COLUMBUS Reviews positive: No. 4 Buckeyes are good

Nine of Ohio State's last 11 wins have been by a touchdown or less.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Ready or not, the Ohio State Buckeyes play their first Big Ten game Saturday against Northwestern.
Four games and four victories into defending their national title, they have shown flashes of brilliance along with moments of unvarnished ineptitude. The rest of the time, the No. 4 Buckeyes have appeared to be a very pedestrian team on offense instead of the powerhouse many expected.
Some of the statistics are mediocre. Then again, it's hard to improve on a perfect record.
"Ohio State is a great football team. Ohio State knows how to win. Ohio State has 18 wins in a row," Bowling Green quarterback Josh Harris said after safety Will Allen picked off his last-second pass to cap another close win for the Buckeyes last Saturday. "You can see why. They have each other's back. They find ways to win the game. That's the mark of a great football team."
Big Ten opener
The Buckeyes play host to Northwestern (2-2) Saturday at noon in the first step of their defense of a 15th outright Big Ten title. The game ends a five-game homestand at Ohio Stadium. They then get a week off before their first road game at Wisconsin.
Close games have caused some serious palpitations for Ohio State's fans, but the Buckeyes always seem to escape at the end. Nine of their last 11 wins have been decided by a touchdown or less.
There are some encouraging signs. The Buckeyes finally got their running attack going after struggling to get positive yardage in the first three games. Just like last year's 14-0 season, the defense has given up yardage at times but never when the game is hanging in the balance.
Mostly, the Buckeyes' timing has been impeccable.
"We made the plays when it counted," defensive end Simon Fraser said. "Our fourth quarter is a little lackadaisical. We need to study why that's happening."
Ohio State has churned ahead despite the loss of leading rusher Maurice Clarett and quarterback Craig Krenzel. Krenzel watched the Bowling Green game from the sideline, resting a hyperextended right elbow. He may not be available for Saturday's game, with Scott McMullen again filling in.
Strengths, problems
The biggest strength is that opposing teams have run into a brick wall when they've attempted to run the ball. Ohio State has surrendered less than a yard per carry, giving up 96 yards on 103 rushing attempts.
Still, coach Jim Tressel remains perplexed by a series of ongoing problems. The Buckeyes had three more turnovers on Saturday and now have 12 for the year -- they had only 17 in 2002.
Asked the cause of all the turnovers, Tressel said, "I don't know. If I knew, hopefully I could solve it."
The offensive line continues to be a nagging problem, with Krenzel and McMullen taking some frightful hits and rushers frequently running into defenders in the backfield. After piling up penalties in record numbers for the past two games, the Buckeyes were flagged just three times against Bowling Green.
"We must get more consistent," said tailback Lydell Ross, who ran for two scores against Bowling Green.