Ohio State Football: What Bye-Week Adjustments Do the Buckeyes Need to Make?

Jay LaPrete/Associated PressUrban Meyer will spend the next two weeks getting his team ready for Cincinnati. COLUMBUS, Ohio — In each of his first two seasons at Ohio State, neither of Urban Meyer’s bye weeks with the Buckeyes landed until November. And with his teams’ weeks off not coming until the final quarter of the season, the OSU head coach had just one matter on his mind each time: health. It also didn’t hurt that in each of the Buckeyes’ previous two bye weeks, Ohio State was still unbeaten and on the cusp of perfect regular seasons. Little had to change for the Buckeyes from a game-planning standpoint, as Meyer used the late weeks off to get the likes of Braxton Miller, John Simon and Carlos Hyde back to full strength. But 2014 has dealt Meyer and Ohio State a different hand, with the Buckeyes receiving their first of two bye weeks on the year in just the fourth week of the season. And with a 2-1 record, Ohio State, and its relatively healthy roster, has taken a new approach into this week’s bye, as it looks to build on the momentum that it gained in its 66-0 win over Kent State last weekend. “We’re going to practice hard this week,” Meyer said on Saturday. “A lot of what you do in a bye week is dependent on what kind of team you have. But our guys need repetitions.” With those repetitions are sure to come adjustments for a Buckeyes team that has been inconsistent at best through its first fourth of the regular season. With a pivotal game against Cincinnati looming, Ohio State’s development over the next week will be crucial and could play a key role in defining the remainder of its 2014 season. With that in mind, here’s a look at the adjustments that the Buckeyes will attempt to make during their earlier-than-usual bye this week. Jay LaPrete/Associated Press Raekwon McMillan (5) saw significant snaps against Kent State last week. …

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