COLUMBUS, Ohio – Moments after brushing aside Marshall 45-7, Ohio State’s players could finally say what they’ve been thinking about for a while.

And there’s no question that the Buckeyes have had Miami on their minds and the Sept. 11 showdown against the 13th-ranked Hurricanes.

“It’ll be wild to be in that game,” wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said. “It’s a relief that finally we can talk about Miami.”

At about the same time Miami was dispensing with Florida A&M 45-0 Thursday night, the second-ranked Buckeyes were putting on a show in front of 105,040 at Ohio Stadium.

Rose Bowl MVP Terrelle Pryor picked up where he left off in Pasadena, Calif., with three touchdown passes, Brandon Saine ran for 103 yards and two scores and Ohio State coasted past the error-prone Thundering Herd on Thursday night.

Next up: The first meeting between Ohio State and Miami since the 2002 national championship game.

The Buckeyes won that one in the Arizona desert, upended the top-ranked Hurricanes 31-24 in double-overtime for Ohio State’s first national championship in 34 years.

“It’s not 2002,” wide receiver DeVier Posey said. “We’re wearing the same colors, but now it’s our teams and our time.”

Against Marshall, Pryor completed 17 of 25 passes for 247 yards and TDs covering 6 and 11 yards to Posey and 65 yards to Sanzenbacher.

“Every game is about maturity,” said Pryor, whose maturity has frequently been questioned during his two previous years as the Buckeyes signal-caller. “It’s 12 weeks in a (season). Let’s see what happens next. I’m excited to play Miami.”

No. 13 MIAMI 45, FLORIDA A&M 0: In Miami, Jacory Harris completed 12 of 15 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns before sitting out the second half as the Hurricanes got their first shutout since 2006.

Leonard Hankerson caught the first two of Harris’ TD passes and finished with 115 receiving yards, as the Hurricanes (1-0) ran out to a 35-0 lead in the first 25 minutes and wound up outgaining Florida A&M 405-110.

Philip Sylvester rushed for a team-best 45 yards for the Rattlers, who have lost all eight of their matchups against Miami since 1980, now by a combined 400-49.

UTAH 27, No. 15 PITTSBURGH 24, OT: Utes freshman Brian Blechen intercepted a pass on the first play of overtime, setting Joe Phillips for a 21-yard field goal for the upset victory over the Panthers in Salt Lake City.

Pittsburgh had rallied with 14 points in the fourth quarter, forcing overtime on Dan Hutchins’ 30-yard field goal on the final play of regulation.

Jordan Wynn passed for 283 yards with three touchdowns for Utah, including two to Jereme Brooks.

MINNESOTA 24, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 17: The Gophers’ Duane Bennett rushed for a career-high 187 yards and Jon Hoese scored three touchdowns just days after deciding to make the trip to Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Bennett’s rushing total is the most for Minnesota since 2006. He opened the game with a 32-yard run and never let up.

WESTERN ILLINOIS 45, VALPARAISO 0: Matt Barr threw for two touchdowns and Bryce Flowers rushed for two more as the Leathernecks routed the Crusaders in Macomb, Ill., in both teams’ season opener. Valparaiso managed only 131 yards of total offense and fumbled the ball away three times.