ESPN College Football

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	Quarterbacks Terrelle Pryor and Matt Barkley will be the focal point for Saturday's Ohio State-USC throwdown.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg and Ted Miller

All eyes will be on Columbus this weekend as No. 3 USC visits No. 8 Ohio State (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET). Before the two teams lock horns on the banks of the Olentangy River, we debated several key questions heading into the mega matchup.

Adam Rittenberg: Ted, I look at this USC defense and don't see a glaring weakness. Still, several mobile quarterbacks [Vince Young, Dennis Dixon] have hurt the Trojans in the past. How do you expect USC to defend Terrelle Pryor and does Pryor give the Buckeyes a fighting chance in this game?

Ted Miller: I think Pryor gives the Buckeyes a fighting chance because he can make something out of nothing when a play breaks down -- and the USC defense is good at breaking down plays. While USC fans would debate you on the health of their defense vs. Vince Young, the fact is the Trojans learned from that game that you need to account for an athletic quarterback -- you can't just run your base defense and expect gap control and rush lanes to take care of things. There surely will be some sort of spying, whether with one guy or a shift of guys. On the plus side for USC, this is a really fast defense. It's much faster at linebacker than last year. Malcolm Smith is fast -- his brother is an NFL receiver -- and Michael Morgan is a 4.4 guy. Toss in end Everson Griffen and you've got some guys who can really run on the perimeter of the front-seven. Moreover, middle linebacker Chris Galippo implied to me that this will be more disciplined defense. As extraordinary as Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews and Rey Maualuga were last year, they, at times, freelanced, looking for big plays. That means the Trojans won't be as likely abandon their assigned gaps or let contain break down.

As long as we're talking quarterbacks, what do you think about the poise issue for both guys? USC's Matt Barkley claims he doesn't get nervous. You buy that at the Horseshoe? And how will Pryor react on this big stage?

AR: The Shoe remains the toughest place to play in the Big Ten, getting the slightest of edges against Penn State's Beaver Stadium. Barkley's nerves will be put to the test. It will be extremely loud, especially at the start of the game, and the south end zone addition really makes the decibels rise. I'd imagine USC will go to its strength right away, pound away with those tremendous running backs and athletic offensive line and give Barkley some time to get settled. Everything I've heard about this kid -- from yourself and other observers -- is that he's the real deal. I saw true freshman quarterback Tate Forcier show no nerves last week for Michigan in the Big House, but then again, he was playing at home. Ohio State's defensive line is the strength of the team, and it has to rattle Barkley early for the Buckeyes to have a shot. As for Pryor, he has shown some toughness late in games, particularly against Wisconsin last year. He's certainly more comfortable as a passer, but he can't get away from what makes him special and needs to make plays with his feet. I still haven't seen a team contain Pryor on the move, but he needs the freedom from head coach Jim Tressel and the willingness from within to really cut loose against USC.

Ohio State's defensive line is the team's strongest unit. Same could be said for USC's offensive line. How do you see that matchup shaking out, and will Ohio State need to use speed (Thaddeus Gibson, Cameron Heyward) rather than power to beat the Trojans' front?

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

USC's staggering defensive statistics have been rehashed throughout the season: 3.4 yards allowed per play, 11 touchdowns in 12 games, 7.75 points per game, 122.8 pass yards per game, 15 fourth-quarter points all season.

Like it or not, these numbers are going to be thrown in your face from now until the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi.

It's up to Penn State to throw them right back at the Trojans.

The Nittany Lions aren't the type of team to be easily intimidated. They have their own impressive numbers on offense this season: 40.2 points per game, 211.6 rush yards per game, a 93.4 percent conversion rate in the red zone.

Penn State's Spread HD offense hasn't backed down to any defense this fall. The play calling has been consistently aggressive, atypical of a Joe Paterno-coached team. Aside from a handful of games (Purdue, Ohio State), Penn State attacked opposing defenses and never let up.

