Buckeyes have more questions

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

On the heels of an ugly 10-7 loss at home to Michigan State, Ohio State is grasping for solutions while battling problems off the field, stemming from a series of NCAA violations involving several players.

And now the Buckeyes (3-2) travel to Lincoln, Neb., for the 14th-ranked Cornhuskers’ first Big Ten home game.

Clearly, it doesn’t get any easier.

Interim coach Luke Fickell has heard the rumblings. Callers to talk shows and fans online are all questioning the coaching staff, the players, the athletic director and the direction of the program in the wake of two more suspensions announced on Monday.

“We all don’t like where we are [in terms of record],” Fickell said Tuesday. “We all know there’s ways we need to get better. Criticism I handle a lot better than I do praise. It just makes me mad, it makes me work harder, it makes me do things a little bit more. But you can’t let it affect you. You’ve got to continue to get better.”

After Saturday’s loss, center Mike Brewster called the defeat one of the most painful of his career. Thirty of the offense’s 63 plays went for no gain or a loss.