COLUMBUS, Ohio — Not even a 30-second, two-floor elevator ride was comforting to Steve Bellisari.

The Buckeyes signal caller had just overcome a rainfall that saturated Ohio Stadium, a Penn State defense that ravaged him last season and an interrogation session with reporters that questioned his ability last season.

But as the conveyor lowered Bellisari from The Horseshoe's third floor media room to the ground with hundreds of the Ohio State faithful awaiting the junior's arrival, Bellisari leaned back against the cool steel wall.

"It's hot in here," Bellisari said as he crouched and crinkled his Italian gray jacket and shirt that now matched the humid sky after a monsoon-like downpour that was relentless through the game's first quarter.

But just as Bellisari uttered those words, the elevator came to a halt. Bellisari stood upright with a black, white-striped Adidas duffel bag strapped over his throwing shoulder, and then walked outside through an eight-foot high steel gate.

The crowd descended upon the quarterback, who had just engineered (his major) a 45-6 thrashing against the Nittany Lions, like an unblocked LaVar Arrington.

Things have changed for a quarterback that was criticized after leading the Buckeyes to a 6-6 postseasonless finish for last season the year following a No. 2 showing in 1998 with Joe Germaine at the helm.

After all, Bellisari was a former safety and special teams players that suddenly took over the offensive helms of a team that came one interception short of claiming the national championship, edging Austin Moherman (a sophomore who is no longer with the Buckeyes) for the starting spot.

This season in the Buckeye State, however, Bellisari has overcome the pressure. And not just because the lefty scrambler can shoot off the pocket and elude defenders like Joe Paterno avoiding character questions about his quarterback.

Bellisari, the last player in the Scarlet and Gray to walk off the soaked field, has become the player who fans ask to hand over his playing gloves as he walks through The Horseshoe's Tunnel of Pride.

These are the rewards for Bellisari after he completed 10 of 17 passing attempts for 203 yards (he rushed for 20 more) and one touchdown to lead No. 14 Ohio State past the Lions and increase his team's mark to 4-0.

"I don't think it has anything to do with maturity," Buckeyes tailback Jerry Westbrooks said. "I think he was mature last year. It has to do with comfort level and when you are comfortable doing your job, you are going to succeed."

With the sky rumbling, the rain teeming and Penn State's defense blitzing, Bellisari succeeded at everything he attempted on the contest's first series. Bellisari masterminded a 10-play, 92-yard drive that concluded with a Jamar Martin 1-yard touchdown score and the Buckeyes holding a 1-0 advantage.

With the same vigilance and help from his defense, Bellisari barked the signals from midfield and marched the Buckeyes like a powerful army advancing through a defenseless terrain -- which at times Penn State was against Bellisari's attack. Bellisari tossed to Rambo (Ken-Yon Rambo, that is), who bushwhacked his way 37 yards on the drive's third play to lead the Buckeyes into the red zone.

Two plays later, Bellisari attempted to zip a pass to Rambo, however, cornerback Bruce Branch deflected it, safety James Boyd got a hand on it and tight end Darnell Sanders came down with it.

"Steve had a great game today," Sanders said. "He got the ball to everyone he needed to get the ball to."

And Ohio State had a 14-0 lead against the team that battered Bellisari and the Buckeyes, 23-10, in a game where Arrington and the Lions defense thrashed their opposition, punishing the quarterback so severely that the highlights were replayed all over SportsCenter.

"I kind of had a little vendetta against them," Bellisari said. "I wanted to win. I definitely got roughed up."

But Bellisari was comfortable in the pocket against a defense that lost nine of its starters that roughed up No. 8 last season. When he needed to pass, he passed. When he needed to run, he ran. And when he needed to score, he score.

Bellisari brought his six-for-12 passing and 137 yards to the locker room as Ohio State held a convincing 17-0 advantage.

"Steve played his best ballgame in the first half," Ohio State coach John Cooper said. "He did not play as well there as he did early. He did a good job running the offense."

And becoming more comfortable.