Buckeyes insist Purdue is better than 1-5

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ohio State gained just 184 yards last week, yet the Buckeyes beat Wisconsin 31-13 because they returned two interceptions and a kickoff for touchdowns.

Purdue gained 402 yards last week, but Minnesota beat the Boilermakers 35-20 after taking advantage of Purdue’s miscues and returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown.

Those scenarios offer a synopsis of each team’s season.

Seventh-ranked Ohio State (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten) sometimes struggles on offense but plays dominant defense, forces enough turnovers and makes enough big plays to win. Purdue (1-5, 0-2) moves the ball almost at will, but makes critical mistakes and finds ways to lose. These two teams meet today, fully aware that the gap in their talent levels isn’t nearly as significant as their flip-flopped records.

“They’re definitely better than their record indicates,” Ohio State linebacker Ross Homan said. “They’re a great team. You watch film on these guys and they’re attacking and making plays and getting scores and getting points. They’re in every game. They could be undefeated, easily, but it’s just how their record has played out.”

Penn State-Minnesota

The standout bookends to Penn State’s linebacking corps could finally be standing on the same field.

After returning to practice this week, all signs points to team captain Sean Lee joining fellow outside linebacker Navorro Bowman when the No. 14 Nittany Lions play host to Minnesota today in a homecoming game at Beaver Stadium — as if Gophers coach Tim Brewster didn’t have enough to worry about with the Penn State defense.

“We’re facing a great team on the road in their house,” Brewster said. “They’ve got great defensive personnel.”

It will be a tricky test for the Gophers (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) as they embark on a two-game conference road swing that could define their season: at Penn State, then at Ohio State.

Oklahoma-Texas

First came the flyovers. Then the Big 12 tiebreaker that helped Oklahoma win the league title. A few months later in Austin there was — briefly — an asterisk.

The annual Texas-Oklahoma rivalry at the Cotton Bowl is always a grudge match. Today’s game between the No. 3 Longhorns and No. 20 Sooners also carries national title implications and promises to be extra spicy after what happened last season.

So now Texas tries to tries to get revenge against a team it beat last season.

“I’m sure they’re a little bitter,” Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford said. “We’re a little bitter that they beat us last year. I’m sure both sides are going to be pretty amped up.”

USC-Notre Dame

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis gathered his players after the final practice before the 25th-ranked Fighting Irish face No. 6 USC and made a prediction.

“I said, ‘Saturday night, fellas, you’re going to be the lead story in the country one way or another. You’re going to be. So which lead story do you want to be?’ ”

The storyline he’d probably like to see most is Jimmy Clausen having the game of his life to beat the Trojans, ending a record seven-game losing streak by the Irish to USC to become a leading Heisman Trophy candidate. The one he’d like to see least? Another USC blowout, putting his job in jeopardy.

The latter might seem more likely considering six of USC’s seven victories have been by 20 or more points.

Weis is convinced the Irish (4-1) have a chance against the Trojans (4-1) after playing in four straight games decided in the last minute.