Luke Fickell is guaranteed only one year to prove he knows how to be the head coach of a major-college football powerhouse and he hasn't had the best of luck, with 17 different suspensions to work around. The Buckeyes (3-3, 0-2 Big Ten) have struggled mightily at times heading into Saturday's big game at No. 16 Illinois. But he says it hasn't all been pain and disappointment.

"When you step back (and) you look back at it, I'm sure you'll pick out a lot of things you loved and enjoyed," Fickell said Thursday. "But when you're living in the moment, you just continue to battle. It's a battle every season."

He said his wife, Amy, reminded him just the other night that he would stew over plays and players during the season in his nine previous years as an assistant coach with the Buckeyes. In that respect, nothing has changed.

"When you're in the season, it's going to be a grind, going to be a battle," he said. "But if you love to play and you love to coach and you love to be around the young men that you have, then when it all comes down to it, when you go to bed at night, you're happy with what you're doing."

He was asked if fans and, for that matter, university administrators and trustees, can properly gauge his coaching ability based on what they've seen so far. After all, he's been hamstrung by all the NCAA problems that have dogged the program.

"I guess that's for you guys to judge, that's for other people to judge," he said. "I think the guys on the team understand who we are, who I am, what I'm about. With the situation it is, we knew there weren't going to be a whole lot of changes in what we do, who we are and what we're about. With that being said, as a coach you also have to be able to adapt to your situation and your surroundings."

CLARKE STAYING HOME: Backup cornerback Dominic Clarke won't travel with Ohio State to Illinois after being charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly discharging a BB gun on campus.

Ohio State Deputy Chief of Police Richard Morman said Thursday that no one was hurt in the shootings about 9 p.m. Sunday outside a university-run restaurant.

Clarke, a criminology major, has 11 tackles and has broken up three passes this season for the Buckeyes (3-3, 0-2 Big Ten).

"This is isolated. He's very remorseful. Just a little thing that happened on campus," interim coach Luke Fickell said Thursday. "It's not something we're dwelling upon."

Fifteen Buckeyes have been suspended or held out of games this season due to NCAA or legal problems or breaking team rules.

TWITTER FACTS: Thanks to (hash)PDBuckeyes for this quick fact. Here's records after their first six games for each of the last six Ohio State head football coaches: Fickell 3-3; Tressel 4-2; Cooper 2-4; Bruce 6-0; Hayes 3-2-1; Fesler 1-4-1