COLUMBUS - Three senior starters on defense - Kurt Coleman, Austin Spitler and Doug Worthington - are the Ohio State captains for the upcoming season.

An offensive captain will be selected each week, the team announced.

The last time the Buckeyes had only defensive players as yearlong captains was 2002 - also the last time the school won a national championship.

Coleman, a Dayton native, will start at safety. Spitler, from Bellbrook in his fifth year with the team, has been injured but is expected to be back in time to start next Saturday's season opener against Navy at linebacker. Worthington, also in his fifth year, is from Athol Springs, N.Y., and will start on the line.

OSU TRAFFIC: Ohio State University is telling football fans to pack some patience in their tailgate kits because of likely road construction delays.

University officials say work being done on state Route 315 - the highway running alongside the Columbus campus - could make the drive away from Ohio Stadium twice as long as usual.

Construction also is restricting traffic on some local streets near the school, including High Street.

Officials are estimating delays of up to two hours after the Buckeyes' day games Sept. 5 and Sept. 26 and up to three hours following the Sept. 12 night game against Southern California.