The Bobcats will look for their first SEC win since 2004 when they travel to Kentucky on Saturday.
Ohio has played on the big stage before.
In the previous four seasons, the Bobcats have visited Ohio State, Rutgers, Penn State and Louisville.
On Saturday, Ohio will have the challenge playing Kentucky, a Southeastern Conference opponent, but the upperclassmen have used this week — and the offseason — to prepare the younger players for what they’ll have to expect.
“Some of the older guys, we’ve been to bigger places,” said Antwan Crutcher, a senior defensive lineman. “(I’m) not saying that this is a small spot, but we’ve overcome that before so we’ve kind of got some experience to share with the younger guys.”
Although veterans have experiences to share, three of those four games have resulted in losses, including last year’s 49-7 blowout against then-No. 9 Louisville.
“I actually forgot about the Louisville game, fortunately, it’s pretty much repressed from all of our memories,” redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Troy Watson said. “These guys are putting their pads on the same way we do, whether it’s the SEC, Big Ten, PAC 12, so we’re just going to go out there like every game.”
Although Kentucky is paying Ohio $650,000 for Saturday’s game, the Bobcats will embrace the underdog role. They’ll also have to take in account the crowd noise on offense, as Commonwealth Stadium holds more than 67,000 spectators, opposed to the 24,000 seats in Peden Stadium.
“It’s going to be loud, a lot louder than last week, so it requires a lot more focus and communication,” redshirt junior quarterback Derrius Vick said. “We have to be on point with everything we do.”
Kentucky features defensive ends Alvin Dupree and Za’Darius Smith, who are 6-foot-4, 264 lbs. and 6-foot-6, 263 lbs., respectively. The duo helped force five turnovers last week.
“Those guys are big, physical athletic guys and you look across their front, it’s not a small football team,” coach Frank Solich said. “They’ve recruited talent and so you know the line play is going to be instrumental in what gets done in this football game.”
Watson says practicing against talented defensive ends such as Tarell Basham has helped the entire offensive line prepare.
“I think Tarell Basham is almost as talented as the guys we’ll be facing this weekend,” he said. “Just facing those guys, going one-on-one pass rush with those guys helps us prepare.”
Watson spoke with the defensive ends earlier this week, pushing them to be at their best during practice to help him, and the entire line, prepare for Kentucky.
Last weekend Kentucky defeated Tennessee-Martin 59-14 and combined for 234 yards and six rushing touchdowns, but running back Braylon Heard, who ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns, is questionable to play.
“We can’t go in approaching that this is all-or-nothing, because this is the second game of the season,” Vick said. “Yeah, we want to win, but at the same time if things don’t go our way we have to move onto next week.”
“We’re going in there with a mentality that we’re going to take what’s ours.”
@Alex_Busch9
ab109410@ohio.edu
