Lights, camera, action for OSU's night opener against Marshal

COLUMBUS - The Ohio State Buckeyes are hoping the additional excitement involved in playing their season opener at night will provide one more catalyst for a strong start to the season.

Tonight's game against Marshall was moved to accommodate television, and the Buckeyes anticipate making good use of that stage.

"It's different, playing on a Thursday night, but I think everybody's pretty enthusiastic about it," Ohio State senior wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said. "There's always a little more electricity in the air when you play at night, and it seems like a good way to start off what we hope will be a memorable season."

The No. 2-ranked Buckeyes, who haven't played a non-Saturday home opener since the 1997 season when they beat Wyoming 24-10 in a Thursday night affair, are huge favorites over the Thundering Herd. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said the night game could help keep his players focused on this opponent, instead of looking ahead to next week's showdown with No. 13 Miami.

"It may, because there's something about it instinctually, since they all came from high school and in high school, that was the norm," Tressel said about playing under the lights.

He stressed the need to make sure his team has the "ability to stay in the now."

"I don't think that will be an issue at all," Ohio State senior linebacker Brian Rolle said. "The guys have been working hard and looking forward to this opener against Marshall for a long time, so that's the only place our attention will be. We've prepared well, and now we just have to go out and execute, and do the things we are capable of doing."

Sanzenbacher expects the Buckeyes to carry on the offensive success they had in the January Rose Bowl win over Oregon, and display more depth and versatility at the same time. Asked if junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor and the rest of the Ohio State offense will unveil something akin to Rose Bowl Version 2.0, Sanzenbacher cautioned against anticipating any drastic changes.

"We're still Ohio State, and we'll still run the ball, because you have to run the ball to be successful at whatever offense you're in, but I think you'll see us do some different things," he said.

"We didn't start over in the spring -- we had so many guys back that we were able to just pick things up where we left off with the bowl game, and then build on that."

Tressel said the team he will send out to face the Thundering Herd is one that has not been satisfied with where it stood following last season, despite a fifth straight Big Ten championship, and the dominant performance in the Rose Bowl.

"I don't think our guys are sitting there saying, 'hey, we did pretty well in the Rose Bowl and that automatically is going to translate into doing even better the next time,'" Tressel said. "They've gone to work to become that. Do I sense that they've really prepared themselves to get better -- yeah, I really do. I really think this whole group has worked extremely hard."

Sanzenbacher said the most noticeable enhancement in the Ohio State offense will be in the play of Pryor.

"I've said it all through the off-season. He hasn't sat back on the Rose Bowl performance and been like, 'OK, I've made it.'" Sanzenbacher said. "He has carried that on. He's kept working and he is prepared."

Contact Matt Markey at

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Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel talks to his team after football practice last month in Columbus Enlarge

The Ohio State Buckeyes are hoping the additional excitement involved in playing their season opener at night will provide one more catalyst for a strong start to the season.