Meyer plans to work Buckeyes hard during bye week

NEXT GAME

Cincinnati at Ohio State, 6 p.m. Sept. 27, Big Ten Network, 1410

For almost six decades last century, Ohio State didn’t schedule in-state schools. That’s one way it kept alive an in-state winning streak that reached 39 games with a 66-0 rout of Kent State on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.

No one can accuse the Buckeyes of avoiding fellow Ohio schools anymore. They have played at least one in-state school in 18 of the last 23 seasons. They put that winning streak on the line Saturday and will do it again versus a more challenging opponent, Cincinnati, Sept. 27 in Columbus.

If Buckeye fans thought the sky was falling when they lost to Virginia Tech, the world might end if they lose to Cincinnati.

“I watched Cincinnati (Friday) and they’re a very talented team,” Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said, “so we’re going to put everything we can into it the next two weeks to win that game.”

The Buckeyes lead the all-time series 13-2. Cincinnati’s only victories came in 1896 and 1897. The Buckeyes, who are 18th in the Amway Coaches Poll and 23rd in the Associated Press poll, have won the last 10 meetings, including four since 1999.

Cincinnati almost upset the sixth-ranked Buckeyes in 2002 at Paul Brown Stadium. A touchdown run by Craig Krenzel with 3:44 to play gave Ohio State a 23-19 lead. Cincinnati receivers dropped two go-ahead touchdown passes in the final minute. Without that victory, Ohio State wouldn’t have won the national championship.

Most Ohio State players probably don’t know of that game, but they do know the Bearcats looked good Friday in their season opener, a 58-34 victory over Toledo. Notre Dame transfer Gunner Kiel threw for 418 yards and six touchdowns. The Cincinnati defense, on the other hand, allowed 563 yards.

“They’re a good team, Cincinnati,” Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett said. “I don’t think we’re going to sit on this win for long.”

Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith, who caught one of Barrett’s six touchdown passes against Kent State, watched the Cincinnati game Friday because his fellow former Massillon Washington wide receiver, Justin Olack, plays for Toledo. Smith was also impressed with the Bearcats but likes that Ohio State gets an extra week to prepare for them. The open date comes at a good time.

“It gives me a chance to go back home and watch my high school and be with my family,” Smith said. “For the whole team, it’s good to sit back and relax and watch college football.”

This week, though, Meyer plans to work the team hard. He wants to get his players as many repetitions as possible in practice and in games to get them ready for the Big Ten season. He has two weeks of practice and one more non-conference game to do that.

“A lot of what you do in a bye week is depending on what kind of team you have,” Meyer said. “But our guys need repetitions. Football is a game of organized chaos out there. The more often you get players in those situations, (the better). Like on a two‑a‑day practice last Tuesday, I went 55‑play ones‑on‑ones and twos‑on‑twos, and I’ve never really done that before, and I didn’t script it that way.”