The Nittany Lions must do the same in Pasadena. A passive approach simply won't cut it against USC. Penn State must target the heart of the USC defense -- a back seven that features All-Americans in linebacker Rey Maualuga and safety Taylor Mays -- and take its chances from there.

"Against a defense like that, which relies on their speed, relies on running to the ball, you have to attack them," Penn State center A.Q. Shipley said. "They're a great defense, they always have three, four, five guys on the screen making a tackle. For us to be able to be effective, we can't sit back and just play for field position.

"We have to be aggressive and take advantage of what they're giving us."

Some would argue aggressive play calling cost Penn State against Iowa. The Lions came out passing the ball deep in their own end and gave Iowa a short field that it converted into a Shonn Greene touchdown. And it was a deep post pass late in the fourth quarter that Iowa intercepted to set up its game-winning drive.

But for the most part, aggressive equaled effective for Penn State, which didn't deviate from its attacking style in the regular-season finale against Michigan State, a game played in less than favorable weather conditions. The Lions had three touchdown passes of 30 yards or more and racked up 49 points and 557 yards.

"Words can't describe how important that game was as far as my motivation and my confidence," quarterback Daryll Clark said. "That game was great for us."

Clark hopes to recapture the rhythm right away against USC, which has allowed 71 points in the first half and only 22 after halftime this season.

"When you come out to a good start, it kind of lingers throughout the remainder of the game," Clark said. "A good start, very aggressive play and limit turnovers, we should be OK."

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Sorry this is a little late -- got backed up with the season recaps -- but Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis won the Lott Trophy as college football's impact player of the year. 

Laurinaitis, the 2008 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, had been nominated for several national awards, including the Bednarik Award, won by USC's Rey Maualuga. The Buckeyes senior won the 2006 Nagurski Trophy and the 2007 Butkus Award.

"This is so surprising to me, but such a tremendous honor," Laurinaitis said. "Knowing what this award stands for and knowing the reputation and character of Mr. [Ronnie] Lott makes it very special. Hearing Keith Jackson announce my name is something I will never forget. It's a credit to all my Ohio State teammates and an amazing honor. This is truly overwhelming." 

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Let's see what's on your mind.

Andy from Greensboro writes: In regards to the awards ceremony last night on ESPN, I think the Big 10 got snubbed in the Bednarik. Yes Rey Maualuga missed a couple games this year, but his stats in the games he played were nothing special. He played against weaker teams in the Pac-10 than the Big 10 and I dont think he should have won. James and Aaron had much better stats (not only because they played a full season) against tougher offenses. Glad to see Malcolm win the Thorpe however.

Adam Rittenberg: I would have liked to have seen Aaron Maybin win the Bednarik Award, but Maualuga is a heck of a player who makes that defense go. Laurinaitis might have better numbers, but 75 of his 121 tackles were assists, so the stats a bit inflated. As I wrote earlier, Maybin was probably hurt a bit by only being a sophomore. He'll get his due in the years to come. Malcolm Jenkins is an excellent player and deserving of any national awards he receives, though I thought Eric Berry from Tennessee would win the Thorpe.

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Jason from Reading, Va., writes: Adam- I have to take exception with your comment that Fitzgerald and Spurrier are the only active FBS coaches in the CFB Hall of Fame- What about one Joseph Vincent Paterno? ...and although the whole 'active' thing may be debatable here, what about Bobby Bowden?

Adam Rittenberg: Jason, you have to read a little more carefully. I wrote that Pat Fitzgerald and Steve Spurrier are the only active FBS coaches to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as players. Joe Paterno's playing career at Brown didn't him a Hall of Fame nod. Same goes for Bowden at Samford.

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Andy from Evanston, Ill., writes: Hey Adam, great job all year. I've really enjoyed reading all your posts! Do you have any preliminary thoughts on the quarterback situation at Northwestern next year with [C.J.] Bacher graduating? Do you think Kafka will get the nod, or will they give it to someone like Evan Watkins to start getting some experience?

