Saturday, September 21, 2013

SB Nation - OSF

How to watch Florida A&M vs. Ohio State 2013: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more

By Pete Volk @Pete_Volk on Sep 21 2013, 8:00a +

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Buckeyes finish up non-conference play with an FCS opponent.

No. 4 Ohio State continues their trek through the non-conference portion of the schedule, hosting FCS school Florida A&M after home victories over Buffalo and San Diego State, and a "road" win over a struggling Cal team. Ohio State has won each of their first three games by at least two scores.

Those scorelines can tell you offense has not exactly been an issue for the Buckeyes, but giving up 20 points to Buffalo (granted, seven on an interception) and 34 to Cal (Bear Raid or not) may worry some Buckeye fans. Giving up more than 10 points to a Rattler team that is 1-2 in FCS play may be considered disastrous.
This may also be the debut of the Buckeyes' rumored two-quarterback offense, as Braxton Miller is likely to return in the game.
Television coverage begins at noon ET on Big Ten Network.

The numbers

Rankings and records: Ohio State is ranked fourth in the AP Poll and third in the Coaches' Poll. This is the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Vegas: Ohio State is a 57-point favorite. OddsShark has more.
Weather: The weather should be nearly perfect. Columbus expects a high of 75, partly cloudy with a slight chance of rain.

Three names to know

Noah Spence. The OSU defensive end is tied for the Big Ten lead in sacks, and will look to give the Rattler backfield fits on Saturday.
Braxton Miller/Kenny Guiton. No one really knows how Urban Meyer will organize his two quarterbacks, but it will certainly be something to watch.
Jordan Hall. The Buckeye running back is third in the Big Ten Conference with 134 yards rushing per game, and can expect to see a lot of carries early.

Two things at stake

Ohio State will be defending the nation's longest winning streak, having won its last 15 games.
If Florida A&M somehow emerged victorious, it would likely be the biggest FCS/FBS upset in history, even surpassing Appalachian State's win over That School Up North.

How to witness

TV: Television coverage begins at noon ET on the Big Ten Network. Matt Devlin, Glenn Mason, Lisa Byington will be on the call.
Radio: Local radio coverage in Columbus is available on 97.1 FM/1460 AM The Fan. Here's a list of other Ohio State radio affiliates.
Online streaming: BTN2Go is available for certain television providers.

buckeyextra - OSF

Ohio State 76, Florida A&M 0: Miller's services not required

QB doesn't play, but Meyer says he's still the starter

Where’s the mercy rule when you need it?

Ohio State vs. Florida A&M proved to be every bit the mismatch it was expected to be. In fact, the 76-0 rout at Ohio Stadium could have been worse, even with Braxton Miller again on the sideline.

The Buckeyes were 50-point favorites, and they nearly had reached that margin by the time the Rattlers finally got a first down, nearly 25 minutes into the game. The victory was Ohio State’s most lopsided since it beat Drake 85-7 in 1935.

Kenny Guiton threw a school-record six touchdowns. Afterward, coach Urban Meyer reiterated that Miller remained the starter.

“Our backup quarterback has earned some time,” Meyer said. “I can’t begin to tell you (in what capacity). I’ve been going through some scenarios in my mind, and I don’t know what it is. I’m going to see how we practice this week, but Braxton is our starting quarterback.”

Miller hasn’t played since suffering a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee early against San Diego State on Sept.7. Meyer would have preferred to give Miller at least a tuneup against Florida A&M before the Buckeyes open Big Ten play on Saturday night against Wisconsin.

“I wanted to play him,” Meyer said. “Braxton felt like he couldn’t go and we were checking — and he tried really hard, had a good week of pushing himself through it — but with good athletes, those are tough injuries.”

MCL sprains affect a player’s ability to move laterally, a big part of the elusive Miller’s game.

He was not needed, of course, against the Rattlers, who were completely overmatched. Fourth-ranked Ohio State (4-0) had 34 first downs to only two for FAMU (1-3). The Buckeyes outgained the Rattlers 603-80.

Even on rare occasions when the Rattlers looked to have made a play, it often turned on them. On Ohio State’s first drive, Guiton threw an interception in the back of the end zone. But instead of downing the ball, cornerback Patrick Aiken returned it. Buckeyes running back Jordan Hall stripped Aiken of the ball at the 3.

On the next play, Hall ran for a touchdown to start the rout. A weaving 65-yard punt return by Corey Brown set up an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeff Heuerman. Doran Grant then blocked a punt to set up another Guiton touchdown pass, this time to Evan Spencer. That made it 20-0 less than six minutes into the game.

