Tressel: Bucks could be best
With 18 returning starters, the Ohio State coach is thinking big.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Jim Tressel isn't following the ages-old coaching rule of putting a lid on expectations. As a matter of fact, he's fanning the flames.
In preparation for the start of spring football practices later this week, the Ohio State head coach said Tuesday that he wants his players to consider themselves contenders for the 2005 national championship.
"[The] question is would it be outlandish for this group to consider the possibility of being the best team in the land, and I don't think so at all," Tressel said. "We have talented guys, we have bright guys, we have experienced guys."
Ohio State returns 18 starters from a team that went 8-4 during a rocky 2004 season, including last year's freshman sensation, Ted Ginn Jr. There are nine starters on each side of the ball.
How strong are the returning Buckeyes? It appears their biggest loss might be a place-kicker, All-American Mike Nugent.
They also are without their leading rusher (Lydell Ross, with a meager 475 yards), punter Kyle Turano (42.8-yard average), three-year starter at cornerback Dustin Fox, guard Mike Kne and defensive end Simon Fraser.
Feeling good
The Buckeyes like hearing their coach talk about being No. 1.
"Every team should go into every season with that mentality that they can win the national championship," wide receiver Santonio Holmes said. "With the players we have on our team, why not set that as a goal and go for it?"
Linebacker Anthony Schlegel said despite finishing tied for fifth in the Big Ten a year ago, everyone is excited by the way the Buckeyes finished the season.
The Buckeyes rocked No. 7 Michigan 37-21 to ruin the Wolverines' hopes of an outright Big Ten title, then rolled over Oklahoma State 33-7 in the Alamo Bowl.
"Everybody has those last two games in their mind. Those were great games for us," Schlegel said. "Every year Ohio State seems like it has that goal of being a national champion. And why not have that? It just makes you work that much harder and helps people focus on the mission at hand."
No added pressure
Holmes said the bold talk doesn't put any added heat on the Buckeyes.
"There shouldn't be any pressure. We've been around each other long enough to know how everyone plays, what to expect and what we can all do as a team. We just need to put all those things together and go for it," he said.
Linebacker Bobby Carpenter said it's only natural to aim high.
"We want to be up there. You never say, 'Well, I hope we go 7-4 this year.' We want to go 11-0. We want to win a national title. That's been my goal every year since I've been here," he said. "Even if I didn't think we necessarily had the best talent -- which this year I think we do -- you still want to be No. 1 when the day's over."
Tressel met with most of his veteran players in lengthy one-on-one exchanges over the past two months. He asked each about their goals and about what needed to be done to reach them.
"I think it was Anthony Schlegel, when I asked him what's our greatest challenge in 2005, who said, 'Making everyone understand what it takes on the field, in practice, on game day, in the classroom, outside of campus -- to be a champion.'
"I think we have guys interested in doing that."