Buckeyes running back Dan Herron could put himself in position to join some elite company in Ohio State history with a big game against Minnesota.
View full sizeA big game today in Minneapolis might give Dan Herron a shot at scoring 20 or more touchdowns this season.Firmly established as the Buckeyes' No. 1 back, the junior has run for 11 touchdowns this season and has reached the end zone in each of the past seven games. Given the chance against the overmatched Golden Gophers, Herron could take a step toward elite company with a big game. He's on pace for 18 scores this season, with a shot to become the fifth Buckeye to rush for 20 touchdowns in a season.
The others so far: Pete Johnson (25 in 1975), Eddie George (24 in 1995), Keith Byars (22 in 1984 and 20 in 1983) and Harold Henson (20 in 1972).
"That would be great; I hope I do get to that point," Herron said. "If we just take it one game at a time, hopefully we can make that happen."
Only Wisconsin's John Clay, with 13, has more rushing touchdowns in the Big Ten. After Herron's 11, the rest of the Buckeyes have a total of eight, led by Terrelle Pryor's three. One thing that has helped Herron's cause is better communication between the running backs and the offensive line. Lined up 7 yards deep in the I formation, Herron is increasingly sharing what he sees, identifying potential blitzers and relaying the information to the line through fullback Zach Boren.
"I can see things they don't see most of the time," Herron said. "It's not really go left or right, because for a running back, it's all reaction, because everything is not going to go the way you plan for it to go. But I just think it helps out."
No. 2. The Buckeyes getting ahead early on the road
Ohio State entered the season 15-1 on the road in Big Ten play over the previous four seasons, when no other Big Ten team was better than 9-7 on the road since 2006.
"We talk a lot about the fact that conference championships are won by good play on the road," OSU coach Jim Tressel said. "We're going to make the assumption that we'll play darn good at home. But the team that wins the conference championship probably is going to be really good on the road."
The Buckeyes haven't been that so far, allowing both Illinois and Wisconsin to score first in their two road games. In rough wind conditions, the Buckeyes struggled to a 24-13 win at Illinois, and they never recovered from their slow start in a 31-18 loss at Wisconsin.
What's up? Running back Brandon Saine said he can do without the plane rides and the bus rides. Pryor mentioned the team missing the Blackwell Hotel near Ohio Stadium that they stay in the night before home games. Pryor talked about how on the road, "We don't eat the same food, and the food is nasty sometimes."
"When they say road games are different, it really is true," Pryor said.
It hasn't been a problem for the Buckeyes in the past. And with their season hinging on winning at Iowa in three weeks in their last road game of the season, they could use a confidence builder away from home.
"We haven't done that well on the road so far, and that sticks with us," senior defensive lineman Cameron Heyward said. "A lot guys are not happy with the way we played, and it's just extra motivation."
No. 3. Who are the real Golden Gophers?
This is Minnesota's second game since head coach Tim Brewster was fired, with interim coach Jeff Horton losing his first game to Penn State last week 33-21. That makes it a little more difficult to guess what Minnesota might do.
"It all comes down to who's in charge," OSU safeties coach Paul Haynes said. "Does the new head coach want to do something different, does he want to do his stuff? So you don't really know what to expect, so you've got to practice a little bit more on a lot of different things."
The Buckeyes aren't sure how much they'll be in their nickel defense or their base defense. The Gophers, at 1-7 with a coach who knows he's not in the mix for the full-time job, have nothing to lose. The Buckeyes already will be in unfamiliar territory, playing their first game in two-year-old TCF Bank Stadium. So Ohio State should expect the unexpected.
"Where we're at right now, cut it loose," Horton said. "If you make a mistake, you know what, at least you're going as fast as you can. . . . We're not going to wait on it, we're going to attack them, so let's go."