Toe Jam & Earl...Bruce? As mentioned here around this time yesterday afternoon, Chris "Beanie" Wells and his stiff arm that will end all that you know and love will spend Saturday afternoon on the sidelines as the Buckeyes go toe to toe with the Ohio Bobcats. While his status remains unofficial with respect to the regular season clash of '08 against the Trojans next week, all speculation remains Wells is expected to be 100% as the Buckeyes travel out to Los Angeles. As anyone who's ever had a serious toe injury will attest, what Beanie's going through is no walk in the park; for a position who's success is mandated on the ability to make sharp, planted cuts, with, well, your feet, the idea that Wells would be anywhere close to his full effectiveness without full functionality of his right foot is hardly laudable. Still, with Maurice Wells slated to get the start and the Boom & Zoom tag team of Dan Herron and the perpetually-dinged-up-in-his-own-right Brandon Saine expected to split the carries in thirds, this opportunity to showcase the Buckeyes' embarassment of riches at the position should be a good one.

Turf Theory of Everything (aka T.O.E.). As if Beanie's mystery toe ailment weren't troublesome enough, evidently Buckeyes starting fullback/h-back Brandon Smith is ailing as well, as the 5th-year senior continues to battle through turf toe. Apparently Smith's suffered inflammation of the bridge between his big toe and heel since his middle school playing days, so ideally he should be conditioned to the discomfort by now. With The Vested Glory insinuating the fullback starting spot as being "the most important on the team" leading into the season, he and the coaching staff's continued trust in Smith speaks volumes to both Smith's grittyness as well as his playmaking abilities. With a cadre of immensely talented (albeit mostly green) halfbacks expected to carry the bulk of the Buckeyes ground game on Saturday, Smith's durability and overall blocking efficacy could prove important.

One order of athlete's foot, please. Buckeyes rookie tackle starter sophomore Bryant Browning received the dreaded "not a winning performance" grade on his opening week effort against the Youngstown State Penguins. His biggest offense? You guessed it: lively feet. A costly false start penalty on the first year starter brought an early drive to a grinding hault and forced the Buckeyes to instead settle for a field goal. He also allowed his man to re-introduce Todd Boeckman to the Ohio Stadium artifcial turf during a particularly rough blow following a pass, which causes The Plain Dealer's 2008 Eager Beaver award winner Doug Lesmerises to speculate what many have openly stated: that Browning's long-term future may instead be on the interrior line. James Patrick Tressel's thoughts on Browning's play also raise some interesting questions about the right tackle's future:

"We thought Bryant did well in the game," Tressel said Thursday. "There are some things he needs to do better. I think a young guy like J.B. Shugarts did well also. But that's not the kind of guy that Bryant Browning is (to worry about his job). He's not worried about if it's locked down. He wants to get better and he's working, but I think J.B. Shugarts is going to be good."

Tress' insistence on lavishly praising and repeatedly bringing up the freshman Texas native's play in a question aimed directly about another lineman tends to not reflect favorably on the aforementioned lineman's long term grasp on the position.

There are 120 feet in 40-yards. In case you head better things to do than take in last Saturday afternoon's Ohio/Wyoming clash, Hilliard/Columbus native (and Hillary Darby alumnist) Taylor Price is doing big things for the Bobcats. After largely being overlooked in a run first (which would seem to be the calling card of Hillard ISD football programs) offense during his time in Columbus, after a series of blazing 4.29 40-yard dash times Price found his way to Athens, where he set a Bobcat record with 14 catches last week. Price's speed and solid mitts should pose a nice dry run for Buckeyes all-world DB Malcolm Jenkins as he readies himself to chase Patrick Turner, Vidal Hazelton, and Damian Williams around the Colliseum.

