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Buckeye: Other factors besides speed in loss to UF

By BRIAN LANDMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published January 5, 2008

NEW ORLEANS - When Ohio State was run off the field in last year's national championship game by the Gators, most pointed to a disparity in speed.

Florida and teams from the SEC have it.

Ohio State and teams from the Big Ten don't.

But at least one Buckeye doesn't blame speed, or a lack thereof, for the 41-14 loss in Glendale, Ariz.

"It was a mind-set thing," redshirt sophomore defensive end Doug Worthington said Friday. "If you look at the film, it wasn't so much the speed but we didn't tackle well, you saw their guys running downfield making extra blocks, you didn't see us pursuing like we did the whole season. The speed is there, but at the end of the day it comes down to who wants it more and last year they wanted it more.

"I just remember coming in and they were underdogs and if you turned on the TV, you might never know who Ohio State was playing last year in the national championship game. It was really just (Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback) Troy Smith and Ohio State and how great we were and how we played the season, and it was good to have that, but now coming in as the underdog and people not expecting too much of us, we'll be a lot more focused and getting ready for this game."

WE SHOULD BE THE 'DOGS: Though LSU is favored in Las Vegas (by 31/2 points), Tigers offensive tackle Ciron Black isn't buying into OSU being the underdog. "I've been watching film and Ohio State is good," he said. "They deserve to be No.1. They wouldn't be there if they didn't deserve it. I've looked at the D-ends, I've looked at their linebackers and they're very good. If we don't bring our A game, they might roll right over us. We can't take anybody lightly at all."

SEEING THE BIG PICTURE: LSU standout receiver Early Doucet is thankful, yes thankful, for a groin injury that cost him four games (Middle Tennessee, South Carolina, Tulane and Florida) and essentially a fifth (all but one play against Kentucky). "It was tough, but at the same time I just stayed positive about the situation because it could have been worse," he said. "There was plenty of opportunity for me to get back healthy and still be able to have some games to play my senior season. I just took the time while I was out to look at the big picture."

A TOUGH ROOM: The Buckeyes knew New Orleans wouldn't exactly be a neutral site, not with Baton Rouge so close. Senior offensive tackle Kirk Barton likened it to Rocky IV in whichRocky Balboa traveled to Russia to fight that country's hero.

"My favorite scene in that movie is when he's running down the road and (KGB officers) get in the car and try to follow him and then he goes off the road and they crash," he said. "As far as my running my laps around the city, I'll probably have some people chasing after me with their flags and stuff. But that's kind of what it's like. ... You know where you stand when you're in Louisiana because they love their Tigers down here. It's very evident. That's just how it is. It would be the same way if they had a bowl game in Columbus."

[Last modified January 4, 2008, 22:04:21]