Urban Meyer came to Ohio State with what he called his “winning plan,” and the four elements were to dominate the turnover battle, play great defense, win the kicking game and score in the red zone

How are the Buckeyes faring in those areas? Well, anyone looking at the results wouldn’t guess his current team is 8-0.

The Buckeyes rank seventh in the Big Ten in turnover margin at plus-1. They had one takeaway against Purdue last week but gave the ball up four times (two fumbles, two interceptions) and yet still prevailed, 29-22, in overtime.

“It’s a great plan,” senior receiver Jake Stoneburner said of Meyer’s points of emphasis. “Sometimes we don’t follow the plan, but somehow we still win. If we can take care of business and not turn the ball over, we can make the plan a lot easier.”

As for the other Meyer edicts, the Buckeyes are ninth in the Big Ten in total yards allowed (393.4 per game) and seventh in net punting while making 3-of-5 field goals.

But they’ve been strong in the red zone. They’ve tallied points on 30 of 34 trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and 27 of those scores have been touchdowns — by far the best TD percentage in the conference.

“When we get to the red zone, we’re lights out,” quarterback Braxton Miller said. “We always score.”

Make some noise: The Buckeyes are preparing for a boisterous crowd today — perhaps the loudest road environment they’ll face all season.

“The unique thing I liked the most about playing there was the white out,” fifth-year senior cornerback Travis Howard said of the all-white apparel in the stands. “I thought that was just tremendous. And the stadium and the fans at night are just unbelievable. It’s one of the craziest atmospheres I’ve been in since I’ve been to Ohio State.”

Stoneburner said the Buckeyes don’t exactly receive a warm welcome when they arrive.

“We pull in on the bus and drive by (the fans camping out), and there will be signs and the double middle index finger and people being rude,” he said.

He doesn’t expect anything different this time. “I’m sure the crowd will not be nice.”

Secondary help: Junior safety C.J. Barnett missed three games with an ankle injury but returned for spot duty against Indiana on Oct. 13 and played extensively against Purdue last week. His end-zone interception thwarted a 19-play drive.

“He just gives our secondary an extra boost of confidence,” safety Christian Bryant said. “He was a coach off the field when he was off those three games. Now that he’s back, he’s bringing the same thing. And it’s better to play with somebody who just knows the game and gives you checks and everything.”

Next-door neighbors: Penn State coach Bill O’Brien isn’t ready to call Ohio State his team’s rival, but he’s not pretending their game today is the same as any other.

“For me to sit up here and say it’s not a big game, that’s crazy,” he said. “This is Ohio State — a great tradition, great players, great head coach, great coaching staff.

“This is a great college football game in what will be a great college football atmosphere against a team that has the same type of tradition and history as Penn State. To me, that’s what college football is all about.”

Stopping Braxton: The Nittany Lions have played against some running quarterbacks this season, but O’Brien said none compare to Miller.

“This guy’s an excellent player. And the thing about him is he throws the ball well, too,” O’Brien said. “He can drop back and throw it. He can make a play with his feet. The read option is a huge threat.

“We’ve got to make sure we know, look, the guy’s going to make some plays, let’s make sure we limit that and get ready to not dwell on the big play he just made and try to play the next play.”