Ohio State tries to regroup after USC thrashing

The best thing to happen to Ohio State in the aftermath of their lopsided and uncompetitive loss to #1 Southern Cal was a favorable scheduling situation. The Buckeyes face a scrappy but somewhat overmatched Troy State team at home on Saturday, giving them the opportunity to lick their wounds and figure out what they need to do going forward. Still, the team seems to be suffering something of a “hangover” following the 35-3 by the Trojans which cleared up any doubt as to whom the best college football team in the country is at the moment.

Troy State isn’t a bad team, and they’ve shown some good offensive potency in the early part of the season. Then again, they haven’t been playing the toughest competition with a game against LSU postponed due to Hurricane Gustav. On paper they’re averaging 48 PPG, but much of that is thanks to a 65-0 shellacking of 1-AA/FCS doormat Alcorn State (2-8 LY, 0-3 to date in 2008). Looking deeper at their recent performance when stepping up in class, reality starts to set in: Alcorn State is on a 1-13 run against ranked opponents.

An easy week is definitely what Ohio State needs before they begin Big 10 play next week against Minnesota. There’s something of a QB controversy brewing, and as of Thursday Buckeye coach Ohio StateJim Tressel had not named a starter for Saturday’s game. Senior Todd Boeckman was ineffective against the Trojans suffocating defense, going for 14 of 21 passing good for 84 yards with 2 INTs. Terrelle Pryor showed some promise going 7 of 9 for 54 yards in relief, but with the USC victory assured by the point he entered the game that’s something of an unfair comparison. Pryor has been receiving slightly more snaps at practice this week, though Tressel hasn’t ruled out either QB starting nor has he dismissed the possibility of them sharing the workload.

A bigger problem is the foot injury that’s kept star running back Chris “Beanie” Wells out of the lineup. After missing last week’s huge game against USC, it was a foregone conclusion that he’d also miss the Troy State contest—more as a precautionary measure than anything else. Wells has been practicing on a limited basis and his foot is improving but Tressell struck some fear into the hearts of Buckeye fans when he refused to confirm that the running back would be able to play against Minnesota.

Hopes remain high that Wells’ absence from the lineup this weekend is just a common sense precaution against a team that OSU should be able to beat without him. If he can’t go next weekend, however, it could portent bigger problems for the Buckeyes’ once promising 2008 campaign.