COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State has experienced a month of chaos in the program and the No. 3 Buckeyes will certainly be happy to step onto the football field when they host Oregon State on Saturday.
Interim coach Ryan Day will run the squad in the opener after Urban Meyer was suspended for three games after a university investigation involving allegations of domestic abuse against former assistant Zach Smith.
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TV: Noon ET, ABC. LINE: Ohio State -38.5
Meyer was disciplined by the school after the investigation found he didn't respond properly to knowledge of Smith's behavior in 2015, and that leaves him on the sidelines and Day in charge of the program.
"The plan to win has never changed," the 39-year-old Day told reporters on Monday in his first media session. "So that's the culture here and the plan to win is always going to be here at Ohio State."
Oregon State lost its final 10 games last season, and former star quarterback Jonathan Smith (third with 9,680 passing yards from 1998-2001) is back as the school's head coach, although he doesn't want anybody feeling sorry that the powerful Buckeyes are first up on the slate.
"I want them to enjoy this thing and enjoy the competition of it," Smith told reporters. "If they can do that, I think the experience will be positive."
ABOUT OREGON STATE (2017: 1-11)
Senior Jake Luton was named the starting quarterback on Monday, 11 1/2 months after suffering a fractured thoracic spine during a game against Washington State that almost ended his career.
"I was pleased with how it played out," Smith said of the competition that included sophomores Conor Blount and Jack Colletto. "What really separated Jake was the last three or four practices. He began to separate, and really played well in the scrimmages. We're completely behind Jake."
The defense was atrocious last season while allowing 43 points and 473.1 yards per game, and the Beavers suffered a blow when sophomore safety David Morris (75 tackles last season) was lost for at least one month with a foot injury.
ABOUT OHIO STATE (2017: 12-2)
With the J.T. Barrett era over, sophomore Dwayne Haskins (57 career pass attempts) was named the starting quarterback on Monday over redshirt freshman Tate Martell, and Day said both-signal callers will see action against the Beavers.
"Dwayne has a lot of talent, he's very talented throwing the football," Day told reporters. "He's worked on his athleticism, strength, power. ... Now being a starter, that's different. You have to prepare different, you have to be ready."
Junior defensive end Nick Bosa (team-high 16 tackles for loss last season) leads a strong defense that also features junior safety Jordan Fuller (two interceptions last season) and junior defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones (23 career starts).
EXTRA POINTS
1. Ohio State won both previous meetings, the most recent being a 22-14 win in 1984.
2. Beavers junior TE Noah Togiai (knee), who led Oregon State with 34 receptions last season, will miss at least a month after being hurt in a recent scrimmage.
3. The Buckeyes have a strong running back group with sophomore J.K. Dobbins (1,403 yards last season) and junior Mike Weber (1,722 yards in two seasons) leading the way.
PREDICTION: Ohio State 52, Oregon State 10