COLUMBUS — After getting pummeled by then-No. 1 USC 35-3 on Sept. 13, the beaten and discouraged Ohio State Buckeyes straggled onto a plane for the long trip home.
“Quiet. Very quiet. Very long,” is how offensive tackle Alex Boone described the flight back.
Five wins later, the 10th-ranked Buckeyes have a chance to make up for that prime-time failing and undo a lot of heartache when they get yet another shot at proving they can win a marquee game. Redemption could come in the form of No. 3 Penn State on Saturday night at a rockin’, scarlet-draped Ohio Stadium.
The Buckeyes say they’re not trying to redeem themselves for being embarrassed in L.A., or for those blowout losses in the last two Bowl Championship Series title games against Florida and LSU. Yet the thought is still in their heads that they cannot afford another huge disappointment when the lights are the brightest.
“We know that our performances of late haven’t been the best in big games,” linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “It’s all about the here and now. We can’t dwell on stuff in the past. You just have to keep looking forward. A game like this, a big game in the Big Ten, it’s exciting.”
Ohio State (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) has played unevenly, but still has knocked off every one in its path since that long flight home. As the season has worn on, the Buckeyes have come to realize that they still control their own destiny in many ways.
For example, one of their biggest goals was to become the first team to win three consecutive outright Big Ten titles. Regardless of whether they share the conference title or not, they can also become the first Ohio State team to grab at least four straight league championships since the Buckeyes did it six years in a row (1972-77).
“You know, it was tough at first to have all these goals, and visions for your team and to lose a game you fully expected to win,” linebacker Marcus Freeman said, referring to the USC loss. “After that game, our morale was down for a while. But we got back together and our seniors and our captains did a good job of getting us back together and getting us prepared. We got it going and we still knew we had a chance to win the Big Ten. Our goals for the season are still in front of us.”
To get from the low point of the lopsided loss to the excitement of Saturday’s challenge took a lot of self-evaluation and a complete transformation of the Buckeyes’ offense.
Chris “Beanie” Wells, who missed the USC game with a foot injury, is now back and has rushed for 90 or more yards in each of those five victories. The starting quarterback ever since the loss to the Trojans has been freshman Terrelle Pryor, who has added a dash of speed to the attack.
The Buckeyes — due in large part to those three lopsided losses in spotlight games — are listed as a slight underdog against Penn State.
“I definitely feel we’re underdogs,” Wells said. “We’ve not been producing up to the expectations of the media or whoever it may be. A lot of people are thinking we’re not a great football team.”
But the Buckeyes don’t feel they’re the same team as they were the last time a lot of people watched them on national TV. They’re 5-0 since then, have climbed four spots in the rankings and remain the kings of the hill in the Big Ten until someone knocks them off.
They also feel they’ve learned from those searing, painful memories of that loss six weeks earlier.
“We’re more prepared just because we all vividly remember what happened the last time,” tight end Rory Nicol said. “We always say that the Big Ten is a new season, and it is. We’ve played more games, we’ve got more experience, we’re kind of figuring things out on offense. And you hope you learn from your past mistakes.”

Buckeye periscope

BUCKEYES BUZZ: Seasons came and seasons went at Happy Valley — and QB Daryll Clark remained glued to the bench.
Nobody, it seemed, was happy with starter Anthony Morelli’s play the last couple of years. But he kept going back out there, play after play. Clark spent three years watching from the sidelines, almost forgotten. He threw a total of 36 passes — just nine of them as a junior.
Yet coach Joe Paterno decided to install Clark, now a senior, as his starter this season. It’s been an inspired move.
The Youngstown native has passed for 1,531 yards — 10 times more than he had in his career coming into this season — and 11 TDs with just two interceptions, putting him No. 18 in the country in pass efficiency. He has also added a dimension by running the ball.
Overlooked by the Nittany Lions coaching staff for years, Ohio State is keeping a close eye on him as the Buckeyes head into Saturday’s game against Penn State at the Horseshoe.
“He’s pretty much turned the whole program around,” CB Malcolm Jenkins said. “He’s brought a new swagger to the offense.”
“A lot of things have come together,” Paterno said. “I think everybody appreciates how hard Clark has worked and how good of an athlete he is.”
Finally.
QBS NEEDED: Ohio State quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels said Wednesday that the ideal situation is to have four scholarship quarterbacks on the team. The Buckeyes have three — freshman Terrelle Pryor, fifth-year senior Todd Boeckman and redshirt sophomore Joe Bauserman. He said it was necessary to get another young QB soon and begin grooming him. “One thing we try not to do is reach for somebody,” Daniels said. “We’re pretty picky.”
IMPROVING D: Defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said he hasn’t taken a more vocal approach with his players in recent weeks.
“I don’t know that I have any answers,” he said with a laugh. “We’re all working hard, trying to get this thing going, to get them playing harder and faster. We’ve seen a little bit of improvement, but we’ve still got a long way to go.”
LOTS GOING ON: After the ESPN GameDay broadcast (10 a.m.-noon) from the south side of St. John Arena, there are plenty of other activities for fans. Ohio State’s women’s hockey team plays Bemidji State at home at 1 p.m. and admission is free. Also free is the opportunity to watch basketball practice at Value City Arena; the OSU women’s basketball team will be practicing in the main arena noon to 2 p.m., and the men will hold a scrimmage from 4 to 5 p.m.
BEFORE YOU ASK: Those cables hovering over the field are there so ABC can use Skycam. This is the first time Skycam has been used during a game at Ohio Stadium.

SATURDAY

WHO: No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Penn State
TIME: 8 p.m.
WHERE: Ohio Stadium, Columbus
TV/RADIO: Channel 5; WEOL 930-AM, WKNR 1100-AM

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