OSU FOOTBALL Same place, new stakes for Fiesta-bound Bucks

Ohio State will return to the site of its national championship win.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- The team hotel's the same, the practice field's the same and so is the stadium where they'll again play in the Fiesta Bowl.
The stakes, however, have changed considerably for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
When the Buckeyes take on Kansas State on Jan. 2 in the Fiesta Bowl, the national championship won't be riding on the outcome as it was a year ago. Ohio State, a 31-24 winner over Miami last January, will be playing for pride and to close out a glowing chapter of the program's history.
"The thing you have to make sure is that we don't in any way, shape or form go back and say, 'Oh, ho-hum. It's the same thing.' Because it's not the same thing," coach Jim Tressel said. "Granted, we're not playing for the national championship but we're playing a team that is maybe rolling in on a bigger upward swing with a lot of good feeling about what they just accomplished."
Familiarity
There will be a certain familiarity for the Buckeyes. They will again depart on Dec. 26 and the team hotel will again be the Scottsdale Princess. They will again practice at Pinnacle High School. The game is set for dusk in the desert on Jan. 2, similar to last year's kickoff on Jan. 3.
"It will feel good coming back to the Princess, where we're comfortable," backup quarterback and kick returner Troy Smith said with a smile.
Not so long ago, when an Ohio State team was placed in a bowl in Orlando or Tampa there was almost a group groan. Players had become accustomed to making trips every year or two to those Florida games and had quickly tired of the experience.
That does not seem to be the case this year, in part because the Fiesta Bowl is seen as one of the premier postseason games. In addition, the weather is good, the opponent is good and the game is played in the glaring spotlight of the Bowl Championship Series.
"It's not like we're going back to the Outback Bowl (in Tampa) or something where we don't want to be," cornerback Dustin Fox said. "It's a BCS bowl, so we're excited about it. The Fiesta Bowl does a fabulous job of showing us a great time. They treat us just unbelievably. The facilities are tremendous. I'm excited about going out there."
Memories still warm
There will be good vibes, too, with warm memories from what happened a year ago at the same place.
"In a small sense, it's an advantage," tight end Ben Hartsock said. "I don't think it's going to be a huge factor. Yes, there is the familiarness of everything: knowing where you're going to be, knowing the lay of the land, knowing where you're going to practice and being comfortable with those surroundings. It'll feel a little bit more comfortable."
Wide receiver Michael Jenkins said it won't take long for Kansas State to catch up, however.
"That's a little bit to our benefit," he said. "But you still have to go out there and play a football game and neither team has faced each other. It'll be kind of nice to really know where we're going. But that'll be about it. After a day or two, they'll know the same thing."