By: AP via Cleveland.com -
COLUMBUS, Ohio — What’s brewing today with the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes …

BUCKEYES BUZZ:@ Ohio State is apparently stuck in neutral in the polls.

The Buckeyes remained at No. 12 for the second week in a row after Saturday’s 16-3 win over Purdue.
Sure, fans are wondering how the team can win four in a row and only move up two spots while other teams lose games and remain ahead of them.

But there is also a plethora of reasons for the Buckeyes to be looking in from outside the top 10.

First, that 35-3 beating at Southern California was bad enough, but then the Trojans turned around and lost at Oregon State. So the argument that the Buckeyes at least lost to a dominant, once-a-decade team are null and void.

Second, Ohio State hasn’t beaten anybody. The Buckeyes went to the final 70 seconds to win at Wisconsin 20-17. A week later, Penn State lashes those same Badgers 48-7. Wisconsin has now lost three in a row. Honestly, what is the most impressive win for the Buckeyes? Answer: Minnesota, which is 6-1.

Finally, all the teams in front of Ohio State in the Associated Press Top 25 have a good reason for being there. There’s no disputing the unbeatens: No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Penn State, or even No. 7 Texas Tech, No. 8 Oklahoma State and No. 9 BYU. The one-loss teams all have history or a tough schedule on their sides: No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 5 Florida, No. 6 USC, No. 10 Georgia and No. 11 Missouri.

If the Buckeyes don’t start playing a lot better — even in wins — they might just get jumped by the teams behind them, such as LSU, unbeatens Utah and Boise State, or Kansas, Virginia Tech or North Carolina.

WEEKLY HONORS:@ The Ohio State coaching staff handed out awards Monday for the top players in the Purdue game.

CB Malcolm Jenkins, who blocked a punt and intercepted a pass and also had four tackles, was the Buckeyes’ defensive player of the week. LB Etienne Sabino, who returned the blocked punt 20 yards for a touchdown, was the top player on special teams.

It speaks volumes that no one was singled out on offense.

Scout-team honors went to: OL Justin Boren on offense, DB Orhian Johnson on defense and LB Tony Jackson on special teams.

The top player among the front seven on defense was LB James Laurinaitis. No OL of the week was picked. The winner of the big hit of the week will be announced on Tuesday.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:@ Michigan OT Stephen Schilling after the Wolverines lost to lopsided underdog Toledo to fall to 2-4 in Rich Rodriguez’s first year as head coach: “It is kind of us against everybody else. We’re out to prove that this is working.”

BIG TEN AWARDS:@ Ohio native (Youngstown) Darryll Clark, Penn State QB, was the offensive player of the week in the conference after compiling a career-best 244 passing yards and running for two scores.

Honored on defense were Minnesota DE Willie VanDeSteeg and Penn State DE Aaron Maybin. Michigan State K Brett Swenson, whom the Buckeyes will be going up against on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., took the honors among special units. He had 13 points in a 37-20 win over previously unbeaten Northwestern.

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