Ohio State looks toward USC after forgettable performance

COLUMBUS - Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman repeated the same answer for wave after wave of reporters who wanted his thoughts on the Buckeyes' game at Southern California this Saturday after OSU struggled past Ohio University 26-14 on Saturday.

"We need to get a lot better," Boeckman said again and again. "We need to get a lot better if we want to go out to the Coliseum and get a victory."

Obviously, No. 3 Ohio State (2-0) needs much improvement against No. 1 USC (1-0).

If the Buckeyes repeat their performance against Ohio University in Los Angeles, USC's starters will get an early exit, television sets will be turned off all across the country, and Ohio State's reputation for coming up small in big games will only be reinforced.

Having to come from behind against a Mid-American Conference team that wasn't even rated among the MAC's best teams in the preseason polls wasn't what anyone expected out of the Buckeyes against Ohio University.

Wide receiver Brian Hartline labeled OSU's performance "pathetic" and said Ohio University probably should have won.

Some of his teammates weren't quite so blunt, though they might have been just as dismayed about the way the team played against the Bobcats.

Most were looking forward to the challenge ahead of them, though.

"I'm very excited. We've been hearing about it, everybody has been talking about it but we've been trying to stay focused and take it one game at a time. But everybody has been talking about it, it's been on the news. We're ready," defensive end Lawrence Wilson said.

Linebacker Ross Homan said, "Personally, I just can't wait to get out there."

USC will be a formidable challenge. Maybe even a bigger test for the Buckeyes than it first seemed.

Losing 10 players to the NFL draft, including four in the first round, appeared to indicate the Trojans might be vulnerable to the woes of inexperience, especially on offense where they had only four returning starters.

But a 52-7 win over Virginia two weeks ago erased many of those doubts. USC did not play this past Saturday.

USC's offense produced 558 yards against Virginia. That was only 75 yards short of the school record of 633 yards, set in a 49-17 win over Illinois in last season's Rose Bowl.

Southern California's strength is on defense, where it has seven returning starters. Linebackers Ray Maualuga and Brian Cushing, along with defensive backs Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays, lead a defense that allowed the fewest yards per game in the country in 2007.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez threw for three touchdowns against Virginia and showed no signs of a problem with a dislocated kneecap he suffered a month ago in practice.

Sanchez started three games last season when John David Booty was injured.

USC has all of its wide receivers back from last season and uses four tailbacks. Joe McKnight is probably the Trojans' No. 1 back, but C.J. Cable led the rushing attack against Virginia with 73 yards.

Maybe the biggest question for Ohio State is if tailback Chris Wells will return after sitting out the OU game because of a foot injury in the opener against Youngstown State.

Coach Jim Tressel says he expects Wells to return, but the 235-pound junior did not dress against Ohio University.

Ohio State and Southern California have not played since 1990, when the Trojans won 35-26 in a game shortened because of lightning. The last time OSU went to USC, the Trojans won 42-3 in 1989.