Top-ranked Ohio State doesn't expect Ohio to be a pushover on Saturday

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Ohio State went through extremes with its first two opponents, facing then-No. 1 Texas in the opener before having an easy time with Football College Subdivision foe Grambling State.

Saturday night’s test against Ohio University falls somewhere in the middle.

Yes, the top-ranked and 2-0 Buckeyes are 31 1/2-point favorites against the Bobcats (1-1), but the defending Mid-American Conference champions are coming off a 14-7 victory over West Virginia. It was Ohio’s second win over a Big 12 Conference program in the past three seasons and came after the Bobcats narrowly lost at Rutgers 34-31 in their opener.

“They’ve got to come in here with a lot of confidence. They’re going to take it one play at a time, try to get the game to the fourth quarter and go from there,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “But it’s an opportunity more than anything to build confidence for the rest of the season. They’re well-coached. They have a good team, so we know these guys are going to come in and play really hard.”

While Grambling State coach Mickey Joseph said before his team’s 70-0 loss that he knew what his team was in for coming into Ohio Stadium, Ohio coach Brian Smith knows his squad has a different mentality.

“Our kids are extremely competitive. They’re very confident. They obviously know that this is a big challenge,” he said. “We’re playing a really strong program that has earned the right to be one of the top programs in the country. And they’re excited for the challenge.”

While many Power Four coaches may try to avoid Group of Five schools that play in the same state, Day thinks the matchups are good for both programs.

“I think it’s great for the state of Ohio. I know OU has a very proud tradition. And, you know, when you’re from the state of Ohio, having a memory of playing in the Horseshoe during your college career is significant,” he said.

Ohio State is 52-0-1 against other in-state universities since a 7-6 loss to Oberlin in 1921. The Buckeyes are 6-0 all-time against the Bobcats. The teams have played seven times, but OSU’s win in 2010 was vacated by the NCAA.

Ohio State’s Julian Sayin completed a school-record 16 straight passes to start last week’s game and was 18 of 19 for 306 yards with four touchdowns and an interception in the first half.

Ohio’s Parker Navarro has not only completed 69.4% of his passes and is averaging 243 yards per game, but he is the Bobcats’ leading rusher with 180 yards.

Ohio is averaging 191.5 yards rushing, which should be a good test for Ohio State’s rebuilt defensive line, which is still trying to find some depth.

“Yeah, you have to be aware of him at all times. Whether it’s plus-one runs or he drops back and his first read isn’t there and he’s scrambling, you’ve got to have eyes on him,” linebacker Sonny Styles said about facing a running quarterback. “We have to do a really good job in our pass-rushing lanes. We can’t let him get outside the pocket and extend plays and make plays downfield or scramble for the first down. We’ve just got to be intentional with that this week.”

While Ohio State has held opponents to seven points in Matt Patricia’s first year as defensive coordinator, Ohio’s defense is coming off its own standout defensive performance last week against West Virginia.

The Bobcats held the Mountaineers to 2 of 13 on third-down conversions and forced eight punts. Junior linebacker Michael Molnar was named the Mid-American Conference’s defensive player of the week after having seven tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and 1 1/2 tackles for loss.

This will be the first time the teams have met since 2010, when Rufus the Bobcat tackled Brutus Buckeye from behind in the end zone after Ohio State ran out on the field.

Rufus jumped Brutus from behind and then landed a couple of punches to the head before both were separated. Brutus was a tough nut to crack, though, as his head didn’t come off.

Things are expected to be more civil this time.

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Freelance reporter Marcus Hartman in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this story.

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