OSU FOOTBALL Tressel's Buckeyes labeled 'Luckeyes'

North Carolina State experienced Ohio State's magic firsthand last season.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Ohio State is 15-5 in games decided by a touchdown or less under coach Jim Tressel, an uncanny run of success that defies explanation.
Or not.
"What can I say? It's luck," North Carolina State rover Andre Maddox said.
Maddox later tried to clarify his opinion, likely hoping to avoid becoming bulletin board material before the Wolfpack host the Buckeyes on Saturday. He pointed to Ohio State's immense talent, particularly on defense, and the fact that many of those games came at home.
Still, his original reasoning might not be far off.
Finding ways to win
The ninth-ranked Buckeyes (2-0) have yet to force a turnover this season, and they needed a 55-yard field goal on the last play last week to beat Marshall.
"We're lucky, I guess, because typically, if you're at a minus-seven in turnover margin, you're going to be 0-2," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "I've not been around too many teams that can lose the turnover margin and be a champion."
The circumstances around the winning kick by Mike Nugent also gave support to Maddox's theory.
After Justin Zwick completed a 5-yard pass to tight end Ryan Hamby, the clock continued running. The Buckeyes, out of timeouts, hustled to line of scrimmage and Zwick downed the ball with two seconds remaining.
Ohio State was called for illegal motion on the play, but the officials only marked off 4 yards on the penalty instead of 5. Then, the ball was placed on the left hash -- admittedly Nugent's preferred spot -- even though Zwick grounded his pass pretty much in the middle of the field.
The kick had plenty of distance and hooked just inside the left upright.
"Luckeyes"
No wonder some people have taken to calling Ohio State the "Luckeyes," a moniker the players obviously don't embrace.
"It's the kind of character we have on the team," defensive end Simon Fraser insisted. "Even though the game might not be going the way want it to, we're going to keep on fighting until the game's over."
That is a mentality that former Ohio State coach Woody Hayes would appreciate. He made the Buckeyes perennial Big Ten contenders on a similar "3 yards and a cloud of dust" philosophy, preferring to win the field position battle until his opponent made a mistake.
Hayes was 205-61-10 in 28 seasons, including Associated Press national championships in 1954 and 1968.
"That's the way Woody Hayes built that program," N.C. State coach Chuck Amato said. "Coach Hayes is sitting up there and is just beaming from ear to ear that Coach Tressel is winning the way he's winning in the new millennium."