OSU's great steak escape

The Buckeyes have grown to love Arizona, especially a certain steakhouse.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- No matter what happens in the national title game against Florida, the Ohio State Buckeyes will likely remain near the top of the B/C/S -- beef/carnivore/ steak -- rankings.
One of the things the nation's top-ranked team is most looking forward to in Arizona is devouring huge slabs of sizzling red meat during a return engagement at Drinkwater's City Hall Steakhouse in Scottsdale.
"I've been to so many steakhouses and none of them are as good as that place," wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez said. "That's the best place I've ever eaten in my life."
Center Doug Datish of Howland calls himself "kind of a meat connoisseur." To hear him tell it, the highlight of last year's trip to the Fiesta Bowl was not beating Notre Dame 34-20 but when the team invaded the steakhouse.
"That was a new event last year. I hope they continue that tradition," he said. "I don't know what the bill was like but it had to be astronomical."
Warm memories
Having a favorite restaurant, hotel or entertainment spot goes along with playing in a Phoenix-area bowl game for the fourth time in the last five years.
It's hard to argue with reassuring familiarity. Not only have the Buckeyes won their three most recent trips to the desert, but they've had a great time doing it.
They won the 2002 national championship with a double-overtime 31-24 victory over No. 1 Miami, then came back a year later to beat Kansas State 35-28.
After a year away at the Alamo Bowl for a lopsided win over Oklahoma State, the Buckeyes returned to the Fiesta last year to beat Notre Dame.
You might think that some players would like some variety. Not these guys.
"Anytime you go into a familiar setting, it's always warming," Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Troy Smith said. "We know the area, we know where we're going to stay and I love the [Fairmont Scottsdale] Princess like a second home now."
Some might think that the bowl would prefer to have a different team coming to town. Not so.
"Every bowl will tell you that the one thing they want to do for their local community is to bring in different teams each year," said Shawn Schoeffler, the Fiesta Bowl's vice president of media relations. "But the kids from Ohio State, the hotels love them, the restaurants love them, the bars love them and the bowl people love them. It's definitely one school that we're delighted to have back here every year."
Small change
There is one minor change for the Buckeyes this year, even though they'll still be staying at the same place and again practicing at Pinnacle High School.
In all five of Ohio State's previous bowl trips to Arizona -- the Buckeyes also played in the Fiesta Bowl after the 1980 and 1983 seasons -- the bowl games were played at Sun Devil Stadium. This year the site is the new University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
Moments after Ohio State won last year's Fiesta Bowl, a reporter asked Smith where the 2007 national championship game was. He not only knew it was in Glendale, but also vowed to get the Buckeyes back in it. And so he has.
"We have a tremendous advantage for the simple fact that we know what places to go or places to stay away from," defensive tackle David Patterson said. "We can tell guys, 'Man, maybe you shouldn't go to this place.' We just have a really good feel for the whole atmosphere and we know how it's going to be down there."
There are golf outings, movies, pep rallies, parades -- LPGA calendar girl Natalie Gulbis is the grand marshal -- and a constant stream of things to do for the players during their spare time.
Although Ohio State has arranged several team meals at restaurants, the players have a lot of free time to do what they want. Drivers are provided for those who want to hit some hot spots. On nights when they do not have team dinners, players get an NCAA-authorized per diem from the university. There is no strict curfew until a few nights before the game.
Some dress up and hit the night clubs. Others have simpler tastes.
"I know everybody likes to go to In-N-Out Burger, that's usually a tradition. I know guys who have gone to casinos before or play golf, or go get a massage," said defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock. "I'm looking forward to the game room at the Princess and see how many new games they've got this year."
The only problem for the Buckeyes is explaining their whole itinerary to friends and family.
"I say, 'It's the BCS National Championship' and people are like, 'What's that?' " Datish said. "So I just say we're going to Phoenix, even though it's in Glendale and we actually stay in Scottsdale."