Article published September 08, 2006
Buckeyes cool about forecast of Texas heat
Tressel says hydration is key for Ohio State
| OHIO STATE AT TEXAS |
• When: tomorrow, 8
• Records: No. 1 OSU is 1-0; No. 2 Texas is 1-0
• Series: Texas leads 1-0
• Favorite: Texas by 2½
• TV: 13, 7
• Radio: 147 |
|
|
By MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
AUSTIN, Texas — One statistic missing from the lengthy log that chronicled the 56-7 win last weekend by No. 2 Texas over a grossly undermanned North Texas team was strictly an environmental issue.
It was something better measured by barometers, thermometers and other sophisticated weather instruments than by yards and touchdowns.
In the brutal late summer Texas heat, the misery index was significant, and not just for North Texas. The head count on those fans needing medical attention after facing that oppressive heat surpassed 400. The air temperature for the 11 a.m. kickoff was 87 degrees, it was 97 by halftime, and 100 in the game’s latter stages.
It was hot, hot, hot. And it will be hot again tomorrow evening when the No. 1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes face the Longhorns in Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The later start will make the game’s finish more bearable, but the overall environment should be almost as taxing.
The forecast here calls for temperatures in the mid-90s and a steamy early evening with not much wind.
But Ohio State senior quarterback Troy Smith, who will no doubt be the focus of any heat the Texas defense is able to generate, said the Buckeyes are prepared for the elements.
“I know it’s hot down there, and the field will have the whole day to heat up, but I really don’t think it will affect us too much,” Smith said earlier this week. “We’ve been preparing for this and we have a plan for keeping everybody hydrated throughout the game. You have to be able to deal with the weather no matter where you play or when, whether it’s the heat early in the season or the cold in November, so we’ll be ready for it.”
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has used the lights at Ohio Stadium to prepare his team for night games, and used piped-in noise in the indoor practice facility to simulate excessively raucous crowds the Buckeyes might face in different venues.
But duplicating the Texas heat is not something even Ohio State can pull off.
“There really isn’t any way to prepare for it, because there’s no way to simulate that kind of heat,” Tressel said. “We’ve had lots of humidity here, but that’s not the same thing. To me, the keys to dealing with the heat is the fact that really hydration is what it’s all about.”
Tressel said he has called on players on the Ohio State team, trainers, doctors and coaches with the Buckeyes who have played and coached in games where intense heat was a factor. He said that having an excellent foundation in training puts the Buckeyes in the best position to function optimally in the heat.
“Hydration is what handling heat is all about, so we’ve got to do a great job with the hydration,” Tressel said. “We’ve got to do a great job with making sure we enter the fray as rested and hydrated as we possibly can. And I think the other thing is — I think we need to take a lesson from Texas in that you have to be committed in that type of heat to substituting.”
Tressel said his staff will be committed to rotating as many players as possible into the game, and not assume that any individual can tough it out. He said the way heat impacts the human system is a reality.
“I just think that that’s something that you’re kidding yourself about, if you think someone’s going to just rise up and handle things like this kind of heat, just because they’re tough,” Tressel said. “You know, the body is the body. So I think we’ve got to do a good job with our substitutions as well as keeping everyone hydrated.”
Texas coach Mack Brown said most of his players grew up in the state and are acclimated to the conditions they’ll face. “They’re used to being in this heat, but we’ve also done a lot of work as a staff to fully understand this issue, and determine the best ways to deal with it,” Brown said.
The University of Texas Human Performance Laboratory studied more than two dozen Longhorns football players over the past summer, chronicling their performances in high temperature conditions. Brown also has dictated that his players incorporate hydration into their regular routine year-round.
Ohio State senior defensive tackle David Patterson said the Buckeyes have been on that bandwagon for some time, as well.
“We know the heat is an issue we’ll have to deal with this weekend,” Patterson said, “but we didn’t just start talking about hydration because we’re playing Texas. It’s just part of your regular training, part of the routine. We worked out in plenty of heat and humidity in Columbus all summer, and every guy knows what he has to do to keep himself in the best condition to play at his best, come game time.”
Contact Matt Markey at: mmarkey@theblade.com or 419-724-6510.
Permanent Link
|
|
 |
|
Search
advertisement