Running back Carlos Hyde, who returned from his three-game suspension, joined the fun late in the first quarter and caught a 1-yard shovel pass from Guiton for a score. OSU began substituting after one quarter and played almost all backups, including several walk-ons, after taking a 55-0 halftime lead.

The final score of the first half came on a 15-yard pass to Spencer with five seconds left. The Buckeyes had gotten a first down with 22 seconds left on the previous play, but the clock, which is supposed to stop for the chains to move, didn’t. Everyone, it seemed, wanted this game over as soon as possible.

Guiton had to return for a time when Cardale Jones left to get a cut on his hand stitched. But after throwing 34 times in the first half, the Buckeyes didn’t throw at all in the second. Freshman Ezekiel Elliott took advantage of his playing time by running for 162 yards and two touchdowns in the final two quarters.

“This was a chance for younger guys to prove themselves and a chance for us (starters) to refine our skills,” center Corey Linsley said. “The really great teams don’t take any team lightly, and I think it was evident we didn’t take them lightly.”

How significant the game was might be reflected by how quickly the team turned its attention to Wisconsin. Usually, the coordinators call up standout players to be recognized. No need for that after this one.

“Coach (Meyer) was like, ‘This game’s over. We’re on to Wisconsin,’” Hall said.

The Buckeyes were barely tested during their four nonconference games, outscoring opponents 210-61. The Big Ten might not be filled with juggernauts, but the next two weeks, against the Badgers and at Northwestern, will be major challenges.

“I love my team,” Meyer said. “I like our coaches and the seriousness that our guys are approaching everything with, and I like the fact we’re relatively healthy.

“Are we prepared? I like to think we are. The defense had a lot of new players in there, so that question shall be answered for sure next week. But as a coach, I believe we are ready.”

brabinowitz@dispatch.com

@brdispatch

sbnation - Ohio State Football

How to watch Florida A&M vs. Ohio State 2013: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more

By Pete Volk @Pete_Volk on Sep 21 2013, 8:00a +

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Buckeyes finish up non-conference play with an FCS opponent.

The numbers

Three names to know

Two things at stake

How to witness

ESPN.go - Ohio State Football

Braxton Miller out vs. Florida A&M

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller did not play Saturday in the Buckeyes' 76-0 rout of Florida A&M.

More on Ohio State

For full coverage of the Buckeyes, check out the Ohio State blog, part of ESPN's College Football Nation. Blog

More:
• Ohio State's clubhouse page
• ESPN.com's Big Ten blog

Miller missed last week's victory against California with a sprained left knee ligament but participated in practice this week.
Kenny Guiton started at quarterback for the second straight game and wasted no time making an impact Saturday, throwing for a school-record six touchdown passes during the first half.
Although Miller could have played Saturday if needed, the star quarterback and Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer made a joint decision to rest the junior one more week, a source close to Miller told ESPN.
Miller, a Heisman Trophy hopeful, suffered the injury two weeks ago against San Diego State.
The fourth-ranked Buckeyes (3-0) play their Big Ten opener next week at home against No. 24 Wisconsin.
Guiton, who earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors last week against Cal, on Saturday surpassed the record held by John Borton (1952) and Bobby Hoying twice (1994 and 1995). Guiton was 24-34 for 215 yards and an interception as the Buckeyes took a 55-0 halftime lead.
Quarterback Cardale Jones started the second half for Ohio State against FAMU.
"It really doesn't matter to me who is in," Buckeyes receiver Devin Smith said earlier this week. "They're both winners."
ESPN.com's Austin Ward contributed to this report.

