Buckeyes were upset by a 1-5 Purdue team last season. This week's opponent, Ohio University, led OSU in third quarter two years ago before Buckeyes rallied for 26-14 win.
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel wants to see improved kick coverage, but it might be a bigger challenge to keep the Buckeyes motivated against ordinary opponents. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State and its football fans got what they wanted in last Saturday's much-anticipated game against Miami (Fla.): a win, 36-24, to make the Buckeyes 2-0.
The OSU victory was in some jeopardy, though, until deep into the fourth quarter. The culprit for the Buckeyes was their kick coverage units, which allowed the Hurricanes to make big plays and stay in the game.
Ohio State, the nation's second-ranked team, hosts Ohio University on Saturday. It's unlikely that the Bobcats (1-1) will mount any kind of serious challenge to the Buckeyes, so some observers will foucs their attention on specific aspects of Ohio State's performance.
Certainly, the kick coverage units invite some scrutiny. John Kampf writes about the units for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal:
Miami scored one offensive touchdown — the only offensive touchdown the Buckeyes have given up this season. The Hurricanes' first touchdown came on an 88-yard kickoff return by Lamar Miller in the first quarter, and their second came on a 79-yard punt return by Travis Benjamin in the second quarter.
Tressel indicated on Monday that missed assignments and lack of execution were to blame — issues that could be shored up with personnel changes.
"If you err on the line as a kickoff coverage guy, there's a 10-yard issue," Tressel said, "and if there's a fast guy running through that 10-yard issue, everyone else is in trouble."
Plain Dealer and cleveland.com/osu Ohio State coverage includes beat writer Doug Lesmerises' report on the Buckeyes' kick coverage teams.
Other Buckeyes coverage includes Doug Lesmerises' answers to readers' questions on Buckeyes Tweets.
Can't think 6-0
Ohio State's next four games are against Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Illinois and Indiana, all of which -- at least on paper -- figure to be easy Buckeyes' wins. Ken Gordon writes about this portion of the schedule:
So the Buckeyes' task between now and Oct.16, when they travel to Wisconsin, is to avoid simply treading water, to keep from winning games but losing their edge.
Coach Jim Tressel called it "reality, that when you play in an emotional game, there is that human tendency to take a deep breath (the next week)."
Defensive tackle Dexter Larimore added, "There is a big danger that guys maybe say, 'Oh, we got this.'"
Players always say they are aware of the possibility of a letdown. No player has ever said, "This team stinks and we should beat them easily, even if we don't try too hard."
So sometimes, it's tough to tell if a group truly understands the task or is just paying lip service.
Justin Boren knows
Star offensive guard Justin Boren knows from first-hand experience that the Buckeyes shouldn't take any team lightly. Rusty Miller writes for the Associated Press, via the Akron Beacon Journal:
On Sept. 1, 2007, Boren played for Michigan when the fifth-ranked Wolverines were shocked 34-32 by championship-subdivision Appalachian State.
''Appalachian State was a good team. People think that these [unranked] teams are so much different, but they're really not,'' Boren said Tuesday. ''They're all very capable teams. Appalachian State was a very good team. People look at it and, like, dang, Michigan must be terrible. It's not like that.''
Now in his second year starting since transferring to Ohio State, that afternoon is indelibly etched in Boren's mind. With the second-ranked Buckeyes favored by more than four touchdowns over Ohio University on Saturday, Boren scoffs at what the oddsmakers and experts say.
''It seems like every year there's a couple of those games,'' he said. ''It's a real issue, it can happen any week.''
Candidates
Cornerback Chimdi Chekwa and quarterback Terrelle Pryor are in Big Ten defensive and offensive Player of the Year races, on Adam Rittenberg's Big Ten Blog for ESPN.com.
Rittenberg notes Chekwa's performance in the Miami game:
Recorded two interceptions and six tackles, including one for loss. Leads the league with five passes defended.
Through the uprights
Ohio State team notes on USAToday.com.
The road to a football scholarship for Ohio University defensive lineman Dak Notestine, by Mark Znidar of the Columbus Dispatch.
The FoxSports.com/CollegeFootballNews.com power rankings.