COLUMBUS -- Ohio State coach Luke Fickell knows his team's recent 17-7 win over Illinois was a tradition-laden masterpiece that displayed the Buckeyes' running strength for all to see and admire.
He is also painfully aware that the approach he took in the win over the Illini -- one completed pass and 55 plays running the ball -- has to be a one-time fling. Ohio State (4-3, 1-2 Big Ten) is going to need to throw the ball to continue to be successful over its final five games.
"That's not the only thing we have to work on, but we see ourselves getting better at it," Fickell said about the passing aspect of the offense, as the Buckeyes enjoyed a break in the schedule before hosting previously unbeaten Wisconsin this week. The Badgers were upset by Michigan State on the final play of their game with the Spartans on Saturday.
Fickell said he and the rest of the OSU coaching staff are looking for ways to get more passing production out of freshman quarterback Braxton Miller without making any drastic changes to the offense. Their preference is to use more short, quick passes and cut down on Miller's exposure to contact and sacks.
"You can't think you're going to re-invent the wheel in an extra week, but you've got to get better at what you do," Fickell said. "And we know there's a lot of things we can get better at."
While the running game has certainly been the strength of the Buckeyes' offense while averaging a modest 175 yards per game and just over four yards per carry, those numbers are diluted by the 19 sacks Ohio State has allowed for 120 yards in losses. Fickell said his intention going into the bye week was to improve on what's in place offensively.
"The sign of a good program and a good team is that they keep building on what they've got," Fickell said. "They're not going to scrap everything and try to come up with something new every week."
Fickell added that a strong running game will continue to be the foundation of anything the Buckeyes try to accomplish offensively. With the return of senior running back Dan Herron from suspension, Ohio State has three proven ball carriers in Herron, Carlos Hyde, and Jordan Hall. Herron rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown at Illinois in his first game since coming off six games worth of suspensions.
"We're confident that we can run the ball," senior offensive tackle Mike Adams said last week. "We pride ourselves on toughness, and that shows in how well you run the ball and how well you stop the run. Being able to run the ball is a way to give us a lot of momentum."
The Badgers should provide the stiffest test to date for Ohio State, with the upcoming meeting carrying significant conference championship and bowl implications for both teams.
"Our number one goal for the rest of the season is to win out, and Wisconsin is in front of us," sophomore defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins said. "We will be studying more film this week, but we've been watching them all season long. They are the team to watch this year."
The Buckeyes also used the bye week to do some healing, but sophomore defensive back C.J. Barnett said Fickell has not allowed the intensity of the workouts to slip.
"This was a good time to rest our bodies and, most importantly, treat it as a work week, especially with Wisconsin up next," Barnett said. "It is good to have two weeks to prepare for our biggest challenge of the season. We will keep working hard ... coach told us to not cruise during practice this week. There is always room for improvement."
Fickell said he was ambivalent about the timing of the bye week, coming right after Ohio State's best performance of the season.
"I don't know if a bye week ever really comes at a good time," Fickell said. "I'm not really a bye-week guy."
Contact Matt Markey at: mmarkey@theblade.com, 419-724-6510 or on Twitter @MattMarkey.
First Published October 25, 2011, 5:14 a.m.