Sportsillustrated - Ohio State Football

Guiton guides No. 4 OSU to 76-0 mismatch over FAMU

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- After a 76-0 victory over outmanned and overmatched Florida A&M, Urban Meyer couldn't say for certain that his Ohio State team got a lot out of its meek non-conference schedule.
"Obviously, at midnight next week, we'll know," the coach of No. 4 Ohio State said, referring to the Big Ten opener on Saturday against No. 24 Wisconsin. "Are we prepared? I like to think we are."
There's no doubt that Kenny Guiton is.
For the third game in a row, the perennial backup starred in place of the injured Braxton Miller. Guiton set a school record with six touchdown passes - all in the first half - in a blow-out of historic proportions.
It was an epic mismatch between a team with national-title aspirations and a Football Championship Subdivision member getting a $900,000 guarantee.
FAMU, which picked up the sport in 1899, had never lost by so many points. It was the most lopsided Ohio State win since an 85-7 victory over Drake in 1935.
"We don't want a pity party," said Rattlers coach Earl Holmes, who made a point of saying the Buckeyes didn't run up the score on his team. "I don't have a problem with that. I don't expect the coach to kneel. You play the game. You play for 60 minutes."
At least it was decided relatively quickly. The Buckeyes (4-0) were up 21-0 in the opening 6 minutes and never looked back. Guiton, who completed 24 of 34 passes for 215 yards, tossed four TD passes in the first quarter.
"I had all day," Guiton said. "The coaches wanted to come out throwing the ball around and I thank them for the trust they had in me to be able to do that."
FAMU (1-3) was behind 48-0 when it picked up its initial first down in the second quarter.
The stats were as lopsided as the score. Ohio State had a 34-2 edge in first downs and a 603-80 differential in yards.
"I wouldn't say we're unsatisfied," tight end Jeff Heuerman said. "There's always room for improvement. We're not perfect."
Miller, the Big Ten's offensive player of the year last season and a Heisman Trophy hopeful this year, missed his second game in a row with a sprained medial-collateral ligament in his left knee.
Meyer had said Miller was probable to play against the Rattlers, but he never put on his uniform.
It didn't take long for this game to get out of control, with or without him.
After a short punt ended the Rattlers' first possession, Ohio State took over at the FAMU 30. On third down from the 3, Guiton's pass into the end zone was picked off by Patrick Aiken. Aiken, however, elected to try to run the ball out. He got to the 3 before being hit by running back Jordan Hall and fumbling the ball away.
"I got caught up in the moment," Aiken said. "I made a mental error. I should have just kneed the ball in the end zone."
On the next play, Hall scored the first of his two touchdowns.
After a 65-yard punt return by Corey Brown put the ball at the 11, one play later Guiton flipped an 11-yard TD pass to Heuerman. That made it 13-0 - the Buckeyes inexplicably went for two but failed - with the touchdowns coming on two plays totaling 10 seconds.
Doran Grant blocked the next FAMU punt and the Buckeyes were right back in business at the 25. It took two more passes to make it 20-0, with Guiton hitting Evan Spencer for the final eight yards and the score.
Carlos Hyde, who had been suspended for the first three games after an alleged altercation with a female in a bar this summer, took a shovel pass the final yard late in the quarter. After the ensuing kickoff, Bradley Roby intercepted a pass by Damien Fleming and returned it to the 5. It was 34-0 after Guiton hit Devin Smith for the score.
Guiton eclipsed the mark that had been held by John Borton in 1952 and Bobby Hoying (who did it in 1994 and again in 1995) with his second TD pass to Spencer in the final seconds of the half.
With the Buckeyes up 55-0 at the half, Meyer took his foot off the gas and filled the field with subs. Fifth-team tailback Ezekiel Elliott ran for 162 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns and third-string quarterback Cardale Jones ran for one.
"You come to Ohio State to compete for the Big Ten championship," Meyer said. "That actually started in a meeting just a minute ago."
The Rattlers' largest previous margin of defeat was 73-6 against Tuskegee in 1926. They lost to Oklahoma 69-13 a year ago and South Florida 70-17 in 2011.
"It's always worth it," Holmes said of scheduling a juggernaut. "You've got some guys who have aspirations of playing on Sunday. So you find out exactly where you fit."
The Rattlers found out, all right.

Newsday - Ohio State Football

Ohio State routs Florida A&M behind Kenny Guiton's huge day

Published: September 21, 2013 5:52 PM
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photo credit: AP | Florida A&M wide receiver Admasen Felix, left, is tackled by Ohio State defenders during the second quarter. (Sept. 21, 2013)

