Buckeyes struck quickly two series later to increase their advantage to 14-3. After Coleman intercepted Troy’s Jamie Hampton, Pryor took just four plays to get the Buckeyes back into the end zone, finding Hartline over the middle for a 37-yard scoring strike. 

Troy came right back, though. Hampton, who threw for 218 yards, drove the team 86 yards in five plays with Jerrell Jernigan coving the last 46 yards on a gutsy catch and run play.

The Buckeyes are now 23-1 at Ohio Stadium against non-conference teams under Jim Tressel. Next week, Big Ten Conference play begins for the three-time defending champion Buckeyes with a noon game at Ohio Stadium against 4-0 Minnesota.

More Game Notes

Defending Champions
The game matched defending champions from the Big Ten and Sun Belt conferences. Ohio State is the three-time defending Big Ten champ. Troy is the two-time defending Sun Belt champ.

Conference Openers
Ohio State opens Big Ten play next week vs. Minnesota. Troy opened defense of its crown with a win over Middle Tennessee Aug. 28.

First Game vs. Sun Belt
This was Ohio State’s first game against a Sun Belt Conference team. The other football schools in the league are Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, Middle Tennessee and North Texas.

The Capital of College Football
Members of the 1968 unbeaten national championship team and the 10-0-1 Big Ten champion 1973 team celebrated their 40th and 35th reunions at the stadium today. Between 1968 and 1973 Columbus became known as the “Capital of College Football” as Ohio State teams won five Big Ten titles, two national championships and went to four Rose Bowls.