Football
Travel and Award Tidbits
By John Porentas

Practice and Travel Plans

Vacation is over for the football Buckeyes.

OSU will return to the practice field this weekend to begin preparations for the national championship game in January. NCAA rules allow teams a limited number of practice during bowl season, and with the late date of the OSU's game, Head Coach Jim Tressel has decided to put off beginning practice sessions until this weekend.

OSU will go to Arizona on December 30 and will practice in an alternate location until January 2. They will also stay in an alternate location. Their usual hotel, the Scottsdale Princess, will be occupied by one of the teams competing in the Fiesta Bowl until then. Ohio State has not released the location of the alternate practice facility or hotel. OSU will be in the Scottsdale Princess beginning January 2, but if you are thinking about dropping on the team while they are there, forget it. In the past security has been very tight at the hotel and the general public is not welcome. This year figures to be about the same.

Award News

Both Troy Smith and Quinn Pitcock have been named to the first-team of the American Football Coaches Association All-American team. That complete team will be announced later today.

James Laurinaitis will be in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday for the Nagurski award ceremony. Laurinaitis is a finalist for that award.

Laurinaitis, Pitcock, and Smith will all attend the College Football Awards Show on Thursday.

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