San Diego State @ Ohio State preview

Second-ranked Ohio State looks to stretch the nation’s longest winning streak to 14 games when it hosts San Diego State on Saturday. The Buckeyes defeated Buffalo 40-20 in their season-opening game and will have junior All-American cornerback Bradley Roby back from a one-game suspension due to a disorderly-conduct incident. San Diego State has just one victory in 32 road contests against ranked teams, and that victory occurred last season when the Aztecs won 21-19 at Boise State.

San Diego State got off to a poor start as it committed five turnovers and was drubbed at home 40-19 by FCS school Eastern Illinois. Buckeyes junior quarterback Braxton Miller, who finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting last season, passed for 178 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 77 yards against Buffalo. Miller has 2,063 career rushing yards and needs 18 more to surpass Cornelius Greene (1973-75) as the most prolific running quarterback in Ohio State history.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2. LINE: Ohio State – 27.5.

ABOUT SAN DIEGO STATE (0-1): The Aztecs need star running back Adam Muema (1,458 yards in 2012) to be healthy in order to have any chance of pulling off the upset, as the junior gained only 17 yards on 10 carries against Eastern Illinois before departing with a left ankle injury. Junior quarterback Adam Dingwell passed for a career-high 318 yards, but his overall performance was dreadful as he was 27-of-63 with four interceptions. Defensively, San Diego State features a strong group of linebackers led by Jake Fely in the middle but lost junior outside linebacker Derek Largent (knee) for up to four weeks in the Eastern Illinois contest.

ABOUT OHIO STATE (1-0): Senior running back Jordan Hall again will be the starter after rushing for two touchdowns and a career-high 159 yards against Buffalo. Junior Rod Smith returns from a one-game suspension and will spell Hall, while senior Carlos Hyde remains suspended for two more games due to a summer incident. Head coach Urban Meyer said Roby (five career interceptions) will have to earn his starting job back, so it is possible sophomore Armani Reeves will start against the Aztecs. “He’s competing for a spot,” Meyer said of Roby. “He will not be named starter.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Ohio State won all three previous meetings - the most recent encounter being a 27-6 victory in 2005.

2. San Diego State has dropped 11 consecutive games against Big Ten foes since beating Minnesota in 1993.

3. The Buckeyes are 67-7 at home since the start of the 2002 season.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 48, San Diego State 16