Dawn Megli/Neon Tommy

Romney is scheduled to speak at manufacturing plant American Spring Wire Corporation in Bedford Heights to conclude the three-day "Romney Plan For A Stronger Middle Class" bus tour through the state.

For Romney, the trip through the Buckeye State comes at a time when Obama's advantage over him in statewide polls has swelled. Obama leads Romney 52 percent to 44 percent among likely voters in a new Washington Post poll. No GOP candidate has ever won the presidency without capturing Ohio.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

It will be [Romney's] fourth public appearance in the state this month. The barnstorming is seen as an attempt to steady a campaign that has struggled with its messaging since Romney's widely criticized response two weeks ago to the deadly attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya.

Romney, along with running mate Paul Ryan, will try to shore up support in the traditionally Republican areas of western Ohio in cities such as Dayton and Lima. During his bus tour, Romney also has stops in the state's largest media markets like Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo, in a move to sway what undecided voters remain.

Meanwhile, Obama will try to shore up support among younger voters as he prepares to attend rallies at Bowling Green State University and Kent State University. Traditionally disinterested young voters lifted Obama into the White House in 2008, but enthusiasm has dipped for the president in that demographic this time around.

Kent State is based in a city that has benefitted from $20 million in federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants, stimulus money awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“I think that Kent has definitely benefitted from the economic-development policies and the stimulus funding that came from the Obama administration, so I think that factored in,” said Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) in a KentWired.com article. “I also think young people and students are very important to his reelection efforts, so I think it’s a good pairing and is why Kent State is getting a visit.”

Although the economy has been considered one of Romney's strong areas, the fact that the president has polled well among Ohioans in this category makes it a tall order for his GOP rival to slash into Obama's lead.

About 53 percent of Ohio voters give Obama positive marks on the economy, and 56 percent approve of his overall job performance. When it comes to which candidate is perceived as being more understanding of the economic problems people are facing, voters gave Obama a 57 to 34 percent edge.

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Reach Senior Staff Reporter Danny Lee here; follow him on Twitter here.