DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — Sure, football coaches had been telling Brian Hartline's teams for years not to overlook the weaker opponents.

"You don't always see it," said Hartline, an Ohio State sophomore receiver, "but in the past couple weeks we've definitely seen it."

Every few weeks this college football season, another upset has occurred that seems to become one of the greatest in history. First, it was Appalachian State's victory against Michigan in the season opener. Next, it was 37-point underdog Syracuse knocking off Louisville. Then last Saturday, Stanford, nearly a six-touchdown underdog, beat USC by a point in Los Angeles.

The third-ranked Buckeyes enter their Big Ten siesta on Saturday against Kent State as a 31-point favorite. At 6-0 with the country's top scoring defense and two conference road wins in their pockets, the players are confident. But, as Hartline and coach Jim Tressel said Tuesday, OSU can't afford to overlook 3-3 Kent State.

Tressel was asked during his weekly news conference if there is a common thread to the big upsets.

"Turnovers," he said. "That's just a guess. Wouldn't you say, Coach Bruce?"

Earle Bruce, the former Ohio State coach, was sitting among the reporters.

"I'd say that," Bruce said. "And then coaching."

That statement, as well as the pseudo-surprised look on Tressel's face, brought laughter to the room.

"Strike that from the record," Tressel joked.

The Buckeyes, though, weren't spectacular early this season against teams they were supposed to blow out.

"I think whatever mistakes created your poor performance than you're capable of many times can be traced to ... you weren't focused on the task at hand," Tressel said. "But sometimes, it's dumb luck."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.