(AP) Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said before last Saturday's game that Purdue had one of its most balanced offenses in years.

That was before his Buckeyes held Purdue to 4 yards on 17 carries in a 23-7 win. Now, the Boilermakers must get their running game back in order at Michigan on Saturday, or they'll risk falling out of the Big Ten championship race.

Purdue coach Joe Tiller, normally talkative, was at a loss for words during Tuesday's weekly news conference when asked about the poor blocking against Ohio State.

"It's not a good week to ask me about the o-line, period," he said.

The rushing total was Purdue's third-lowest in 11 years under Tiller, and its worst since rushing for minus 8 yards in a 13-7 loss to Indiana on Nov. 24, 2001.

The effort was striking because the Boilermakers (5-1, 1-1 Big Ten) had run the ball so well up to that point. Running back Kory Sheets had three consecutive 100-yard games before Saturday, but finished with 20 yards on seven carries against the Buckeyes.

Tiller said he didn't expect to run the ball much, or particularly well, against Ohio State.

"We felt going into the game that we'd probably have more like a 60-40 (ratio of) throw over run, or maybe even 70-30, because we know that their defense was an accomplished defense against the run game, and we weren't going to force the issue outside of trying to run now and then to keep them honest," he said.

The Boilermakers couldn't keep Ohio State honest, and it affected the passing game. Purdue all but abandoned the run after falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, and Ohio State spent the rest of the game bothering quarterback Curtis Painter. The Buckeyes sacked him three times and hurried him on most of his 60 passing attempts.

Painter completed 31 passes for 268 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. Tiller said Painter didn't play badly, leaving most of the blame to the guys up front.

On Saturday, Tiller wants to see the Boilermakers look a bit more like the unit that averaged 45 points and almost 500 yards through its first five games.

"Offensively, I think just being consistent, more than anything else, will be important in the game," he said. "Consistent in both the running and the passing game, and being patient, not necessarily looking for the big plays, but staying within the system."

The system, for most of the season, included a steady dose of running. In the first five games, Purdue often used Sheets early to soften up the defense and slow the pass rush, then looked short to its inside receivers before stretching the field with deep passes. The Boilermakers ran at least 34 times in their first five games.

They'll face a Michigan defense that has improved significantly since well-publicized home losses to Appalachian State and Oregon. Since then, the Wolverines (4-2, 2-0) have shut out Notre Dame 38-0, held Penn State to 270 yards in a 14-9 win, held Northwestern scoreless in the second half of a 28-16 win and kept Eastern Michigan out of the end zone until 47 seconds remained in a 33-22 win.

"They are doing very good, particularly the past few weeks," Painter said. "They have some great athletes."

Tiller said Ohio State gave the Boilermakers a reality check, and it showed during Sunday's practice.

"There wasn't quite as much chirping this week," he said. "Maybe we'll maintain our focus and carry it onto the field Saturday. That would be nice."