COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State could have been back to its current version of normal today. Unlike last week, the temperature on the field won't be passing 100 degrees, Toledo should provide a much greater level of competition than Akron and the Buckeyes suspended for the opener were expected to return.

The weather and the opponent may cooperate. But running back Jordan Hall, cornerback Travis Howard and safety Corey Brown won't be back.

Friday evening, the NCAA announced the players, suspended for taking $200 at a charity event in Cleveland in February, are not yet eligible. Ohio State had believed, based on precedent, that extra benefits worth less than $300 would lead to one-game suspensions, but the NCAA decided that this case warrants two-game suspensions. So the players learned Friday they were out again.

At 5 p.m. Friday, Hall re-sent a message on Twitter from someone excited to watch him play today. By 6:40, now knowing he'd be out of uniform again, he wrote, "Fuel to fire."

For Ohio State, the most troubling part of the NCAA's 77-word statement on the matter is the ending, "The facts submitted by the university have raised further questions that need to be answered before the reinstatement process is complete."

If that entails further questions about Ohio State's case at large, which was heard by the NCAA Committee on Infractions on Aug. 12, that could be an issue. But there's a belief at Ohio State that the questions pertain to the issue at hand, and the university's hope is those questions can be answered next week, clearing a path for the players' eligibility to be restored for the road game at Miami (Fla.).

"The university continues to work with the NCAA on the reinstatement process and is hopeful that the student-athletes will be reinstated soon," an Ohio State statement said.

At the moment, Ohio State's self-report to the NCAA, released Thursday night, indicates the three players gave varying accounts of who gave them money at the charity event and what they believed the money was for.

Ohio State vs. Toledo

Today:

TV/radio:

Latest line:

Buckeyes (1-0):

Rockets (1-0):

Key to the game: Toledo's offensive line

The Rockets feature some dangerous skill players in receivers Bernard Reedy (113 yards last week) and Eric Page, and running back Adonis Thomas (115 yards last week). But as is often the case in games like this, Ohio State's defense can blow up plays before guys such as that can get rolling.

Toledo, after giving up 332 yards to New Hampshire, can't expect to stop the OSU offense, so the Rockets need to score to hang around. That means keeping OSU defenders such as Nathan Williams, John Simon and Johnathan Hankins out of the backfield, not crumbling against Buckeye blitzes and at least getting a stalemate at the line of scrimmage.

"Up front, I think that's where they're a little bit, probably a lot, better than a lot of teams in their league," OSU coach Luke Fickell said.

The Rockets have to be.

-- Doug Lesmerises

But all week, starting with head coach Luke Fickell's news conference Tuesday, Ohio State coaches talked about the anticipated return of the players. They were practicing, and the questions were about the players' roles in today's game and whether they may start. But no one within the program questioned whether the players were eligible, though the NCAA hadn't yet officially reinstated them.

Chalk this up as something else for Fickell to handle. Speaking Friday before the announcement of the suspensions, Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith said he was impressed with the job Fickell has done so far. He praised Fickell's organization of the program and his performance during the 42-0 win against Akron. Smith specifically mentioned the timeouts Fickell called on defense at the end of the first half in an attempt to get the ball back.

"I like his style in trying to ensure that we play every play until the end of the game," Smith said. "Everyone has different ways to do that, but I liked his style and how he got after things."

But that's not what interests Smith the most. Smith said he would be checking with Fickell daily if the coach were new to Ohio State. But Fickell is a former assistant who knows Ohio State inside and out, so Smith said he talks with him four or five times a week. And what matters most is leading a program, not just winning games on Saturdays.

"Unfortunately, everyone just looks at the scoreboard at the end of the game to try to evaluate someone, and it's much more than that," Smith said, naming everything else that matters -- from dealing with support staff to practices to budgets. And, especially these days, facing the unexpected.

"It's how he responds to different things that come at him," Smith said. "And he's been impressive in all of those areas. I can't think of one that hasn't impressed me."

Despite the continued suspensions, today's game will still be a little more normal in one way. The rumor mill can take a breather, since former Florida coach Urban Meyer, the most popular outside name when it comes to the OSU job, isn't announcing the Buckeyes' game, as he was last week.

"I expect that," said Smith, who talked to Meyer in the press box, of the speculation that is accompanying the Ohio State coaching job. "If I go down and talk to [Michigan State coach] Mark Dantonio before a game and say good luck, a rumor will start."

Come to think of it, Toledo coach Tim Beckman is a former OSU assistant, just like Dantonio.

Far more important to Fickell is another game without these three key players; the total number of suspended Buckeyes for today at eight.

This is just one more chance for Fickell and the Buckeyes to be evaluated in their handling of the unexpected.

Buckeye honors: The OSU football players will be wearing a helmet decal today in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Additionally, the university will honor several first-responder agencies during the game, and the Buckeyes will take the field behind an American flag. . . . Also, the new members of the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame class are being honored this weekend. The football inductees are offensive tackle Orlando Pace and safety Mike Doss.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479