Adam Rittenberg: Mike Kafka will go into 2009 as the overwhelming favorite to win the starting job. In some ways, the injuries Northwestern had this year became a blessing in disguise. Kafka's performance at Minnesota helped save a promising season, and he can go into spring ball knowing it's his job to lose. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald has always liked Kafka, naming him the opening-day starter back in 2006, and he would have to see something major from Watkins or Dan Persa to change his mind. My sense is Watkins will be the team's quarterback of the future, beginning in 2010.

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

For a league with a sagging national reputation, the Big Ten continued to hold its own in the national awards.

Three Big Ten players took home national honors Thursday night at the Home Depot/ESPNU College Football Awards Show. It wasn't quite the haul that the Big 12 had (seven awards), but the Big Ten had to be pleased.

Here were the winners:

• Iowa running back Shonn Greene, Doak Walker Award (nation's top running back)
  
• Penn State center A.Q. Shipley, Rimington Trophy (nation's top center)
• Ohio State cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, Thorpe Award (nation's top defensive back)

Greene was the clear choice for the Doak Walker, beating out fellow Big Ten player Javon Ringer from Michigan State and Georgia's Knowshon Moreno. The Iowa junior rushed for a single-season school record 1,729 yards and eclipsed 100 rushing yards in all 12 games.

"I'm not biased, but it's a no-brainer," Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. "All you have to do is look at the production game-in and game-out. There are a lot of great backs out there, but if you look at game-to-game and if you look at the bottom line, it's probably pretty academic. With Shonn, you don't have to watch film, just look at the numbers. But if you watch film, then it's a no-brainer."

Agreed 100 percent.

Shipley also was a likely choice for the Rimington even though Cal center Alex Mack entered the season with more hype. The Penn State senior co-captain was named the Big Ten's Offensive Lineman of the Year by the league's coaches. Shipley is the first Penn State player to win the Rimington Trophy.

Jenkins was a bit of a surprise, only because Tennessee safety Eric Berry had received so much hype after a stellar season. But being on a bad team might be taken into account. Having covered the Big Ten closer than most, Jenkins was the best all-around player I saw, so he's deserving of any honor.

"When they announced the award winner, first I was surprised and then a sigh of relief," Jenkins said. "It's really nerve-wracking to sit there through the whole show because our award was one of the last ones announced. And those were not just two fantastic players who were the other finalists, but really nice guys as well.

"It's just an incredible honor, because of guys like Antoine Winfield who have won this award in the past, and also because of Jim Thorpe, who was one of a kind and a pioneer in history. I work every day to improve as a player and when I came back for my senior season, the chance to be a part of an award like this was one of the dreams I had."

Jenkins' teammate James Laurinaitis and Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin both were up for the Bednarik Award, which went to USC linebacker Rey Maualuga. I thought Maybin had a shot here, but his age (only a sophomore) could have hurt his chances.

The Big Ten also placed six players on the Walter Camp All America team: Greene, Ringer, Shipley, Maybin, Laurinaitis and Jenkins. Only the Big 12 had more All-Americans (8).

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The Big Ten produced two of the three finalists for the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the nation's defensive player of the year. 

Penn State defensive end Aaron Maybin and Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis made the list along with USC linebacker Rey Maualuga. 

Maybin ranks third nationally in sacks (12, all solo) and sixth in tackles for loss (19). Laurinaitis ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th nationally in tackles average (10.1 tpg). 

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

For years, the sweater vest was made out of Teflon.

Like any coach, Jim Tressel received his share of criticism, but he could always point to his sparkling record at Ohio State, the 11 first-round NFL draft picks he helped produce and his dominance in Big Ten play (45-11). The calls for Ohio State to modernize its schemes and bring in more creative coaches usually went away after another season of 10 or more wins.

	Ohio State coach Jim Tressel's game-plans need some freshening up.

But after Saturday's 35-3 loss against USC at the L.A. Coliseum, the latest in a series of big-stage letdowns for Ohio State, the demands for change likely won't be silenced any time soon.

Yahoo! Sports' Dan Wetzel didn't hold back in his assessment of Tressel and the Ohio State program following the USC game. Wetzel tore into Tressel, not only for a hackneyed approach in the game, but perhaps more upsetting, a lack of fire after it.

