Next game
Who: Miami RedHawks (0-0) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (0-0)
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Ohio Stadium (102,329), Columbus
TV: Big Ten Network
Radio: WMOH-AM (1450), WBDZ-AM (1230), WONE-AM (980), WDJO-AM (1480), WING-AM (1410), WFMG-FM (101.3)
The long wait is about to end.
Miami University’s football team hasn’t played a game since Nov. 22, 2011. The RedHawks lost to Ohio 21-14 that day, finishing 4-8 with their third straight defeat.
“Anytime you experience disappointment, you dwell on it a little bit longer,” MU senior defensive end Jason Semmes said. “Last season stings because we know we’re a better team than our record displayed. We’re trying to rectify that.”
That task begins in Columbus on Saturday afternoon as Miami, representing the Mid-American Conference, kicks off the 2012 campaign against Ohio State.
The RedHawks are a veteran team with high hopes, and second-year coach Don Treadwell believes his crew is ready to compete before a crowd of 100,000-plus at Ohio Stadium.
“I like to think our veterans have been in a lot of big stadiums,” Treadwell said. “Two years ago, they played very well in Florida. Last year we opened up with Missouri, one of the top 15 teams in the country, and they played very well. I don’t think it’s a matter of not being in big-stage games before.”
The odds are still stacked against MU in this one, the debut of Urban Meyer at the OSU helm.
The RedHawks have never beaten the Buckeyes, losing in 1904 (80-0), 1911 (3-0), 2000 (27-16) and 2005 (34-14). The RedHawks haven’t conquered a Big Ten team since 2003 (Northwestern, 44-14). And the RedHawks have lost six of their last seven openers (they edged Ball State 14-13 in 2007).
“It’s a long season,” Treadwell said. “We’re not going to put any more emphasis on the opener because of whatever has happened in the past. That doesn’t do any good. All you do is get kids uptight.
“Every team’s a new team,” he added. “That’s the beauty of what we do.”
Ohio State is coming off a tumultuous 6-7 season, its first losing record since 1988. The Buckeyes lost their last four games and dropped a 24-17 decision to Florida in the Gator Bowl.
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