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OHIO STATE head football coach Jim Tressel isn't in the same line of work as Andrew Jackson, but both have been aware of the need to plan for a battle in New Orleans.
Of course, it's been more than 190 years since Old Hickory won the famous battle by defeating the British (even though the War of 1812 had ended officially and the news hadn't reached New Orleans).
Jackson's battle occurred Jan. 8, 1815, while the battle being faced by Tressel and the Buckeyes is scheduled Jan. 7, 2008. Tressel's strategy for the upcoming battle in the Superdome in New Orleans is well under way.
The OSU coach is famous for keeping his team focused, and it will be especially important when the Buckeyes face the Louisiana State University Tigers in the Bowl Championship Series championship game.
Referring to it as "the toughest game of the year," Tressel noted Sunday that "our guys are looking forward to it."
He also described the Tigers as "very physical, very athletic" with weapons everywhere.
And, the Tigers apparently were flying high -- literally and figuratively -- Saturday night when they learned they might have a chance at the BCS title even though the team had two triple-overtime losses during regular season.
The Louisiana team was 35,000 feet in the air, traveling on a charter flight from Atlanta to Baton Rouge, Saturday night when the players became aware of the prospect of playing in the championship game because of the upsets of No. 1 Missouri and No. 2 West Virginia.
LSU players were informed about the upsets by the captain of the airplane, according to LSU quarterback Matt Flynn.
"He said that he heard West Virginia lost and that Missouri was losing in the fourth quarter," Flynn said. "We were saying that if he was wrong about the West Virginia game, we were going to be pretty upset. When we were finally able to get cell phone service, people were calling us and giving us updates. It was kind of a shock. Everything just seems to be working out for this team."
LSU running back Jacob Hester said that going into the SEC Championship game, nobody "was giving us a shot to be in the National Championship. Coach Miles kept telling us that we had a shot. … We just went out and won the SEC Championship. Who would have known that we would have a shot? It's just crazy right now."
Even though the Tigers are rated No. 2 and the Buckeyes are No. 1, OSU isn't being complacent. And, they shouldn't be, considering the upsets and the bouncing around in the ratings this season.
OSU junior linebacker James Laurinaitis said the Buckeyes had gotten complacent last year, adding, "We felt we were invincible. We have a lot of guys on this team that know what it takes to get it done. We're not looking at last year at all. It's all over with. This is a great opportunity for us."
Laurinaitis also said the Buckeyes understand they're going to be huge underdogs, and they're aware that LSU "is a great team. They're SEC champs for a reason."
OSU senior offensive lineman Kirk Barton said that playing LSU in Louisiana will be "a fun experience, but once we get back to business Thursday and practice, that'll be the key to our success. We need to get back to square one and work on our fundamentals and start watching game film."
Les Miles, head football coach for LSU, is an Elyria native who was graduated from the University of Michigan in 1976.
When asked if there is any extra incentive facing OSU since he is a Michigan alumnus, he replied, "This game is not about my past and tradition as much as it is about a quality football team qualifying for the national championship. It just so happens that I am very familiar with the coaches there. There can't be any greater preparation than there is for the national championship anyway. It wouldn't matter if we were playing the Cleveland Browns, which is the team I watched season after season as a young boy."
Miles also thinks that having a month before the game will help with the injuries on the LSU team.
"We will have a healthier quarterback situation; first of all, our second-team quarterback played well. With Ricky-Jean Francois (defensive end) and Glenn Dorsey (defensive tackle) having time off, they will be fresher," Miles added. "We should not miss a linebacker, corner or safety in that game. They should all have fresh legs and be excited to play. Early Doucet (wide receiver) was nicked in the championship game, but he will return for bowl practice in short order."
LSU, which defeated Tennessee, 21-14, for the Southeastern Conference Championship early this month, lost only two games this fall. In October, the team lost to Kentucky, 43-37, and then in November to Arkansas, 50-48, and both games involved three overtimes.
Ohio State, which has won 30 of its last 32 games is 11-1 overall this season and 7-1 in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes, who are advancing to the BCS National Championship Game for the second straight year and third time in the last six seasons, are 4-1 in five BCS game appearances. Under Tressel, OSU is 4-2 in bowl games.