Florida A&M @ Ohio State preview
Ohio Stadium
Ohio State anticipates the return of Heisman Trophy candidate Braxton Miller on Saturday to conclude the non-conference portion of its schedule. Sidelined with a sprained knee ligament, Miller expects to get the kinks out on Saturday afternoon as the third-ranked Buckeyes tune up for Big Ten play by hosting FCS representative Florida A&M. Senior quarterback Kenny Guiton didn't miss a beat last week as he threw for four touchdowns - including a school-record 90-yard scoring strike to Devin Smith on the team's second offensive play - in Ohio State's 52-34 triumph over California last week.
With Miller expected back at quarterback, Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer did his best to insert some intrigue to this likely one-sided affair by creatively dancing around Guiton's potential participation on Saturday. "If (Kenny) is one of the best 11, you have an obligation to get him on the field a bit," Meyer said. Florida A&M enters this daunting matchup on the heels of consecutive losses - including a 27-20 setback to Samford last week.
TV: Noon ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: None.
ABOUT FLORIDA A&M (1-2): The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference representatives will be hard-pressed to keep pace with the explosive Buckeyes after mustering just nine first downs and 219 yards of total offense last week. Junior Damien Fleming has struggled mightily, throwing five interceptions while rolling up only 383 yards this season. Florida A&M has scored 54 points combined in its three games this season, which sits just nine better than Ohio State's average.
ABOUT OHIO STATE (3-0): While the passing game garners headlines, running back Jordan Hall sits just three yards shy of his career-best total of 405 - which was set in 2011. The senior rolled up 168 yards last week and doubled his touchdown total by scoring three times. Guiton has chipped in with 181 on the ground as Ohio State has averaged 285.3 rushing yards, which sits 13th-best in the nation.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Ohio State's 15-game winning streak is the longest in major college football. Its last loss came against Florida in the 2012 Gator Bowl.
2. Should Florida A&M pull off the substantial upset, it will mark the second time that it has defeated an FBS team. The Rattlers posted a 16-13 triumph over Miami in 1979.
3. Smith continues to make every catch a damaging one for the opposition. The junior is averaging a whopping 19.7 yards per reception - which actually sits as a career low.
PREDICTION: Ohio State 59, Florida A&M 7