Published September 08, 2008 12:53 am - COLUMBUS (AP) — What’s brewing today with the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes ...
Buckeye Periscope:
Associated Press
COLUMBUS (AP) — What’s brewing today with the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes ...
n BUCKEYES BUZZ — It would be easy to look at Saturday’s narrow 26-14 win over Ohio and say that the Buckeyes were hurt by the foot injury that sidelined star TB Chris “Beanie” Wells. After all, he averaged 21 carries for 124 yards a game last season.
A closer look may shoot that theory down.
Dan “Boom” Herron (12 carries, 50 yards), Maurice Wells (9 for 48) and Brandon Saine (5 for 15) combined for 113 yards on 26 carries, not too far off Wells’ numbers.
Coach Jim Tressel declined to use Wells’ absence as an excuse, although he did say that the Buckeyes missed him.
“You love to have all your guys,” Tressel said. “You like to have the guys in the huddle that can have that presence and create that energy. But sometimes you don’t and you’ve got to be just as good (as) when you don’t. But, of course, we would have loved to have him.”
Ohio State said after the game that Wells would not be permitted to speak with reporters. So his status — for Saturday’s game at USC, and beyond — is still in doubt.
n TROUBLING NUMBERS — Many people believe Ohio State has one of the deepest and most talented receiving corps in the country. Maybe so. But if that’s the case, why was it that the Buckeyes never seemed to get any separation in the secondary, even which QB Todd Boeckman was given time by the line?
Only one receiver — tight end Jake Ballard — had a reception that gained more than 12 yards. Ballard’s went for 25 yards.
Boeckman couldn’t find anyone open deep. And when he did complete a pass to a receiver, the receiver never picked up many yards after the catch.
It’s hard to extrapolate what things will be like against USC’s superior athletes in the secondary when Ohio State gained just 110 yards off 28 passes and 16 completions.
n QUOTABLE — Boeckman, on the Buckeyes’ sloppy play: “We need to learn from our mistakes right now if we’re going to do well in the (Los Angeles Memorial) Coliseum.”
Print this story
Post to del.icio.us
