As if the Ohio State football team needed more motivation after suffering its first loss of the 2010 season against Wisconsin, its next opponent is a Purdue team that stunned the Buckeyes last season.

“I think a lot of guys have had this one circled for a while now,” junior left tackle Mike Adams said. “At Ohio State, we never like to lose games.”

Last season, a Boilermaker team that held a 1-5 record entering the game upset the Buckeyes, 26-18. Entering the game, OSU was ranked No. 7 in the nation.

In the defeat, the Buckeyes committed nine penalties for 65 yards, compared to Purdue’s one penalty for five yards. For the second time since 2004, OSU had lost to a team that didn’t reach a BCS bowl game.

“We didn’t play as well as we could,” junior linebacker Andrew Sweat told the media after Tuesday’s practice. “They played really well.”

Adams said the coaches have been using last year’s loss as a motivational tool in hopes of preventing a second straight defeat.

“They’re definitely reminding us. We got some posters up all over the place,” Adams said. “It’s something that they’re obviously going to do, and you know, we need to be aware, and we can’t let that happen again.”

Sweat agreed that last year’s loss to Purdue motivates the Buckeyes but said neither team is the same as it was a year ago.

“You remember it, but that just gives you motivation to do better this year,” Sweat said. “Ultimately, it’s a new year, and you just have to go out and fight.”

Aside from avenging their loss to the Boilermakers, sophomore fullback Zach Boren said the Buckeyes are also motivated not to feel the sting of a loss for the second straight week.

“It’s one of the worst feelings,” Boren said. “You’re kind of just sitting there in disbelief. You’re just like, ‘Wow, like, that just happened.'”

OSU coach Jim Tressel said last year’s loss adds extra motivation for this year’s match-up, but he hopes his team gives the same kind of attention to each opponent on a weekly basis.

“What you hope you have full attention of is what you have to do to get better, more so than it being Purdue,” Tressel said.

Tressel also said he’s aware of the kind of attention the Buckeyes receive on a weekly basis.

“We told our guys countless times that there are 10 teams that want one thing for sure, and that’s for Ohio State not to be the Big Ten champions,” Tressel said. “Now let’s see how you can handle it.”

This year will be OSU’s chance to knock Purdue down from atop the Big Ten standings, just as the Boilermakers did to the Buckeyes a year ago. Purdue is in a three-way tie for the conference lead, with Michigan State and Iowa also undefeated in Big Ten play.

“We know they’re going to come in here and play hard. We went up there last year and they beat us, so we just got to go out there and get it done this week,” senior safety Jermale Hines said. “Any time somebody beats you, it goes towards motivation.”