From the couch, keep your eyes on these aspects of today's game in Columbus.
View full sizeThe 6-3 Leonard Hankerson literally is a big test for Ohio State's secondary.OSU's defensive backs when the ball is in the air
There's a spot on the field where Miami's offense may have edge today -- about 100 inches above the turf at Ohio Stadium.
The Hurricanes like to go deep, and with 6-3 receiver Leonard Hankerson against Ohio State cornerbacks Chimdi Chekwa (6-foot) and Devon Torrence (6-1), Miami has the chance to win the battles in the air.
"He does a good job of going up and adjusting to the football," Chekwa said of Hankerson, "and he's got good speed. He's a threat, and he'll be a challenge to cover."
Chekwa and Torrence have plenty of speed, but finding the ball and then challenging receivers hasn't always been their strong suit. Chekwa said Hankerson lined up all over the field last week against Florida A&M, so both should have chances to cover him. They'll need help from safeties Jermale Hines and C.J. Barnett, who also are a bit untested in coverage.
View full sizeChimdi Chekwa"We need to make sure we have great body control," OSU safeties coach Paul Haynes said, "and be ready to jump. Because those guys are going to jump and throw it up, and we need to be athletic and be ready to go."
Hankerson led the Hurricanes with 45 catches for 801 yards and six touchdowns last season. He caught six passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the opener. Travis Benjamin (5-11), LaRon Byrd (6-4) and Aldarius Johnson (6-3) make up the rest of a Miami receiving group that is at its best on play action, after the Hurricanes try to suck in a defense to defend the run. Barnett, a sophomore making his second career start, has to ensure he's not vulnerable to this.
"We need to have great eye control and discipline on what you're supposed to be looking at," Haynes said. "That's something that you've always got to work on."
The Buckeyes can't afford to be looking up and watching Hankerson come down with too many catches.
OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor's first series
How will Miami defend him? Pressure him extra? Spy him with a linebacker? Will Pryor be calm and collected or hyped-up?
Remember, the Buckeyes scored on their first drive of the Rose Bowl, as Pryor scrambled for 24 yards on the third play and was 5-for-8 passing, including the touchdown to Brandon Saine.
Pryor said earlier this week he might go back and rewatch Ohio State's loss to Purdue last year as motivation, "just to notice that feeling of losing," Pryor said. "I don't want to feel that."
How ready will he be, and how ready are the Hurricanes for him?
OSU's offensive line on field goals and extra points
OSU coach Jim Tressel said that when Marshall's Johnny Jones blocked a field-goal attempt last week that was returned for Marshall's touchdown, and also tipped an extra-point attempt that still was good, it gave Jones six tipped kicks in his career. What did Ohio State do wrong on the left side of the line?
"We just didn't block the guy," Tressel said. "We let him come through and get his hand up."
So there's no adjustment to the blocking scheme, according to Tressel. Just in case, watch the first few OSU kicks a little more closely than usual.
Former OSU recruit Seantrel Henderson
Pursued by the Buckeyes, the Minnesota native chose USC but was released from the school after the Trojans were hit with NCAA sanctions. The freshman is now the third-string right tackle, wearing No. 77, but he received a decent number of snaps last week while the No. 2 tackle, Jermaine Johnson, was out with an injury. Johnson is expected back this week, so if you do see Henderson, things probably aren't going as planned for the Hurricanes.
The hang time on Miami's punts
Tressel said Matt Bosher, who is both the Hurricanes' kicker and punter, has extraordinary hang time on his punts, in the range of 4.8 seconds. So try to count to five while the ball is in the air, or just pay attention to how much room to run OSU punt returner Jordan Hall does or doesn't have.
Hall didn't call for a fair catch and took an immediate hit after receiving one punt against Marshall, so keep an eye on his decision-making if the coverage is right in his face.