Jim Tressel Great Quotations

If it's the last game you'd ever want to see in your life, it might be these two teams, and that makes it special. Two great football states, two great schools, two of the largest alumni in the world. The interest level is tremendous.

His skills have not diminished, that's for sure. There have been some times I thought maybe we could've gotten him the ball, but it's easy from where I sit. I think Ted is really coming along and I think he's going to be a great one.

Malcolm is a very mature player. He came to us ready to play. When the opportunity presented itself, he stepped in and did a great job.

Our punt return game, those guys have done a great job up front, plus Tone (Holmes) and Teddy (Ginn Jr.) back in the back. Somebody told me (the Aztecs) had nine three-and-outs. When they're starting with the ball on their 11 and they're having a three-and-out, and our punt-returners are catching the ball around midfield, that's huge for the offense.

I think it's very exciting. It gives college football a great jump-start into the '05 season. We have the good fortune that a lot of people know who we are and who the Longhorns are.

I think it adds a lot to this game. We've only played four times before in our history and the two great programs, here we are in one of the great settings in college football. I think it adds a little something to the intrigue.

I thought we gave great effort against a very good Texas team. Our defense, in particular, played with great emotion. Offensively, we have to do a better job in the red zone. That was a concern after the Miami game and it is still a concern. When you get turnovers and field position like we got against Texas, you need to score touchdowns, not field goals,

When you're talking about Troy, I don't think you ever think you use words like that. I mean, that's over, and I think he's done a great job of handling his adversity. This is game No. 12 of 2005 as far as I'm concerned.

We played twice in the '30s and twice in the '90s and that's the end of it. We're not that far apart and with the great tradition of both football programs and both schools, what more could we ask for?

What we philosophically are going to do, if we can pull it off, is have a home-and-home with a team of great interest to our fans. Every other year we can have eight home games and the year that we travel, have seven.

What we philosophically want to do is schedule games that are of great interest to our fans. Maybe the best pro of these games is it's something our players will remember for a lifetime. They'll cherish these memories.

We're anxious to get into Big Ten play. I think the Big Ten is going to be a very, very tough conference this year. As you look at everybody from side to side and throughout the conference, they've had some tough ball games, they've had some great wins. I just think it's going to be a very strong league, and we start out with an awfully strong one with the university of Iowa. They're a physical football team. They have dropped a game, but they didn't have their quarterback that day. They're just an outstanding team as they've shown over the years, and we have to be ready to compete.

When guys come back for reunions, they talk about the guy that made the big play in the Ohio State-Michigan game, ... That's just the legacy that's left and I'm sure the same thing goes up there when people come back and talk about the great pride they have in their program.

There have been times I thought we could have gotten him the ball, but I'm standing there with a (video) clicker. I'm not standing back there with a defensive line chasing me. I think Ted is coming along and is going to be a great one.

What Troy does is he has a great command of our offense. He's old-school and he knows what he needs to do. When it doesn't go just right, he can improvise.

We think Santonio Holmes is a great player, ... Early last year, he was about the only guy that was making plays for us. The people we played against saw that and put more attention on him. Some of our young guys then got a little more involved and that eased the burden off Santonio a little bit. If we can get to the point where we can recognize that he is being singled, we need to go to Santonio Holmes, because from a receiver standpoint he's top-notch.

Teddy is a terrific weapon and we want to get the ball in his hands as often as possible, ... The majority of his play will come on offense, but he gets a great break on the ball so there will be times in the red zone where we will utilize him on defense, too. With Maurice Hall (the school's all-time leader in kick return yardage) gone, we will use him on both punt and kick returns. He and Santonio (Holmes) give us two very dangerous weapons back there.

Our defense is special. People come in with great plans against them and it's the game of their life to have a chance to play against out defense and our guys just keep fighting and keep fighting and believing in each other.

especially because they're Ohio State and Texas, two great schools that if you had to pick two you'd want to see play, if it's the last game you'd ever want to see in your life, it might be these two and that makes it special, two great football states, two great schools, two of the largest alumni in the world. The interest level is tremendous.

There's great speed out there on both sides. I feel good about the speed of our football team, and I see the speed of their football team on the video. Yeah, it's a match-up from that standpoint and I think it will be fun to watch because I like the way both teams play. I think it will be a fast game. I think there's no question about it.

This is one of those games that coaches and players look forward to. Shoot, we can't wait and I am sure they feel the same way. It matches two great research universities, two great football programs and two states that really support their teams against one another. Everyone has been talking about it since the end of last season. I know this; it won't be hard to get our players' attention this week,

This is a tough defensive football team that he's going to face in a tough environment, and it's a great challenge for him and a great challenge for the guys that will be on the field at the same time with him, and we certainly hope that he can continue to be efficient, make good decisions and so forth, but that's what Saturday is for -- to find that out,

If you had to pick two great schools you'd want to see play, if it's the last game you'd ever want to see in your life, it might be these two.

As we move forward to play Texas, we don't need to say much more than we're playing Texas, one of the great programs in the history of college football. They've got things rolling there right now extremely well.

As you know, we had a heck of a ball game with Michigan State, ... John L. (Smith) and his staff did a great job. The lead changed hands often in that game, two teams playing extremely hard, and like we face each week in the Big Ten, it was a battle down until the end. I'm real proud of the way our kids continued to play. We fell behind (but) we kept going after it and I'm very proud of them.

As you watched Troy throughout his career, every day in practice, he learns a little something and gets better, and he learns from every ball game. He's very passionate about being a great quarterback, and each day he's taking a step closer to it.

As you watch Troy throughout his career, every day he learns a little bit. He studies extremely hard. He's very passionate about being a great quarterback, and each day he's taking a step toward it.

The key to any great performance is that your key players make plays. What Troy Smith does is, he has a great command of our offense, and when it doesn't go right, he can improvise.

He's very passionate about being a great quarterback. And every day he gets closer to it.

If I had to pick one thing about Ted Ginn, it's that he cares about Ohio State, ... And that to me is a great start.