Analysis: Buckeyes full of confidence

Ohio State on a roll entering bye week

Ryan Day is not ready to call his Ohio State team close to a finished product.

That may very well be true, but it is also undeniable that the Buckeye team that lost to Oregon and played pattycake with Tulsa until the fourth quarter is on a roll as it enters its off week.

Since that Tulsa game three weeks ago, Ohio State has outscored Akron, Rutgers and Maryland 177-37. Of course, the Zips, Scarlet Knights and Terrapins are far from championshipcaliber teams. But you play the teams that are on the schedule, and the Buckeyes (5-1) dominated all of them, the latest Saturday's 66-17 thrashing of Maryland.

Now they take a week to heal and prepare for a tougher second half of the season. After a trip to Indiana, Penn State looms, and the regular season ends with Michigan State and Michigan, both of whom are undefeated.

BARBARA J. PERENIC/COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud threw five touchdown passes for the second straight week.