COLUMBUS — Ohio State has been given a chance to avenge one of its most embarrassing losses. The Outback Bowl said Sunday that the 22nd-ranked Buckeyes will play No. 14 South Carolina on Jan. 1 in Tampa, Fla., a rematch of last year's game won 24-7 by the Gamecocks.

        Ohio State's performance in the game and a host of off-the-field problems before it led to the firing of former coach John Cooper and left many Buckeyes embarrassed.

        First-year coach Jim Tressel said his players want to redeem themselves as much as exacting revenge on South Carolina.

        “Like any good competitors, they were excited to go back and do a better job than we did a year ago,” Tressel said in a teleconference Sunday night.

        In the weeks leading up to last year's Outback Bowl, Ohio State players criticized each other, the team MVP showed up late and missed the team's first practice in Tampa, one offensive lineman sued another and a star wide receiver was declared academically ineligible.

        Having a year to stew about their mistakes is keeping the players focused this time, linebacker Joe Cooper said recently, when the Buckeyes accepted their Outback Bowl bid.

        “As far as all those off-the-field issues, that's something that can be corrected,” Cooper said. “I'm positive that will not go on this year.”

        South Carolina coach Lou Holtz expects a different Ohio State team this time, too.

        “They're very good,” he said. “Beating Michigan was no fluke.”

        Holtz also said he was impressed with Tressel, who won four Division I-AA national championships at Youngstown State before taking the Ohio State job and has calmly handled the pressure of coaching in the Big Ten.

        “You cannot help but be impressed with Jim Tressel,” Holtz said. “There are a lot of things about Jim I admire and wish I could emulate. I'm not surprised by his success at all. I think the best is yet to come at Ohio State.”

        This is the first time the Outback Bowl has brought back both teams from the previous year's game.

        “We're excited about returning to a bowl game in which we had a terrific experience last year,” Holtz said.
       

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