QUARTERBACKS
OSU - Though the Buckeyes had to fight for the win against Cal, Braxton Miller was a big contributor to the victory. Against the Bearcats, Miller was a part of all five Ohio State touchdowns, rushing for one and throwing for four. Miller now has 377 yards rushing on the season and has thrown for 611.
UAB - If it's one thing the Blazers do well, it's pass the football. Quarterback Jonathan Perry threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns in the opener against Troy. And even against a tough South Carolina team, the junior signal caller put up 219 yards on 17-of-34 passing. Perry doesn't have the legs Miller does, as he's only rushed for 38 yards this season.
EDGE - OSU
RUNNING BACKS
OSU - Jordan Hall made a surprise return last week against the Bearcats, rushing for 87 yards. Carlos Hyde is still out with an injury so Hall will get the start this week, with Bri'onte Dunn as the backup. UAB is giving up a ton of yards rushing, so Hall and Miller could have a fun day running the ball.
UAB - The reason the passing game has had high numbers is because the Blazers have little to no running game. In two games - against Troy and No. 8 South Carolina - UAB has put up a total of 161 yards rushing. The Blazers leading rusher is Arrin Reaves, who has 18 carries for 58 yards on the season.
EDGE - OSU
RECEIVERS
OSU - In last week's win, Miller connected with Devin Smith for two scores and Jake Stoneburner for the other two passing touchdowns. The big one, which ended up being the game winner, was the 72-yard pass from Miller to Smith with a little more than 3 minutes left on the clock.
UAB - Wide receiver Jackie Wilson is the main target the Buckeyes will need to keep an eye on Saturday. The junior is averaging more than 100 receiving yards in his two games so far this season and has caught at least one pass in every game he has played in at UAB. In the season opener, he caught for 157 yards against Troy. Ohio State though can't forget about the Blazers' other big receiver, Patrick Hearn, who has 11 catches for 174 yards.
EDGE - OSU
OFFENSIVE LINE
OSU - The offensive line is coming around nicely, allowing only four sacks in three games and giving Miller the time to do whatever he pleases. This might have been the one area of concern for Urban Meyer three weeks ago, but is now probably one of the more stable units.
UAB - The Blazers lost four of their five starting linemen to graduation last season, and it's showing. The line has given up eight sacks in two games this season and UAB has only gained 161 yards rushing. The only returning starter from last season is senior Chris Hubbard, who will be starting at offensive tackle.
EDGE - OSU
DEFENSIVE LINE
OSU - This is the opposite of the offensive line. This was a unit that was supposed to be stable and productive, and has been one of the weaker units. Cal's Brendan Bigelow got the best of the Buckeye line, rushing for 160 yards, including an 81-yard run. Those runs should be stopped, or at least delayed, by the line. Luckily this week, the Buckeyes front should have an easier week and maybe gain some confidence for the upcoming games. Though this unit has been struggling, it still looks better than what UAB is going to put up against them.
UAB - The defensive front for UAB hasn't had the best success of stopping the opponents run game this season. In two games, the line is giving up 441 yards rushing, with the average carry for opponents being 5.8 yards. Miller and-or Hall could have career days if the UAB defense continues to let the run take over. Defensive end Diahee Watkins has five tackles on the season and has broken up two passes from the line.
EDGE - OSU
LINEBACKERS
OSU - Ryan Shazier is having quite the season so far. He registered 13 tackles against Cal, bringing his season total to 27. He had his first sack of the year against Cal, a 9-yard loss. Etienne Sabino has also been having a strong season, with 17 tackles, one interception and three pass deflections. Though those two have been putting up big numbers, they are going to have the defensive line stop some of the run.
UAB - It's not just the defensive line that has been giving up big yardage, the entire defense has. In the two losses this year, UAB has given up a total of 954 yards. The top two tackles on the team are two of the three starting linebackers, Marvin Burdette and Greg Irvin. Burdette has 17 tackles, 2.5 for loss and one sack. Irvin has 16 tackles and one fumble recovery.
EDGE -OSU
DEFENSIVE BACKS
OSU - Christian Bryant sealed the victory against Cal with his first career interception. He had been close many times this season, breaking up six passes. He's also had 17 tackles. The second leading tackler on the team is Bradley Roby with 19. However, the secondary has to start limiting the throwing. The OSU defensive backs have given up 283.3 yards per game passing, and opponents are averaging 10.1 yards per catch.
UAB - As much as the Blazers have had success in the passing game, so have other opponents. The UAB secondary is giving up 10.8 yards per catch and 265.5 yards passing per game. Safety Calvin Jones leads the unit, with 10 tackles and one fumble recovery. Jake Ganus, the other safety, has recorded seven tackles and had one interception this season.
EDGE - OSU
SPECIALISTS
OSU - Drew Basil is becoming a PAT specialist rather than a field goal kicker. He's 15 of 16 on extra points this year, and still 1-for-1 from field goal range. The Buckeyes return unit has done little to nothing in the first three games, as the longest return his a 26-yard return by both Smith and Armani Reeves.
UAB - Ty Long handles the kicking duties and has connected on all three of his field goals attempted this year. His long is 46 yards. Hunter Mullins is the punter, averaging 43.9-yards per punt. The Blazers use the speedy Williams on both punt and kick returns. Williams' long return of the year came from a kickoff, as he went 72 yards.
EDGE - UAB
PREDICTION
Ohio State definitely got lucky against Cal. The offense put up points, but Cal seemed to answer every time. If a few of those botched field goals would have been made, Ohio State could have had its first loss of the season. But the Buckeyes survived another day, and I believe they will survive this week as well. UAB is 0-2, undersized, raw and have never played at Ohio Stadium before. The Blazers are coming off a rough game against No. 8 South Carolina and now have to play the Buckeyes. This could be a bigger score than the Miami game to open the season.
OSU, 48-9.
Twitter: @DanaSulonenTrib
