Buckeye Periscope:

Associated Press

August 26, 2008 03:07 am

— COLUMBUS (AP) — What’s brewing today with the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes ...
n BUCKEYES BUZZ — For now, you can forget about the first part of that “student-athletes” tag. It’ll be another month before classes begin at Ohio State, meaning football players have very little else to occupy themselves until their classmates return to campus for the first day of fall semester classes on Sept. 24.
The Buckeyes have morning practices almost daily until school gets under way, with practices most afternoons. They also are busy watching hours and hours of video that must be considerably less compelling than seeing the late Heath Ledger star as the Joker in “The Dark Knight.”
After spending the first three weeks or so of fall camp staying at a plush hotel on campus, they checked into their school-year housing last Friday. In other words, this is almost like boot camp.
So, outside of buying books and doing laundry, about all they have to do for the next four weeks is concentrate on football.
n HEAVY HEARTS — Youngstown State’s players have had more on their minds than just this Saturday’s game at Ohio Stadium.
Team video coordinator Shawn Coin filmed the Penguins’ Aug. 18 practice and was working in the video room when he collapsed and died. Coin was 31, and he and his wife, Jennifer, recently found out they were expecting their first child in April.
“We lost part of our team today and that hurts,” YSU head coach Jon Heacock said. “He was part of our day-to-day operation and helped make everything work and did things that made the rest of our lives easier. He was a good guy, a good person.”
Coin, in his third year at Youngstown State, attended Grand Valley State and had served as an assistant at California (Pa.) University.
The Mahoning County coroner was not available late Monday to discuss the autopsy results.
A fund for the Coin baby has been established.
n HOT ENOUGH FOR YOU? — Coach Jim Tressel isn’t pleased that most of August has been relatively temperate.
Tressel loves it when the mercury and humidity rises, making it easier for his players to get in shape and prepare for the hot days that always seem to come in autumn. Then again, he doesn’t have to run around in that weather.
“We haven’t had quite as much 90- to 95-degree heat as we might get here,” he complained last week.
None of his players were kicking, though.
n QUOTABLE — Chris “Beanie” Wells asked why an online publication had tabbed Ohio State as the most hated college football program in America: “Because they probably didn’t get into school here.”
n FORBODING — Youngstown State’s two top quarterback candidates, Todd Rowan and Brandon Summers, have combined to complete exactly one pass for the Penguins.
Rowan is a junior who has taken snaps in only four games. He’ll likely start against the Buckeyes. Summers is also a junior, but did start two games at Toledo in 2006 before transferring.
Oh, and there are reports that Penguins placekicker Bruce Palmer is definitely out.

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Star Beacon