By Tom Groeschen
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel talks to the local press. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

Jim Tressel visited Cincinnati on Thursday and was treated like a head of state. Of course, Tressel more or less is king of Ohio these days.

It has been six weeks since Tressel's Ohio State Buckeyes won the college football national championship, but it might as well have been yesterday. Tressel was the guest speaker at the annual "That's My Boy" awards dinner at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza downtown, and few seemed to mind he was 20 minutes late for a pre-dinner press conference.

Grown men whispered excitedly, "He's here! He's here!" when Tressel finally arrived. The national title has mustered that kind of effect in football-mad Ohio, although Tressel customarily downplayed his role.

"I think we all want to have our moment standing at the top of the mountain," he said. "Ohio has been blessed to have teams in our history do that, in pro and college sports. And to have another team do it today, you can tell Ohioans are proud to be bragging."

Ohio State won the national championship by beating the Miami Hurricanes 31-24 in double overtime at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 3.

It was the school's first national football title since 1968, and the Buckeyes' 14-0 record set an NCAA Division I-A mark for wins in a season.

Tressel hasn't had much time to bask in the victory.

"You have to get right out on the road recruiting and handle all the postseason hoopla," he said. "And by the end of recruiting, you're anxious to get back with your own players. It doesn't really slow down until Fourth of July weekend, and then you maybe get a day off."

OSU had several players with Cincinnati ties last season: Redshirt freshman tight end Ryan Hamby (Moeller), freshman cornerback E.J. Underwood (Hamilton), fourth-year junior punter B.J. Sander (Roger Bacon), third-year sophomore long snapper Kyle Andrews (Middletown), fifth-year senior offensive lineman Scott Kuhnhein (Highlands) and third-year sophomore wideout Mike Young (Middletown).

Lakota West defensive lineman Brandon Maupin signed with Ohio State on Feb. 5. He is the only Greater Cincinnati player to sign with the Buckeyes this offseason, but Tressel said OSU will continue to recruit Cincinnati hard.

"The coaching is so good here, and the football is so competitive in the entire state," he said. "We've got about 20 seniors next year, so I know our (coaches) will be anxious to get back at the recruiting, obviously here and all over the state and around the country."

What has the national title meant to recruiting?

"Perhaps there's a little more interest, but I haven't seen anything extraordinarily different," Tressel said. "We've always been well-received because of the proud tradition we have."

Tressel, known for his serious demeanor, lightened up when asked whether he would braid his hair. Tressel promised some players he would get cornrows if the Buckeyes went undefeated.

"It will be in-house when I do it," he said. "I don't think the President needs to see them."

The Buckeyes are set to visit President Bush on Feb. 24 at the White House.

Tressel, 50, has a 21-5 record in two seasons at OSU.

Kings quarterback Brad Maurer and Holmes quarterback Brandent Englemon were the Ohio and Kentucky "That's My Boy" winners at the event, sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.