ROUNDUP | News and notes
Special teams: More times than not, the Ohio State-Michigan game is decided by a split-second decision by a player on special teams. Maybe it's because the old rivals know each other so well and mirror each other on offense and defense. A field goal, a burst of speed or a blocked kick seem to tip the balance in an otherwise even game. "It's a one-play series," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said of special teams. "On offense, if you throw an incompletion on first down, you've got two more tries. On special teams, you'd better do it right on that play." Overlooked outside linebacker Jim Laughlin blocked a punt with 4 minutes to go and Todd Bell swooped in to return the ball 18 yards for a touchdown to give unbeaten and No. 2-ranked Ohio State an 18-15 win over No. 13 Michigan in 1979. Desmond Howard caught 134 passes and scored 37 touchdowns in his UM career, but the image seared into the minds of most fans is when he struck the Heisman pose after returning a punt for a touchdown in the Wolverines' 31-3 win in 1991. In 1997, Charles Woodson -- like Howard, a native Ohioan -- had a 78-yard punt return to give Michigan a critical score in a 20-14 win. Just last year, the Buckeyes were clutching a 20-14 lead in the third quarter when freshman Ted Ginn Jr. gathered a punt at his own 18, sidestepped a tackler and then jetted for the touchdown that paved the way to a 37-21 victory. Ginn returned four punts for touchdowns a year ago to set school and Big Ten records. This year, he has been held in check for the most part, scoring once while averaging 12.2 yards per return. Teammate Santonio Holmes is averaging 14.7 yards a return. "I can't imagine anybody having better special teams than they do," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. The Wolverines have their own return threat in Steve Breaston, who is averaging 12.9 yards on punt returns and 26.9 on kickoffs. After a slow start, he's been coming on. He had 201 all-purpose yards in the first half of last week's rout of Indiana. "If you look at the dynamics of college football, every special-teams blunder or mistake, it ends up hurting the team dramatically," Michigan special-teamer and receiver Carl Tabb said. "You can have a fumbled punt, mishandled snap, you can have a missed field goal or extra point and each of those cases can cost you a game." On a chilly Saturday in The Big House, we may see why they call them "special" teams.
Dog days: Purdue coach Joe Tiller and Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner will be opponents for the first time this weekend when they play for the Old Oaken Bucket. But it's not the first time the two have met. When Hoeppner was an assistant at Franklin College in central Indiana, he was a regular at the Boilermakers coaches clinics. One year, Hoeppner was assigned to help Purdue's defensive line coach -- Tiller. "I remember driving him home to the feed the dog," Hoeppner said. "I must not have done a very good job, though, because I don't think coach Tiller remembers it very well." The next year, Hoeppner, who was not paid, was assigned to help the Boilermakers defensive backs coach. At dinner, Hoeppner found himself in the unusual predicament of wearing Purdue apparel to a dinner and was given a gift for his assistance. "I think it was a set of John Purdue glasses," he said. "I probably still have them somewhere."
Not thinking pink: Much has been made about the pink paint in the visitors locker room at Iowa, but Minnesota coach Glen Mason says he's looking forward to it. "I like the color pink," Mason said. "In the spring, I can't wait to wear my blue suit with my pink shirt. A woman at a restaurant told me, 'It takes a man with a lot of confidence to wear a pink shirt.' I took that as a compliment." A better bowl game awaits the winner of the Minnesota-Iowa clash. "I'm not worried about the pink locker room," Mason said. "I'm worried about the guys in the black helmets."
Joe's O: Remember all the squawking a year ago that Joe Paterno didn't understand modern offense and that the game had passed him by? With Penn State ranked fifth in the nation at 9-1 and needing a win at Michigan State to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title, Paterno has handed a lot of autonomy to offensive coordinator Galen Hall and his son, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, after last year's 4-7 nightmare. "This year, Joe is laid back. He pretty much lets Galen and Jay call all the games and do what they have to do," standout quarterback Michael Robinson said. Paterno, 78, said he also relies on his staff to make more halftime adjustments. "They come in at halftime and I don't even bug them," he said. "Years ago, I used to be in there on the board yelling and screaming and shouting."
Quick-hitters: A Penn State win gives the Nittany Lions the conference's BCS bowl berth, while Ohio State can tie for the title with a win against Michigan. ... Michigan State junior Drew Stanton needs one more TD pass to eclipse Jeff Smoker's school mark of 21 in a season. ... The Big Ten players of the week were Minnesota's Amir Pinnix (32 carries, 206 yards, 1 TD), Iowa's Mitch King (two sacks, 3.5 tackles for minus yardage), Michigan's Breaston (47-yard kickoff return, three punt returns for 78 yards) and Purdue's Dave Brytus (three punts inside 20). ... Since 1951, the Ohio State-Michigan series is deadlocked 26-26-2.
Associated Press