Price won’t treat bye week as vacation

Call it the lull before the storming of the ramparts.

In the midst of a bye week, No. 6 Ohio State’s players know the strength of the competition will jump dramatically, starting next week against No. 2 Penn State.

“It was the right opportunity at the right time for us,” cocaptain and center Billy Price said of the bye after practice Wednesday. “Going seven weeks into the season, you’re starting to get into the grind of the Big Ten season.”

He named off the next five opponents: Penn State, Iowa, Michigan State, Illinois and Michigan.

“Those are really highly, highly respected teams, topfive defenses across the board,” Price said, with Illinois (2-4) probably liking being included. “So going into those type of weeks, and getting that rest (this week), and the extra fundamental work some of us are being able to polish up on, I think it’s really going to help us going down the stretch.”

The secret, he said, is making sure the bye week isn’t treated as a vacation, even though the Buckeyes will have the weekend off before returning for Penn State week.

The aim this week in practice, Price said, is “still making sure that you’re crisp, still making sure you have confidence in the game plan, your fundamentals, and just sharpening up on some of the fundamental technique aspects that the offensive line kind of gets away from during a season.”

Ready for the upgrade

Defensive end Nick Bosa and his fellow defenders have mostly feasted on offenses with challenges in the five games since the loss to Oklahoma on Sept. 9.

Ohio State beat Army, UNLV, Rutgers, Maryland and Nebraska by a combined 266-56.

It has been fun, he told reporters in his low-key style after practice Wednesday, but “I’m ready to get into a real one.”

Campbell doing well

Parris Campbell had to be helped from the field on the first possession at Nebraska after suffering a head bump. The co-captain and hybrid back was at practice, though taking it easy.

“I started feeling right probably Sunday evening,” Campbell said. “I just had a bad headache, naturally.”

There were yards to be had in bunches at Nebraska, with the Buckeyes totaling more than 600, so Campbell was asked whether he felt like he missed out. He said no but added he watched the rest of the game from the locker room with his mother at his side and cheered all the way.

“I was hyped for my guys,” Campbell said.