The California Golden Bears have a tall task ahead of them this Saturday afternoon when they head into Columbus to battle the Ohio State Buckeyes. Cal is going to have to find a way to hold Braxton Miller in check.
The athletic Ohio State quarterback has rushed for 302 yards and passed for 362 yards in his first two games combined, making it very difficult for opposing defenders to even begin to stop the Buckeyes' offense. Miller's athleticism forced defenses to stop and account for him at all times.
Cal has struggled with read-option teams in the past, and got burned by Nevada in their season opener for 220 rushing yards. There will be a concerted effort to try to keep the Bears disciplined and focused on maintaining their assignments this week. Otherwise Cal will just struggle to keep up with the explosive Ohio State offensive attack.
The Bears also have to worry about their pass-defense issues. Cal has allowed their opponents to catch 72.7 percent of their passes and throw four touchdowns, and that was against Southern Utah and Nevada. Miler has the potential to be even more brutal going into this week if the he doesn't face pressure.
Talk about the Cal-Ohio State matchup with Golden Bear fans at the California Golden Blogs, and with Buckeye fans at Land-Grant Holy Land.