'We're grinding': Ryan Day on where Ohio State is at coming off bye week

No. 3 Ohio State had an unusually early bye last week in the midst of a tune-up schedule that has already seen the Buckeyes outscore opponents by a combined 108-6.

The Buckeyes dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the AP poll while other teams were playing more competitive games. And nobody is going to be overly impressed if they cover the 39 1/2-point spread against Marshall of the Sun Belt Conference this Saturday at the Horseshoe.

But Ohio State (2-0) should have all the wrinkles ironed out after walloping Akron and Western Michigan, and then facing the Thundering Herd (1-1) before embarking on a rigorous nine-game Big Ten schedule.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day said these games give him a chance to get game experience for a lot of players who will eventually be needed in the course of a long season.

“We're not where we need to be yet,” Day said.

Marshall, after blowing out FCS school Stony Brook in Week 1, gave a respectable performance against Virginia Tech, staying in the game until the second half of the 31-14 loss.

The Herd may find it hard to compete with Ohio State and its arsenal of weapons, but fourth-year coach Charles Huff can at least get a better idea of how the pieces all fit together for his team moving forward.

“Tremendous opportunity on the national stage,” Huff said. “Our guys fully understand the mission. They fully understand the size of the challenge.”