Here was the sweater vest, who keeps calling for the same old failed game plan even when he's far from the comforts of the cornfields of the Midwest. He's an example of coaching insanity -- expecting the same bad plays to produce different results.

Here was Jim Tressel and all he could do was smile and shrug.

"The guys fought hard," he offered Saturday night. "I don't know that we did the best we could do, but we fought hard."

So apparently that's it now for Ohio State. They fought hard. Let's just focus on the moral victory -- the lament of every blown-out, schedule-padding cupcake in college football. We were overmatched and outcoached, sure, but we fought hard.

Only this is Ohio State. The Buckeyes keep getting their (expletive) kicked when they dare to venture out of Big Ten/MAC land and Tressel doesn't look or sound the least bit concerned.

Outrage? Frustration? Embarrassment? How about apologies to the Buckeye fans who no doubt feel plenty of all three? Or maybe one for poor quarterback Todd Boeckman, who thanks to a most uninspired offensive game plan had USC defenders taking turns teeing up to try to rupture his spleen?

"They did everything we saw on film, nothing changed," said USC linebacker Rey Maualuga.

Don't expect Tressel to change his public approach to handling losses -- or wins, for that matter. He's as predictable as they come, and in many ways, it works. But this lack of fire seems new and could be a major problem.

Left tackle Alex Boone also referenced the passion issue in Ken Gordon's piece in The Columbus Dispatch. Another interesting development is that Ohio State's attempt to shake things up -- having freshman Terrelle Pryor alternate series with Boeckman at quarterback -- apparently wasn't relayed to the players, who were surprised by the rotation.

Guard Ben Person said, "I think it kind of shocked everybody a little bit."

It's clear this team has more issues than Chris "Beanie" Wells' big toe. The national championship is out of the picture, and a Big Ten title could be as well if Ohio State doesn't play better on the road at Wisconsin, Michigan State and Illinois. And if the Buckeyes are keen on making a national title push in 2009, they need to do some strong self-evaluation during the offseason.

Tressel isn't going anywhere. He got a big raise before the season, and a well-deserved one at that. But there could be some changes with his schemes and staff members. There's simply not enough creativity going on.

Don't expect Tressel to ditch the sweater vest, but this program needs a fresher look.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

As most of you know, I spent part of this week with Ohio State down in C-Bus, and Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller has been hanging out with USC in L.A. As the big game approaches Saturday night at the L.A. Coliseum (ABC, 8 p.m. ET), we decided to touch base and get a sense of the buzz in both camps.

Ted Miller: Folks over here in beautiful Southern California are feeling pretty confident -- read: really confident -- about their Trojans' chances to not only beat but whip Ohio State. What's the feeling over there in the Midwest?

Adam Rittenberg: The feeling here in flyover country is a little more tense. Something to do with a big toe. But they're confident that "Little Animal," AKA James Laurinaitis, and the Buckeyes defense will give Mark Sanchez some trouble on Saturday night. You sounded pretty pumped up the other day after actually getting to watch USC practice. What stood out during the Trojans' workouts?

Ted Miller: What stood out? How good the Trojans look. These guys pass the sight test. Of course, Ohio State would too ... if Jim Tressel let you Big Ten folks into the super-secret football sanctum. Anyway. What caught my eye was 1) Mark Sanchez; 2) Joe McKnight. Sorry to stick with the fancy guys, but Sanchez was sharp this week and he's obviously fired up about leading the Trojans. As for McKnight, he's got the sort of speed and elusiveness that he stands out among a team loaded with fast, elusive guys. So let me ask ... Is Beanie going to play? All the USC folks say yes.

Adam Rittenberg: My sense is he'll play, but probably not much, 5-10 carries. The fact he was still so sore from taking 20 "carries" with no contact in Wednesday night's practice suggests there's still plenty to risk by leaving him out there too long. He obviously gives that offense a ton of confidence and let's be honest, Ohio State needs to win this one to get back to the national title game. But this guy, despite his size, can be labeled injury prone at this point, and Jim Tressel might not want to gamble again. Speaking of injuries, what's the latest on the USC front? Cushing? Hazelton?

