Believe it or not, Ohio State has another game this week! The season isn't over! The Buckeyes travel to Cleveland to take on the Toledo Rockets in Cleveland Browns stadium. In the spring, I had this to say about our opponent:

Tim Beckman took the job shortly after Tom Amstutz departed, having been the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State for all of two seasons (in which the Cowboys finished 101st and 94th in 2007 and 2008, respectively). Beckman had been the cornerbacks coach at Ohio State, and was likely instrumental in the development of one Malcolm Jenkins, who he coached in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. So Beckman has history at Ohio Stadium, but he's probably thanking some lucky stars he doesn't have to take his team there this fall. [...]Toledo is, of course, traditionally known for offense, being a MAC team that can't quite lock down top defensive prospects but will gladly pick up any and all Big Ten leftovers. While it won't be anywhere near as challenging as the first two weeks, stopping the Toledo offense won't be easy.

I didn't realize how prescient that last observation would end up being until I watched the Toledo attack rip through its first two opponents like tissue paper. In two games against BCS conference opponents, Toledo has racked up over 1100 yards of offense and 85 points. Their defensive counterparts, on the other hand, have given up 986 yards of offense and 90 points. Appropriately, their record stands at 1-1, there season filled with as much doubt as hope. An upset of the 11th-ranked Buckeyes would serve as a springboard to a MAC championship and put Tim Beckman squarely in the middle of many discussions circling around the best up-and-coming coaches. Is that likely, though?

A confluence of events would have to happen for Toledo to win, but we'll get to that later. What's drawing everyone's eye in this game are Toledo's aforementioned eye-popping stats. So first, I want to do a little sidebar here. The talent level for both of the teams Toledo has played is um, lacking, to say the last. According to Scout, in his time at Colorado, Dan Hawkins has yet to put together one top-25 talent haul. Purdue's recruiting struggles are well-documented:

 Not a good sign, however: [Danny Hope's] first recruiting class: 64th, worse than such college football luminaries as Washington State, Duke and Baylor.

But that's really just par for the course at Purdue, which has brought just one top-50 class to West Lafayette in the last five years. So this we know: Toledo has shredded defenses that consist mostly of a few lower-tier Big Ten and Big 12 recruits to go with kids whose other offers were mostly MAC- and WACrifices. No knock on the Boilers or the Buffs, but Toledo just hasn't seen the defensive speed of a team like Ohio State yet. Aaron Opelt will not be taking one 60 yards to the house against Ohio State, even if it comes on a fullback follow.

That being said, Toledo runs just the sort of offense that has gotten all that talent on Ohio State's defense in a bind before: Tim Beckman has brought over the fast-paced, tempo-based spread from Oklahoma State, complete with goofy signs, and it will give the defense many of the same looks that Illinois will frequently feature next week. Opelt is not a burner, but he's mobile, and that makes me worry just a little bit.  Toledo also has some talented wideouts that could be quite dangerous if Opelt is given enough time. Stephen Williams, who I mentioned in my Early Look linked above,  is a dangerous weapon at 6'5" and 200+ pounds, and is of similar frame to USC's David Ausberry. Williams is of course a molehill to Ausberry's mountain talent-wise, and Ausberry was held to just 3 catches for 28 yards, and he was frequently covered by Devon Torrence. If Ohio State can't scheme to stop him, color me confused.

Defensively, there just isn't a whole lot to worry about with Toledo. I'll grant you that both Purdue and Colorado are more talented on offense - at least at the skill positions - than their defensive counterparts, but that doesn't really explain away Toledo getting absolutely gashed by both squads. The one thing the Toledo D has definitely done right: picking the ball off. Toledo already has six interceptions so far, and three of them are by defensive lineman Douglas Westbrook (!), who picked off two versus Purdue and another against Colorado. Another name to watch: Barry Church, a four year starter at safety for the Rockets who will probably be playing on Sundays next year.

Looking at these match-ups and attempting to gauge the general mood of both teams, I would expect Ohio State to come out a bit flat early - an early touchdown or two isn't out of the question, but that's it for the first half - but Toledo will come out badly, badly wanting the upset, tossing the ball all over the field when its running game doesn't click immediately. The Ohio State offense will eventually settle into a scoring rhythm against the worst defense it will play all year, while the Toledo offense will run out of gas midway through the third quarter. The defensive line will not look as frequently dominant as it did against USC, and Opelt will  roll away from the pressure just enough to be annoying, but his receivers just won't get open consistently and turnovers will eventually bury a Rocket comeback attempt.

Five predictions that will make me look foolish come Monday :

- Aaron Opelt tosses two interceptions

- Ohio State racks up at least 200 yards on the ground

- Jermale Hines decapitates a fool

- Terrelle Pryor throws at least two touchdowns

- Final score: Ohio State 37, Toledo 17