Five questions regarding OSU’s matchup with Miami

By Pat Brennan (TheLantern.com) -

The No. 17-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) hit the road for their first away game of the 2011 season against the unranked Miami Hurricanes (0-1), which were picked to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference. OSU holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series against Miami, including a 31-24 double-overtime victory in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl for the 2002 BCS National Championship. Last season’s 36-24 win against the Hurricanes was vacated as part of OSU’s self-imposed penalties for NCAA violations.

Here is a discussion of some of the pressing concerns facing the Buckeyes’ in their Week 3 contest against Miami.

1. Should I be concerned about last week’s 27-22 win against Toledo and, if so, how much?

It’s reasonable to be worried after Saturday’s closer-than-expected win against Toledo, but only to a certain point.

One area of question is the success the Rockets’ quarterbacking duo of sophomore Terrance Owens and junior Austin Dantin had in the game. Owens and Dantin combined to throw for 292 yards against the OSU defense.

Perhaps the biggest worry for Buckeye Nation was that their team struggled to stop the offensive weapons Toledo figured to rely on heading into the game — junior wide receiver and kick returner Eric Page and senior running back Adonis Thomas combined for 372 all-purpose yards in the game.

But the fact that OSU dropped only two spots in the Associated Press’ Top 25 poll from No. 15 to No. 17 could be a sign of respect for the Rockets’ playmakers, and Toledo earned every bit of that respect.

For all the missed opportunities and big plays allowed to the Rockets’ predictable playmakers, the Buckeyes defense came up with the stops it needed to win the game.

As several players and coaches said after the game, OSU bent but didn’t break.

Toledo made a game of it Saturday and that can’t be wholly negative. Buckeye fans got a scare watching the game, but more importantly, players got a formidable test before their first road trip.

2. How will previously-suspended OSU players — sophomore defensive back Corey Brown, junior running back Jordan Hall and junior defensive back Travis Howard — figure into the game plan against the Hurricanes Saturday?

The NCAA reinstated Brown, Hall and Howard on Tuesday. Each player was suspended for the Buckeyes’ first two games for receiving white envelopes containing $200 from a university booster at a Feb. 19 charity event in Cleveland…..

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