The Best Ohio State News/Writing Of September 5

Another Wednesday, another hump day. Feels a lot like a Tuesday though, doesn't it? Funny how that one day off throws everything into disarray. If you're anything like we are, you've probably been crazy busy the last two days struggling to make up for the (even partially if you also anything like us worked most of Monday) lost time, but at the same time are sort of freaking out feeling like because it's almost Thursday and you aren't where you usually are for the work week. Shake that anxiety aside and settle down with what you need to know about and read vis-a-vis Ohio State news and articles.

ON ASCENDANCE

Devin Smith was arguably Ohio State's best receiver in the absence of DeVier Posey one year ago at this time. Smith showed the flashes (and not the paltry comedic one's he demonstrated in Ohio State's ESPN production "All-Access") on the field we've grown to expect from this year, but never did really any of us think he could make the kind of timeless moment happen like he did last Saturday against the Miami RedHawks. What does the future hold for Ohio State's #15?

The Columbus Dispatch Tim May Ohio State: football Smith leaps into spotlight

Just to be clear, no one is putting Devin Smith in the Cris Carter realm when it comes to making spectacular catches, at least not yet.

But Smith's leaping, one-handed touchdown grab - the dam-buster in the season-opening romp over Miami University - had a Carter-esque look for coach Urban Meyer. He was a graduate assistant at Ohio State in 1986 when Carter was gaining ovations for his sensational grabs even on the practice field. Meyer remembered one of those.

"One day, he caught a backhanded pass when it was like 10 degrees outside, and everybody looked around and said, ‘What the heck was that?' " Meyer said yesterday.

ON GOAL LINE FRUSTRATIONS

As mentioned yesterday, Ohio State getting stood up at the opposing goal line as time expired in the first half had all the makings of the kind of play that would make steam come out of Urban Meyer's ears. And yet, he approached the situation as a teaching moment; an opportunity to get better. Moving forward, you can bet that Ohio State won't be the same team when they enter into the opposing red zone and especially when they're sniffing 6 points that closely.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer Doug Lesmerises Goal-line snafu offers motivation for Buckeyes' offensive line: Ohio State Insider

It's almost like Ohio State wants to wind up at the 1 yard line on Saturday against Central Florida with one shot at the end zone. What happened in the Buckeyes' opener, when they failed to punch it in from the 1 on the last play of the first half against Miami (Ohio), bothers them that much.

"The bottom line is when you get down there, it's as much mentality as it is scheme," said OSU running backs and tight ends coach Tim Hinton, emphasizing that head coach Urban Meyer has always said the Buckeyes were going to be a physical team. "The off-tackle power play is something they've been running here at Ohio State for the last 30, 40 years, but we didn't execute it as well as we need to.

"Every offensive lineman has to get a little bit more loaded in their stance and come off the ball with the mentality that's there no way we're being denied. If we look at the whole game, that's the number one thing we're more disappointed in. ... In some other games, you can't miss that opportunity."

ON WHAT'S NEXT

Ohio State cruised with relative easy after a rocky first quarter against the Miami RedHawks this past Saturday. From the top down, few wearing Buckeyes colors expect an A-B repeat this coming Saturday. With Urban Meyer having mentioned the increase in difficulty a number of different ways this week, it's up to the team to take the same approach that led to their opening week 46 point victory and apply it to Central Florida in way that leaves no doubt as to whether or not the Buckeyes are worthy of their status as being 13.5 point favorites.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer Doug Lesmerises Central Florida knows it can't waste opporunities against Ohio State on Saturday

"We definitely have a good feel about our running backs," UCF senior left guard Theo Goins said. "[Murray] looks fine, but if he can't go I feel like our backfield will be fine."

That sounds good to the OSU defensive line, which spent the opener chasing Miami quarterback Zac Dysert as he released quick passes that nullified a pass rush. The RedHawks only ran the ball eight times, so an OSU defensive lineman like Jonathan Hankins didn't have much to do.

He will Saturday.

"I'm definitely more excited," Hankins said. "This offense showed they like to run the ball with a little play action, so [Bortles] will be in the pocket a bit longer and have the ball a bit longer."