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Ohio State on three-game skid in bowls

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COLUMBUS (AP) -- Winter can be cold and bitter in Ohio, particularly after the Ohio State Buckeyes get beat in a bowl game.

The days have been even longer and darker since they've been stuck in a three-year freeze-out.

"The last three times, the locker room, obviously, has been completely dead and sad and depressed," offensive lineman Jim Cordle said.

Lopsided losses to Florida (41-14) and LSU (38-24) in the Bowl Championship Series national title games have been followed by last season's last-minute, 24-21 loss to Texas in the Fiesta Bowl.

Nationally, people have made fun of the Buckeyes' troubles. Those within the locker room are aware of the verbal jabs and putdowns.

"We hear it, definitely, on TV, in newspapers, magazines things like that," punter Jon Thoma said. "You see the headlines after whatever loss: 'Buckeyes can't win the big one.' We know it's real and there's no excuse. We HAVEN'T won the big one in how many years. There's not really much we can say to the fans. We just have to get to the next game and do it."

Another chance awaits when the Buckeyes (10-2) take on Oregon (10-2) in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. It's another opportunity to end the snickering.

The last time the Buckeyes had smiles on their faces after their last game of the season was the 2006 Fiesta Bowl, a 34-20 victory over Notre Dame.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel came aboard in 2000, succeeding John Cooper, who won just three of nine bowl games with the Buckeyes. After a loss to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl in his first season, Tressel's teams beat Miami in two overtimes in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2002 season to capture the school's first national championship in 34 years. The Buckeyes then won Bowl Championship Series games the next three seasons.

It was as if Tressel and his teams could do no wrong. But bowl trips since then have ended in misery.

"No, I don't get tired of hearing it. If someone said something that wasn't true, I suppose you would be tired of hearing it," Tressel said of the recent defeats. "If they said, 'Hey, you've lost nine straight bowl games,' you probably want to correct them on that. (But), hey, it's only been three, or four, I don't know. Three?"

Yes, three.

In part because of those disappointments, several of the Buckeyes have begun wearing elastic wristbands that say "Finish Strong" on them.

Nate Ebner, a substitute defensive back, created the bracelets in memory of his father, a murder victim. The rest of the team has taken the phrase to heart.

"Yeah, we haven't finished since we've been here," said fifth-year senior safety Anderson Russell. "We haven't won a bowl game since Notre Dame, and I don't really count that because none of us played, other than (defensive end) Lawrence (Wilson). So we haven't finished yet in our careers, and that's something we definitely want to do."

The Buckeyes have won five consecutive Big Ten titles, but haven't taken care of business against other top teams. They lost to Southern California each of the last two seasons, adding to the perception that they're bullies in the conference but cannot stand up to talented teams from other regions.

Ask the Buckeyes and it's clear they have grown weary of hearing about their failures instead of their accomplishments.

"Yeah, especially when you lose three in a row and you're excited about the Rose Bowl, but you have to hear about how the last three bowl games went," Cordle said.

Maybe that's a good sign, that the Buckeyes are angry about what people are saying about them.

"I don't feel at all that we have an attitude like, 'We can't beat a good team,"' Cordle said. "We just haven't gotten it done. But we will."

BYU, Oregon State seek redemption

LAS VEGAS -- No. 15 BYU and No. 16 Oregon State enter the Las Vegas Bowl with a chance to erase disappointing memories, one much more recent than the other.

The Beavers (8-4) were a victory away from the Rose Bowl earlier this month, but a loss to rival Oregon left them relegated to one of the first bowl games of the postseason.

The Cougars (10-2) will make their fifth consecutive the Las Vegas Bowl appearance Tuesday night, hoping they can atone for their last.

Oregon State coach Mike Riley said Monday that players enjoy second chances.

"It starts with pride," Riley said. "When football players start talking about redemption and they talk about the next opportunity, it's because they've invested so much."

Oregon State started the season trying to replace seven players who were drafted off last year's team. Riley said these Beavers created a new identity.

"Players -- these older players in particular -- understand what an identity of a team is," he said.

A loss to Oregon kept the Beavers out of the BCS, so Oregon State will try to extend its five-game bowl winning streak against BYU.

Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall can sympathize with his opponent's position.

"I understand very clearly what Oregon State's going through," he said.

After finishing their regular season last year with a 48-24 loss at Utah, the Cougars went on to lose 31-21 to Arizona in their fourth straight trip to Sin City.

"That's difficult to get over," he said. "I think I would handle it better if that were to happen again."

Mendenhall says his team takes a better attitude into the Las Vegas Bowl this season. A win against Oregon State could perhaps boost BYU to a top-10 finish.

Mendenhall said the motivation of redemption is universal.

"It's just for people living on this planet," he said. "You go through ups and downs -- I don't think anyone's satisfied when you're down to stay down."

Both teams rank in the top-30 in the country in total offense, featuring balanced attacks guided by senior quarterbacks.

For a school that has a tradition of great passers, Max Hall will leave BYU as one of its most prolific passers. Hall ranks third in the country in passer efficiency rating (160.9), with 3,368 yards and 30 touchdown passes.

Oregon State's Sean Canfield has had an outstanding final season with little fanfare. He leads the Pac-10 in passer rating (148.3) and has thrown for 3,103 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Hall's top weapons are tight end Dennis Pitt, a second-team All-American, and tailback Harvey Unga, who ran for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Rodgers brothers handle much of the Beavers' offense. Tailback Jacquizz Rodgers was third in the Pac-10 with 1,377 yards rushing. Flanker James Rodgers led the Pac-10 in yards receiving (1,004) and receptions (87).

Expect plenty of points and two teams looking for redemption.

"In this case for Oregon State, and for us a year ago, you would like to have another chance to play better and celebrate and feel good about yourself and your team," Mendenhall said. "When things don't go well, it hurts."