Quietly, they’re going about their business.
Sure, the Buckeye defense has allowed just 17 points in the last three games – not one in the second half.
Sure, the OSU special teams are playing “special.” As evidence, for the third straight week, the Big Ten Conference has honored a Buckeye for the weekly award – this week it was Chris Gamble.
But the offense is quietly going about its business.
Quietly to the tune of 33 points and just under 400 yards per game.
OSU (10-0, 5-0) has outscored the opposition 110-14 in the third quarter, and 175-38 in the second half.
The Buckeye offense is second in the conference in scoring, rushing and red-zone offense – putting up points 41 of the 47 times they have reached the opposition’s 20.
OSU leads the league in offensive time of possession, and its quarterback, junior Craig Krenzel, is second in the league and sixth in the nation in pass efficiency
Krenzel has passed for 151 yards per game and has thrown 10 touchdowns, completing 62 percent of his passes along the way.
A quiet leader on the offensive side of the ball is Krenzel’s roommate and this week’s captain against Purdue (4-5, 2-3 Big Ten), junior center Alex Stepanovich.
OSU football coach Jim Tressel called Stepanovich “the field general of the offensive front.”
“Our scheme that (offensive coordinator) Jim Bollman directs, the center is the guy that makes all the decisions,” Tressel said.
“The center lets people know who’s blocking whom and where we’re heading, and what protection we’re using. Alex has done a great job of stepping up and handling that leadership role,” Tressel said.
Stepanovich said he and Krenzel will occasionally talk about game film for the week’s opponent.
“There are times when he’s watching film, where I’ll pop in, we’ll sit there and talk about it,” Stepanovich said. “If he has questions about something, or I do, we’ll ask each other.”
“We both look at different things,” he said. “I think he looks a lot more at the defensive scheme, and a lot of times I look at the front. I worry more about the down linemen at first, then I go from there … We look at two different angles.”
It’s clear the Buckeyes have one angle, considering their latest No. 2 ranking in the BCS polls.
Tressel was asked to elaborate on his feelings about the ranking.
“Elaborate!” Tressel said emphatically. “I would say the best thing we should do is elaborate on Purdue and not elaborate on the BCS rankings.”
“I feel good about the fact that our guys are focused on things one day at a time,” he added. “The BCS really is only important at the end of the regular season.”
