Buckeyes Must Not Look Ahead to Notre Dame

Ohio State prepares for what should be an easy win against Western Kentucky in Week 3, but after a lackluster first two weeks from the Buckeyes, is it too soon to look past the Hilltoppers to Week 4's matchup with Notre Dame?

After a Week 2 victory over Youngstown State and a quarterback decision from head coach Ryan Day, it looks like the Buckeyes are starting to settle into their groove. In last weekend's victory, newly anointed starting signal caller Kyle McCord threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns while OSU's top two pass catchers, receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, both notched scores as well. 

By no stretch of the imagination is the Buckeye offense firing on all cylinders yet, but it looks to be on the right path. If things go the way they're supposed to, Ohio State will enter South Bend with a 3-0 record when they get set to take on top-ten-ranked Notre Dame in Week 4. 

But this is college football, and things often don't go as they're supposed to. Before they head out to face off with the Fighting Irish in Week 4, they'll have to clash with Western Kentucky in Columbus. 

It would be an enormous upset for Western Kentucky to knock off the Buckeyes and an incredibly unlikely one at that, but not exactly an insurmountable task. Ohio State is coming off two underwhelming games against underwhelming opponents, and Western Kentucky is averaging just over 46 points per contest against relatively similar competition. 

Should Day and the Buckeyes be worried about an early season loss? Maybe not, but a lackluster performance in three straight weeks against mediocre competition certainly doesn't bode well going forward.

The reality is that Ohio State has some of the most talented players in the country, on both sides of the ball. Ranging from Harrison Jr. and Egbuka to linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, who was the team's defensive MVP last season, the Buckeyes are loaded and really don't have much of an excuse for scraping by middling squads like Youngstown State. 

Hopefully, with the continuity of a full-time starting QB, they'll hit their stride just in time for the heart of their schedule. 

All that being said, the Buckeyes probably aren't in serious danger of losing this game against WKU, but they may leave feeling a bit embarrassed if they let the Hilltoppers hang around for too long. 

Week 4's matchup with the Fighting Irish is on the horizon, and there's no better place to get game-speed reps than an actual game. If Day and Ohio State want to leave Notre Dame Stadium with a win next weekend, they need to secure a blowout at home this weekend.