HALL OF FAME BOWL : Underdog Role Helps Ohio State, Says Dye

No. 9 Auburn, which finished the regular season with a five-game winning streak, faces No. 21 Ohio State, which won six of seven games after a 2-2 start, today for the first time since 1917 in the Hall of Fame Bowl game.

The Tigers (9-2) are eight-point favorites over the Buckeyes (8-3), but Auburn Coach Pat Dye is wary of the opposition.

“Being an underdog has been a motivating factor for them every day for a month,” said Dye.

The Buckeyes, playing in a bowl game for the first time in three years, led the Big Ten in offense and scoring, utilizing the kind of balanced attack that gave Auburn problems in a midseason loss to Florida State.

Ohio State Coach John Cooper is concerned about Auburn’s defense, which held opponents to 268.7 yards and 10.6 points and will counter the Buckeyes’ size (Ohio State’s offensive line averages 295 pounds) with quickness.

“People have been telling us how hard it’s going to be moving the ball against Auburn, and you can see that on the films,” said Ohio State quarterback Greg Frey, whose improved play was instrumental in the Buckeyes’ turnaround from a 4-6-1 finish in 1988.

“You can’t really tell until you get out there, though,” Frey said. “I don’t go into a game worrying about whether we’re going to run the ball or throw it. All I want to do is win. We’ll just do what we have to do.”

The Buckeyes would prefer to run, allowing Carlos Snow and Scottie Graham to pound away at the defense and control the clock. Snow rushed for 948 yards despite a nagging knee problem and Graham gained 924 yards, but Frey has been effective enough throwing that opponents can’t take the passing game for granted.

The junior quarterback led the Big Ten in passing efficiency and finished with 128 completions in 215 attempts for 1,900 yards and 12 touchdowns.

There have been times this season when Ohio State’s best defense has been its offense. The Buckeyes gave up 386.7 yards and 24.2 points, but overcame it by averaging 418.1 yards and 29.5 points on offense.

Ohio State’s 28-18 loss to Michigan in the last game stopped a six-game winning streak, but the Buckeyes weren’t any hotter than Auburn down the stretch. The Tigers looked average in building a 4-2 record but gained momentum in the weeks leading up to a 30-20 victory over Alabama on Dec. 2.