Great Ginn geared up for bowl debut

That night Ginn will be inside San Antonio's 65,000-seat Alamodome, trying to race past a couple of companions in the NCAA record book when the Buckeyes and Oklahoma State match 7-4 records in the Alamo Bowl.

A national champion hurdler and sprinter in high school, Ginn repeatedly put his vaunted speed on display for OSU football fans this season. His four punt returns for touchdowns set a Big Ten single-season record and the school's career mark. He shares the national season record shared by Brigham Young's Golden Richards (1971) and Kansas State's David Allen (1998).

Whatever happens against the Cowboys, Ginn plans to hang up his running shoes for awhile after that.

"I'm trying to get a little rest," the 175-pound freshman from Cleveland said. "It's not like high school when you jump from one sport to the next. I'm trying to get some rest and trying to put on some weight.

"I know a lot of teams are going to take more shots at me next year. If I get bigger and then go out and run track (in the spring) and maintain that weight, I'll be bigger and faster."

It's hard to imagine Ginn getting much faster. He scored seven TDs this season, including two on catches and one on an end-around, on 40 touches. His breakout performance came in a 32-19 win at Michigan State, when he scored three different ways (rushing, reception, return) without anyone laying a finger on him.

Ginn was named a first-team All-America punt returner by Sports Illustrated.com and made the Associated Press All-America third team as an all-purpose back.

"My goal was to score a couple of times and try to be an impact player," Ginn said of his astonishing debut season at OSU. "I guess I made that goal."

Another ESPY-worthy outing in the Alamo Bowl wouldn't be the first time Ginn created lasting memories in the Alamodome. Last winter, while representing Glenville High School, he ran the opening kickoff back 98 yards to lead the East to a 45-28 victory over the West in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Ginn walked away with MVP honors, beating out this year's Heisman Trophy runner-up Adrian Peterson of Oklahoma for the award.

"There was a big crowd," Ginn remembered. "I just went out there and had fun and didn't let anything disturb me."

Apparently, it takes a lot to rattle Ginn. His 82-yard punt return broke open the Nov. 20 game with Michigan, but not until leaving fans on the verge of apoplexy.

After initially thinking Santonio Holmes was going to field the punt, Ginn reached out at the last moment to make a scooping catch off his shoetops. He cut up inside Michigan coverage man Braylon Edwards and ran into Holmes, then cut out to the left and up the sideline, easily racing by punter Adam Finley.

"Ted's return was marvelous to me because it wasn't until the last tenth of a second that he got the word that he needs to catch it," coach Jim Tressel said. "I'm going `Oooh, we can't drop a punt now.' Then all of a sudden it's 82 yards later.

"That was phenomenal concentration because someone was right on top of him."

That scintillating breakaway gave Ohio State a 27-14 third-quarter lead and the Buckeyes went on to win 37-21, denying the Wolverines an undisputed Big Ten title.

"I think he's calm," Holmes, who has also taken a punt back for a score this season, said of Ginn. "He's the type of player ready to make a play at any given time in a game. You've just got to keep an eye on him (if you're the opponent) because he's going to spark up the crowd."

Ginn reacted with nonchalance recently when it was pointed out to him that his heroics would become part of Ohio State-Michigan lore, much like the coffin-shutting punt returns by Michigan's Heisman Trophy winners Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson.

"The thing that stands out to me is that my team held their blocks as long as they could, until I could do something back there," Ginn said. "I have to give big props to my team for that."

Originally published Wednesday, December 22, 2004