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

A great weekend of Big Ten games is on tap, and not just the big one at the L.A. Coliseum (ABC, 8 p.m. ET). I expect all of you to gain a few pounds sitting on your couches throughout Saturday and into Sunday morning. Anything less will be unacceptable. I get a rare Friday night at home -- fiancee is happy -- before hitting the road early Saturday to watch Purdue and No. 16 Oregon go at it (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET).

A quick disclaimer about this post because I've gotten a lot of nasty e-mails. These are the best 10 things to watch on a given Saturday, not the best thing to watch for each team. There often will be two items for a marquee game -- like the one in L.A. -- and multiple teams won't make the rundown, especially those playing weak competition. That's how it works.

Here are 10 things you don't want to miss:

1. Beanie watch ends: Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells is listed as doubtful for the matchup against top-ranked USC, but nothing will be settled until kickoff. Coach Jim Tressel doesn't want to risk further injury to Wells in September, but if the Heisman Trophy candidate can contribute, the Buckeyes will use him. If not, get ready for a guy (Dan Herron) nicknamed "Boom." Unfortunately, that's also the sound Rey Maualuga makes when he connects with ball carriers.

2. Pryor restraint: Buckeyes freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor will play a role against the Trojans. How significant a role largely depends on Beanie Wells' availability. If the offense stalls like it did last week without Wells, Pryor could get extended time in an effort to throw off the USC defense. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound freshman is a special talent, but can he handle the spotlight of such a marquee game?

3. Badgers hit the road: Wisconsin has survived slow starts against inferior opposition, but it can't afford to drag against Fresno State. Keep your eyes on Badgers quarterback Allan Evridge, who makes his first road start since 2005. Coach Bret Bielema gets two big pieces -- tight end Travis Beckum and linebacker Jonathan Casillas -- back on the field following injuries, but both players could be a bit rusty.

4. 'Hell' with the victors: Michigan players saw Charlie Weis' words around their training room this week. The Wolverines head to South Bend hoping to hand Weis and Notre Dame a third humiliating loss in the last three years. Quarterback Steven Threet gets the start and needs to show greater consistency, but he'll get help from a veteran defensive line that swarmed Jimmy Clausen last year.

5. Track meet at Ross-Ade -- Purdue has marveled at Oregon's team speed all week, and the Boilers have to find a way to keep pace Saturday afternoon. This will be the first of several defining games for Purdue senior quarterback Curtis Painter, who will set plenty of records but needs signature wins to complete his resume. The Boilermakers' back seven has improved but will play without speedy linebacker Jason Werner. Oregon's Jeremiah Johnson could capitalize.

6. Backer bonanza: NFL scouts will be drooling as arguably the nation's best linebacker tandems take the field at the L.A. Coliseum. Ohio State's James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman hope to continue their takeaway trend against Mark Sanchez, while the "scary" Maualuga and Brian Cushing bring the pain to the Buckeyes offense.

7. State pride on the line: This is more than a rivalry game for Iowa. Iowa State provides the first significant test for the Hawkeyes, who have looked dominant against shoddy competition. Sophomore quarterback Ricky Stanzi has a grasp on the starting job and the support of Iowa fans, but he'll need to continue to make progress against the Cyclones. The home team has won the last four Cy-Hawk trophies, a good sign for Iowa.

8. Rush hour in East Lansing: Michigan State's defensive line has yet to break out, and Saturday would be a fine time to do so. Sun Belt champ Florida Atlantic and standout quarterback Rusty Smith come to town, and the Spartans need to apply pressure to avoid problems. With uncertainty in the secondary, Michigan State needs big things from end Trevor Anderson and tackle Justin Kershaw.

