COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State must prove it deserves to be No. 1, and that might be harder than it was to get there.

Some critics contend the Buckeyes were far superior last year — when they were run out of the national championship game. They say Ohio State has beaten a bunch of patsies and ascended in the polls while others have fallen.

"Ohio State has a lot to prove, there's no question about it," head coach Jim Tressel said, conceding his team has a lot of doubters during preparations for today's game with Michigan State. "Truth be known, every team that's entering game eight has a lot to prove, whether they've got people cheering for them or not, affirming them or not."

The Buckeyes (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten) have waxed everybody they've played so far. Now they're down to the five remaining heavyweights on their schedule — granted, heavyweights who have each lost twice.

The road begins with a Michigan State team (5-2, 1-2) that opened with four wins, lost to Wisconsin by three points and at home to Northwestern in overtime, and then mauled Indiana 52-27 last weekend. The Spartans are led by first-year head coach Mark Dantonio, Ohio State's defensive coordinator when it won the 2002 national championship.

More than most, he knows how intimidating it can be to play in Ohio, with all that scarlet surrounding you and all those silver helmets swarming over you.

The fact that Ohio State is No. 1 has only a minimal effect.

"I mean, 1 through 10, what's the difference? You get the opportunity to play a top-10 team, and that's exciting," he said. "Because you play the No. 1-ranked team means everybody watches that score throughout America, and I think that's big."

One thing that neither side is shying away from is that Michigan State has been in this situation before — and been successful.

Back in 1974, No. 1 Ohio State lost 16-13 at Michigan State in one of the weirdest games in college football. Buckeyes wingback Brian Baschnagel picked up a fumbled snap on the last play from scrimmage and scored for the Buckeyes, with the head linesman signaling touchdown and the field judge indicating that time had expired. Forty-six minutes later, Big Ten Commissioner Wayne Duke announced that the touchdown didn't count and that the Spartans had won.

Then in 1998, the top-ranked Buckeyes were rolling through their schedule by wide margins and were favored by 26 1/2 points when they hosted Michigan State. Yet the Spartans pulled off a 28-24 upset, scoring the game's final 19 points.

"We have to be keenly aware of history," Tressel said.




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