Galleries

Ohio State wide receiver Evan Spencer, right, tries

Ohio State 76, Florida A&M 0 Alabama's AJ McCarron drops back to pass against

2013 Heisman Trophy watch list

COLUMBUS, Ohio - After a 76-0 victory over outmanned and overmatched Florida A&M, Urban Meyer couldn't say for certain that his Ohio State team got a lot out of its meek non-conference schedule.
"Obviously, at midnight next week, we'll know," the coach of No. 4 Ohio State said, referring to the Big Ten opener on Saturday against No. 24 Wisconsin. "Are we prepared? I like to think we are."
There's no doubt that Kenny Guiton is.
For the third game in a row, the perennial backup starred in place of the injured Braxton Miller. Guiton set a school record with six touchdown passes -- all in the first half -- in a blow-out of historic proportions.
It was an epic mismatch between a team with national-title aspirations and a Football Championship Subdivision member getting a $900,000 guarantee.
FAMU, which picked up the sport in 1899, had never lost by so many points. It was the most lopsided Ohio State win since an 85-7 victory over Drake in 1935.
"We don't want a pity party," said Rattlers coach Earl Holmes, who made a point of saying the Buckeyes didn't run up the score on his team. "I don't have a problem with that. I don't expect the coach to kneel. You play the game. You play for 60 minutes."
At least it was decided relatively quickly. The Buckeyes (4-0) were up 21-0 in the opening 6 minutes and never looked back. Guiton, who completed 24 of 34 passes for 215 yards, tossed four TD passes in the first quarter.
"I had all day," Guiton said. "The coaches wanted to come out throwing the ball around and I thank them for the trust they had in me to be able to do that."
FAMU (1-3) was behind 48-0 when it picked up its initial first down in the second quarter.
The stats were as lopsided as the score. Ohio State had a 34-2 edge in first downs and a 603-80 differential in yards.
"I wouldn't say we're unsatisfied," tight end Jeff Heuerman said. "There's always room for improvement. We're not perfect."
Miller, the Big Ten's offensive player of the year last season and a Heisman Trophy hopeful this year, missed his second game in a row with a sprained medial-collateral ligament in his left knee.
Meyer had said Miller was probable to play against the Rattlers, but he never put on his uniform.
It didn't take long for this game to get out of control, with or without him.
After a short punt ended the Rattlers' first possession, Ohio State took over at the FAMU 30. On third down from the 3, Guiton's pass into the end zone was picked off by Patrick Aiken. Aiken, however, elected to try to run the ball out. He got to the 3 before being hit by running back Jordan Hall and fumbling the ball away.
"I got caught up in the moment," Aiken said. "I made a mental error. I should have just kneed the ball in the end zone."
On the next play, Hall scored the first of his two touchdowns.
After a 65-yard punt return by Corey Brown put the ball at the 11, one play later Guiton flipped an 11-yard TD pass to Heuerman. That made it 13-0 -- the Buckeyes inexplicably went for two but failed -- with the touchdowns coming on two plays totaling 10 seconds.
Doran Grant blocked the next FAMU punt and the Buckeyes were right back in business at the 25. It took two more passes to make it 20-0, with Guiton hitting Evan Spencer for the final eight yards and the score.
Carlos Hyde, who had been suspended for the first three games after an alleged altercation with a female in a bar this summer, took a shovel pass the final yard late in the quarter. After the ensuing kickoff, Bradley Roby intercepted a pass by Damien Fleming and returned it to the 5. It was 34-0 after Guiton hit Devin Smith for the score.
Guiton eclipsed the mark that had been held by John Borton in 1952 and Bobby Hoying (who did it in 1994 and again in 1995) with his second TD pass to Spencer in the final seconds of the half.
With the Buckeyes up 55-0 at the half, Meyer took his foot off the gas and filled the field with subs. Fifth-team tailback Ezekiel Elliott ran for 162 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns and third-string quarterback Cardale Jones ran for one.
"You come to Ohio State to compete for the Big Ten championship," Meyer said. "That actually started in a meeting just a minute ago."
The Rattlers' largest previous margin of defeat was 73-6 against Tuskegee in 1926. They lost to Oklahoma 69-13 a year ago and South Florida 70-17 in 2011.
"It's always worth it," Holmes said of scheduling a juggernaut. "You've got some guys who have aspirations of playing on Sunday. So you find out exactly where you fit."
The Rattlers found out, all right.

Ohio State football

Saturday, September 21, 2013

SB Nation - OSF

How to watch Florida A&M vs. Ohio State 2013: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more

The numbers

Three names to know

Two things at stake

How to witness

Further reading

buckeyextra - OSF

Ohio State 76, Florida A&M 0: Miller's services not required

QB doesn't play, but Meyer says he's still the starter

sbnation - Ohio State Football

How to watch Florida A&M vs. Ohio State 2013: Preview, TV schedule, odds and more

The numbers

Three names to know

Two things at stake

How to witness

Further reading

ESPN.go - Ohio State Football

Braxton Miller out vs. Florida A&M

More on Ohio State

Sportsillustrated - Ohio State Football

Guiton guides No. 4 OSU to 76-0 mismatch over FAMU

Newsday - Ohio State Football

Ohio State routs Florida A&M behind Kenny Guiton's huge day

Galleries