9. Illini D-line under the gun -- Illinois ranks 101st nationally in rush defense (201 ypg), a troubling sign as Louisiana-Lafayette's dynamic quarterback Michael Desormeaux comes to town. Can veterans like Will Davis, Derek Walker, Doug Pilcher and David Lindquist shore up the defensive front? This would be a perfect time as Illinois inches closer to a tough opening stretch in league play.

10. Orange could be feeling blue: What was once a great rivalry could get ugly Saturday at the Carrier Dome as Penn State's high-powered offense faces the worst BCS team in the country. Syracuse should be pumped for the game: coach Greg Robinson desperately needs a positive showing: but Daryll Clark, Evan Royster and the 17th-ranked Nittany Lions should put up some ridiculous numbers in this one.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

	Matthew Emmons/US Presswire
	Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor didn't get much playing time against the Bobcats.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State players insisted their eyes were locked on the players in front of them, not on the bigger, stronger and faster men 2,000 miles away.

They insisted the energy level was high, even higher than it had been before the season opener against Youngstown State. Ohio U wouldn't be a trap game. Letdowns happen in sports all the time, but not to this team, not to these seniors, not to this coaching staff.

"Everybody was ready to play," cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said.

Ohio State emerged with a "W" on Saturday, the 800th in team history, but for the most part, the game had all the ingredients of that L-word.

"It kind of looked like everyone predicted you might look like in between your opener and your big 'national stage game,' which is disappointing because we really needed to make progress," Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel said.

Ohio State made some progress in a 26-14 victory. The defense forced four of Ohio's five turnovers, quieting the takeaway talk. Wideout Ray Small emerged as a big-play threat, and defensive end Lawrence Wilson caused havoc in the backfield.

But the Buckeyes should have accomplished so much more. Taking the field a week before a mega matchup at top-ranked USC, Ohio State had a lengthy to-do list. Most of the items were never crossed out.

"We didn't get better this week," center Jim Cordle said. "We were supposed to."

Added running back Maurice Wells: "We really didn't expect the game to go how it did. It wasn't pretty. We're going to have to make a lot of improvements next week if we want to get a win out there."

This game provided a unique opportunity, particularly on offense. Playing without their best player, running back Chris "Beanie" Wells, the Buckeyes had the opportunity to experiment with different plays and personnel groups.

But when their bread-and-butter schemes didn't produce a comfortable early lead, the script changed. Creativity was tabled to next week.

Perhaps the team's biggest regret involved freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, whose last chance to go through a game before USC was cut short.

Pryor took just three snaps when the game was in doubt, relieving starter Todd Boeckman late in the first quarter. But after misfiring on two passes -- raising questions about his arm and decision-making skills -- Pryor departed and didn't return until the 3:06 mark of the fourth quarter.

Trailing for most of the game, Ohio State opted not to gamble with its prized freshman.

If Saturday's conversation between Tressel and offensive coordinator Jim Bollman is any indication, don't expect to see Pryor in crunch time against USC. Tressel wanted to use the freshman with Ohio State up 19-14 in the fourth quarter. Bollman wasn't so sure.

"I said to coach Bolls, 'Why don't we have Terrelle see if he could take this,'" Tressel said. "And coach Bolls says, 'You sure you want to put him under pressure like that?' And I said, 'When would you like his first pressure to be?'"

It's unlikely to come against Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing and the Trojans defense.

Pryor generated the loudest roar of the afternoon when he broke off a 23-yard run with two minutes remaining. But the Buckeyes didn't learn anything new about their talented freshman.

"If Terrelle goes out there, ignites the offense a little bit and makes some plays out there, I'm all for it," Boeckman said. "We needed to get going today. We needed someone to have spark."

Ohio deserves plenty of credit for the Buckeye blues. The Bobcats defenders clogged the middle and put pressure on Boeckman and the running backs.

Despite losing starting quarterback Theo Scott to a left shoulder injury in the first quarter, Ohio maintained its poise behind junior Boo Jackson, who became the latest mobile quarterback to give Ohio State problems. Jackson tossed three interceptions in the loss, but he scrambled for 55 yards and kept several drives alive with third-down heroics.

