Ohio State Football: Buckeyes' Week 2 Troubles Give Miami Hurricanes Hope

The Ohio State Buckeyes enter Week 3 of the 2011 season pressing to forget Week 2, but the narrow victory over the Toledo Rockets has to make you wonder if they're capable of taking down the Miami Hurricanes. 

In 2010, the Buckeyes had no trouble handling Miami. Unfortunately, this year they'll be without Terrelle Pryor, Dan Herron and DeVier Posey, who happened to be the three most important Buckeyes in the win. 

It doesn't help either that their replacements will be traveling to Miami this year. It's a battle of teams under scrutiny from the NCAA, and both teams really need a victory. 

After the close win over Toledo, a team that lost to Florida International in the Little Caesars Bowl last year, the Buckeyes know they have to turn things around. 

However, it definitely gives hope to the Hurricanes. Miami is coming off a bye, and having two weeks to prepare for a team that is showing a lot of weaknesses without its top players is a great confidence boost heading into Saturday's game. 

Buckeyes tight end Jake Stoneburner told reporters after the win that almost losing to an in-state school for the first time since 1921 would have been more than devastating. Per the Plain Dealer: 

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"That's not good," tight end Jake Stoneburner said. "I wouldn't want to be part of that. Thankfully it didn't happen. [Toledo] is a great team and they played their hearts out, and we give them the utmost respect, but we can't allow that to happen in Ohio Stadium."

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How would he feel if the No. 17-ranked Buckeyes allowed Miami, a program that upstaged the Buckeyes' scandal this past summer, to hand them the school's first loss of the season? 

After completing 16-of-30 passes, don't be surprised if Joe Bauserman takes a back seat or splits time with true freshman Braxton Miller. 

Interim head coach Luke Fickell told The Lantern that not playing Miller against Toledo was "one of those gut decisions you've got to make out there." 

Bauserman clearly didn't play well, and if it happens again on Saturday versus Miami then Fickell's gut might tell him something else.

The Hurricanes will have Jacory Harris starting at quarterback again, which fans hope will go better than the last time he started. Harris only completed 4-of-7 passes and threw three interceptions against Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl. 

The Buckeyes should take care of the Hurricanes because they're more talented on defense, but since it's an away game it could give this inexperienced offense problems.