COLUMBUS – Ohio State did little to wow its fans or pollsters Saturday.

The top-rated Buckeyes blanked Hawaii, 38-0, at the Horseshoe. The final score is no indication of how lackluster the Scarlet & Gray played.

The offense was lethargic, leading just 14-0 at halftime. Cardale Jones started at QB and was nothing like he had been in his previous four starts. J.T. Barrett entered in the second quarter and did little to jump-start the attack.

Moreover, the offensive line was a far cry from the unit that has dominated for a dozen-plus games. It looked more like the line that experienced major issues in last year’s loss to Virginia Tech.

The Buckeyes’ performance against the Rainbows, however, should not be surprising. They were coming off an emotional win over Virginia Tech on Labor Day, had a short week of preparation and entered the game as 41-point favorites.

Even well-coached juggernauts will be flat every once in a while. With that said, rest assured Ohio State will come out this Saturday with all guns blazing as they host Northern Illinois with Hall of Fame ceremonies as a backdrop.

Ohio State will not be challenged until Nov. 21 when Michigan State comes calling to Columbus. That game will go a long way in determining a playoff semifinalist, thanks to the Spartans 31-28 triumph over Oregon Saturday night.

Only Michigan poses a threat to either, and a mild one it is. The Buckeyes-Sparty winner places itself squarely in the driver’s seat for a shot to play for a national title.

TOUGH BREAK

WHEN IS a win a loss? It is when you lose your starting quarterback for the season. That is the painful scenario Notre Dame must deal with after Malik Zaire suffered a broken ankle in the Fighting Irish’s comeback win over Virginia.

If Zaire’s loss wasn’t bad enough, it comes just one week after ND lost its top running back -Tarean Folston – for the balance of the campaign due to a knee injury.

Zaire was a game-changer.

The ND offense went dormant against Virginia after he exited. The Irish can survive without Folston. Such is not the case without Zaire.

ND harbored high hopes for the current season. They still may come to fruition, but highly unlikely. The Irish fortunes may take a downward turn as quickly as this weekend when they welcome Georgia Tech’s potent ground attack. A Zaire-less ND will also have its hands full with Clemson and USC.

STUNNED RAZORBACKS

IT WAS refreshing to see Arkansas lose to Toledo, 16-10, Saturday.

Razorbacks’ coach Bret Bielema was chirping days prior to the stunner that Ohio State had a creampuff schedule, saying the Buckeyes’ only have one remaining ranked team on their schedule while the Hogs have eight.

Bielema needs to worry more about preparing his team rather than the national champions’ schedule. There won’t be many bigger upsets this season than the Rockets downing the Razorbacks.

The next five games have Arkansas facing Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Alabama and Auburn. Good luck, Hogs.

Kapral may be reached at bkapral@timesleaderonline.com