The Bobcats converted 9 of 17 third-down opportunities, a ratio that must improve for Ohio State to have any chance of beating USC.

"There were a lot of third-and-longs where they scrambled and picked them up," linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "You've got to get off the field. It's frustrating."

The tackling will need to tighten up next week, but the Buckeyes defense only gave up one touchdown and can draw confidence from forcing turnovers. The real concerns are on offense.

Boeckman struggled to find a rhythm until late in the third quarter, and a miscommunication with Cordle led to a fumbled snap and an Ohio touchdown, which put the Bobcats up 14-6 and sent panic through The Shoe.

"I gave Jimmy the signal and then I looked up a little bit and he snapped it," Boeckman said. "I kind of wasn't ready for it, and it also was a little high."

Boeckman and Cordle can't afford similar miscues at USC, when crowd noise will be a much bigger factor.

Maurice Wells was asked to speculate on how Trojans players viewed the Buckeyes' performance Saturday.

"They're probably thinking it's going to be a slam-dunk win next week," he said.

The same thoughts might have hurt Ohio State on Saturday. It certainly looked that way.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Greetings from central Ohio, where it's a bit on the gloomy side but shouldn't be at The Shoe, where I'll be heading in a bit. There could be multiple new quarterbacks today in the Big Ten. I'm not saying, I'm just saying. Let's take a look around the league, starting with the game I'll be watching:

• USC will be watching Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor today, Doug Lesmerises writes in The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Trojans linebacker Rey Maualuga expects Pryor to run, so it might be important for Ohio State's coaches to let him test the arm. The Buckeyes' backfield depth will be tested, Ken Gordon writes in The Columbus Dispatch. Star left tackle Alex Boone is fine after being treated for an infection this week.
• Today's Big Ten slate could put many to sleep, Teddy Greenstein writes in the Chicago Tribune. The Big Ten Network's Dave Revsine expects the league to pick up some momentum heading into Week 3.
  
• Illinois has some nice new digs at Memorial Stadium, Terry Bannon writes in the Chicago Tribune.
  
• Don't expect Indiana to beef up its schedule any time soon, not with bowl games as the priority, Terry Hutchens writes in The Indianapolis Star. It doesn't look like IU is getting nailed with some of the high guarantee costs.

"This year, IU will pay $750,000 combined to its four visiting nonconference opponents. Murray State will receive the largest amount, $250,000. Last week, IU paid Western Kentucky $150,000. Later this season, Ball State will earn $150,000 and Central Michigan $200,000. With gate revenues exceeding $5 million for home games last year, IU sees it as a smart investment."

• Ricky Stanzi's improvement in recent weeks could prompt a change at quarterback for Iowa, Randy Peterson writes in The Des Moines Register. I've got to get Hawkeyes wideout Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, or DJK as he's known, on the phone. Entertaining kid.
  
• Michigan fans need to be patient with Rich Rodriguez and a transitioning team, Drew Sharp writes in the Detroit Free Press. Steven Threet gets the start at quarterback, but he'll need help from others in a work-in-progress offense, John Heuser writes in The Ann Arbor News.
  
• Michigan State safety Otis Wiley is getting back to top form after a rough patch, Joe Rexrode writes in the Lansing State Journal.
  
• Tim Brewster wants to know just how much Minnesota has improved, Kent Youngblood writes in the Star Tribune. He'll find out today against Bowling Green.
  
• Northwestern's defense gets a big piece back tonight with the return of tackle John Gill, Shannon Ryan writes in the Chicago Tribune.
  
• Penn State's depth and versatility will be vital today against Oregon State after the suspensions of two defensive starters, Ron Musselman writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Lions are hurting themselves with the off-field issues, Bob Flounders writes in The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News.
• Purdue linebacker Kevin Green draws inspiration from his (much) older brother, Stacy Clardie writes in The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.
  
• Wisconsin's defensive line has bonded over personal tragedies, Tom Mulhern writes in the Wisconsin State Journal. Marshall provides a test for the Badgers' run game, Jeff Potrykus writes in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.