Michael Bennett knows a thing or two about faking injuries, though not the sort that would help Ohio State pause a California offense stuck on fast forward.

"I've tried to fake not being injured," the Buckeyes defensive tackle said.

As for playing make-believe the other way around — a brand of gamesmanship regrettably gaining traction against hurry-up teams — Bennett is not sure how that would work. Would he nuance it? Would he, like Cal against Oregon in 2010 or Steven Seagal, dismiss the pretense of acting altogether and fall like a tree, only to rub some dirt on the alleged injury and sprint back out for the next play? Would he have to watch a soccer game?

"I feel like in soccer they actually have time to practice faking injuries," Bennett said.

Good on OSU if it resists the trend, which Bennett says he and his teammates will.

Such fakery is below any team worth its salt — or the salt pills they'll need to keep up with teams like Cal, which averages 97 plays per game and recently gave two thumbs down to the Northwestern Thespians.

Too many games have turned into B-movies. Saturday, the Buckeyes hope to prove they're one of the best teams in the country. For real.

First Published September 12, 2013, 12:25 p.m.