10:56 a.m.: Ohio St, Wisconsin looking for fresh starts
MILWAUKEE (AP) Chris Beanie Wells cracks up in the huddle at freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who eagerly tries to describe each play before the 14th-ranked Buckeyes run it.
Its funny, Terrelle always has to look back and explain the full play, said Wells, who pesters Pryor about the habit. I just know it comes with being a new guy.
Is Ohio State (4-1, 1-0 Big Ten) the Midwest model of modesty having fun again with its dynamic backfield of Wells and Pryor after being decimated by Southern California?
I dont think were looking forward to redemption, were just trying to go out there and get better, said Wells, the hobbled running back wholl wear a linemans shoe to protect his injured foot.
Wells is expected to play against No. 18 Wisconsin (3-1, 0-1) after gaining 169 yards and scoring three times in last years 38-17 victory. The winner of Saturday nights showdown can keep big bowl hopes afloat and feel much better near the seasons halfway point.
But both teams have embarrassing low points already.
Ohio State needs to win at night on the road to forget 35-3 romp to the Trojans on Sept. 13.
Wisconsin needs to move on after squandering a 19-0 lead in a 27-25 loss at Michigan last Saturday in what was supposed to be the Badgers coming out party.
Instead of kicking off a BCS push, Wisconsin will again be pushing to change the perception that it does not belong in the upper echelon of the conference with Ohio State and Penn State.
Guys are angry in very good terms, but they are going to put that together and put that into this week of preparation and do the things we have to do, said running back P.J. Hill, who is averaging 4.9 yards per carry with four touchdowns but missed last years game with the Buckeyes. Nobody likes to lose. But it happened and we can learn from it.
Wisconsin had better be a quick study as the only team in the conference to own a winning record against Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel at 3-2. The Badgers thrive at night, winning 21 of the last 22 including all six since coach Bret Bielema joined the staff.
Any time you play the game that you did (at Michigan) and have it end the way they did, theyre going to be excited to play anywhere, said Bielema, who has a 16-game home winning streak. To have it be in Camp Randall, to have it be at night, to be in an environment that theyve had a lot of success in, Im sure makes them all feel better, including the head coach.
But theyll face an evolving Ohio State offense ever since Pryor took over two weeks ago.
Pryor sparked the offense in a 34-21 win against Minnesota by running for a 33-yard TD and throwing for another. He gets his first road test in Ohio States first trip to Madison since 2003.
He doesnt play like a freshman at all. Him being a freshman, to me is irrelevant. Hes the type of guy whos going to go out there and perform and play hard no matter who were playing, Wells said. Hes a competitor and I love that in him. You really dont find that too much in QBs. QBs are usually the laid back guys, just nice guys. Terrelle is a guy whos going to get in your face, and I love that about him.
Tressel is confident that Pryors outward emotion doesnt affect him during the game.
Performance-wise, he was calm, Tressel said. I thought at the Coliseum, he had command. Has he been perfect? No. Has he executed everything exactly right? Absolutely not. Every experience is going to be a valuable one for him and this is up another notch.
But the key to this game might be the other quarterback.
Allan Evridge must keep Pryor and Wells off the field and be efficient in the pocket to help open up the running game for Hill.
Against Michigan, Evridge fumbled once and threw two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown after being thrown slightly behind Kyle Jefferson.
The biggest thing for us right now is executing small things, the senior quarterback said. They dont seem like much but they add up to the big things in the end.
And Wisconsin hopes that a win over Ohio State will begin building some needed momentum in the Big Ten with favorite Penn State coming next.
If we take it one game at a time, the picture could be pretty good at the end, Evridge said.
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SHERIFF102
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10-04-08 12:10 AM
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IO
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tigers85
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10-03-08 2:34 PM
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OH
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Handala
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10-03-08 11:06 AM
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GO BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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