When Ohio State needed a two-point conversion to tie Purdue with three seconds left Saturday, the entire offensive line, running back Carlos Hyde and even coach Urban Meyer were all in unison on what the team needed to run.

They were lobbying to pound the ball up the middle. But first-year offensive coordinator Tom Herman, seated high above the field in the coaches box, reminded them of the two-point play they’d been working on and finally managed to get them to listen.

Good thing they did. Back-up quarterback Kenny Guiton rolled to his right and threw a lob pass across the field to wide-open tight end Jeff Heuerman in the end zone, forcing overtime in an eventual 29-22 win.

Asked how he was able to get his way, Herman said: “I think you pick your battles. As a coordinator with the head coach, had I been fighting for everything I wanted for nine weeks, that one might not have gotten approved.

“The sterility of the press box allows you not to get caught up in the emotion. It allows you not to get caught up in how big the moment is. ‘Guys, it’s right here. We’ve been practicing it for three weeks. I’ve got it right in front of me. It’s our two-point play.’ … That’s kind of the beauty of being in that sterile environment of the press box — to calmly and coolly dissect what needs to happen.”

The Buckeyes have vaulted to the top of the Big Ten in most offensive categories, thanks in no small part to Herman. They’re second in points (39.0), third in total yards (438.6) and second in rushing yards (249.6). They were eighth, 11th and fourth, respectively, in those categories last season.

They’ve had eight individual 100-yard rushing games so far this season after amassing eight in all of 2011.

But while they’re gaining confidence as a unit, they still carry some of the scars of being roughed up last year.

“One thing I learned being here for 10 months is these kids are a bit fragile on offense,” Herman said. “Having gone through what they went through last year, you’ve got to be more a psychologist throughout the course of a game and the course of a week than just an X’s-and-O’s guy.

“We all know, hey, X, Y and Z are going to work. But it only works if players believe it’s going to work and if the players go out and execute it to the best of their ability. I think that maybe has been as big a challenge as any.”

Herman may have to work at gaining a consensus on two-point conversions, but everyone is on board about making the most of quarterback Braxton Miller’s talents.

The sophomore tends to be injury prone, but when asked if that has an impact on the way he and Meyer call plays, Herman said: “None. … If we have to win the game, if he’s the best option to do that, it certainly won’t factor into any of our decisions.”

Oregon coming: OSU and Oregon have agreed to a two-game, home-and-home series beginning in 2020 in Eugene, Ore., and finishing in Columbus in 2021.

The teams met in the 2010 Rose Bowl with OSU prevailing, 26-17.

The Buckeyes announced earlier this month that they’ll play a two-game series with Texas in 2022 and ‘23. They have a return game with Cal next season, Virginia Tech in 2014 and ‘15, Oklahoma in 2016 and ‘17 and TCU in 2018 and ‘19.

OSU has been trying to beef up its non-conference schedule in preparation for the national semifinals, which begin in 2014. Strength of schedule will be a key component in picking the participants.

The Buckeyes also firmed up their 2016 non-conference schedule with home games against Tulsa and Central Michigan. Their still looking for an opponent for the Aug. 31 opener next season after Vanderbilt abruptly pulled out of that slot.