Foot in mouth disease takes another. Congratulations Buckeyes, we finally have our very own Kige Ramsey! GO82BUCKS wins hearts and minds with commentary utterly deprived of analysis, charm, or gravitas, but he does appear to record his brave videos from the inside of an air turbine of some sort (steer clear of the blades, kind sir). I won't spoil whom he picks for Saturday's epic battle for Ohio, but I will enthusiastically endorse the Catlab/Spike & Mike-esque demented homertastic animation that graces the end (the 1:45 mark). Brutus + Decapitation = High Art (Warning: for those easily offended by/unable to watch at work rough animations containing slang for female cats and cartoon blood, steer clear)

2007 Look Back

2007 Record: 6-6 (4-4 - 4th Place MAC East)
2007 Road Record: 2-4
2007 vs Teams w/ Winning Records:  2-1
2007 vs. Ranked Opponents:  0-1
2007 Bowl:  None
Last year vs Ohio State:  N/A
All-Time vs. Ohio State:  0-5

2008 Key Stats

Last week: L 20-21 vs, Wyoming
Record: 0-1 (0-0)

OFFENSE
Yards/Play, Offense:  4.6 (#79, nationally)
Scoring Offense/Game:  20.0 (82)
Rush Yards/Att:  1.86 (101)
Pass Yards/Att:  6.0 (69)
3rd Downs Conv-Att:  3-13-23.1% (96)
Red Zone Scores-Chances:  3-4-75.0% (76) (1 TD / 2 FG)
Turnovers lost:  2 (44)

DEFENSE
Yards/Play Defense:  4.4 (48)
Scoring Defense/Game  21.0 (57)
Rush Yards/Att:  4.0 (75)
Pass Yards/Att:  5.0 (38)
3rd Downs Conv-Att:  6-12-50.0% (50)
Red Zone Scores-Chances:  3-3-100.0% (54) (3 TD / 0 FG)
Turnovers gained:  2 (36)
Turnover margin:  +0 (43)

SPECIAL TEAMS
Yards/Punt Return, Ohio:  N/A (Haven't returned a punt yet)
Yards/Punt Return, Opponent:  13.0 (64)
Yards/Kickoff Return, Ohio:  46.67 (6)
Yards/Kickoff Return, Opponent:  26.33 (95)
FG Att-Made: 2-2-100.0% (1)

Personnel

Returning Starters From '07:  13 (6 offense, 7 defense)
Best Player, Offense:  Andrew Mooney, TE #81 (SR) (3 catches for 10 yards, 1 TD vs Wyoming) (34 catches, 498 yards, a school record 9 TDs, 2nd Team All-MAC in '07)
Best Wide Receiver:  Taylor Price, #23 (JR) (14 catches for 139 yards vs Wyoming) (33 catches, 464 yards, 4 TDs in '07)
Best Running Back:  Chris Garrett, #2 (JR) (12 carries for 30 yards vs Wyoming), (17 carries, 99 yards, 0 TDs in '07)
Best Player, Defense: Jameson Hartke, DE #90 (SR)
Best D-Lineman: Hartke
Best Linebacker: Lee Renfro, #32 (JR)
Best CB: Mark Parson, #24 (SR)

Updated: 09/04/08 at 11:25 EST

Offensive Starters:

Complete Offensive Depth Chart:

Defensive Starters:

Complete Defensive Depth Chart:

A few quick thoughts:

Quarterback: Only a modicum of surprise here that the more senior (albeit infinitely less talented) Bauserman is still listed ahead of TP2. Although as we saw in the YSU game, the order of the depth chart bared no correlation to the order of substitution or the amount of playing time for each of the 3 QBs. Color me selfish as my dream scenario would be for Boeckman to get 2-quarters worth of snaps, Pryor a quarter and a half, and Bauserman mop up duty, but it's likely the split will be more along the lines of 2/1/1.

Halfback: It absolutely kills me that even the fan base and regional media is beginning to buy into the national sports media's myopic perspective that this position is turning into some sort of gaping question mark. Obviously you want your best players (health permitting) to get their reps going into a potential team/conference reputation restoring match up, but I'm of the mind set that allowing the three-headed Cerebus of Herron/Saine/Wells to get extended duty will only serve this team better, both in the Battle for Los Angeles and long term. Herron, by all accounts, absolutely tore up summer camp, we already know what we're getting with Brandon "Zoom" Saine, and Maurice Wells showed new life in the presence of the fleet footed magician freshman quarterback we call Terrelle. With the added benefit of letting Beanie return to 100%, I see no reason the Buckeyes' depth at running back can't compete with that of anyone in the country's (including a certain Los Angeles based juggernaut tOSU may or may not square off with in the week ahead).

Offensive Line: Perhaps the highlight of the YSU game was seeing "the second line" of offensive linemen, which at one point included virtually the entire Brew crew as Mike Adams, J.B. Shugarts, and Mike Brewster all played concurrently. If anyone wants a crystal ball to see the make up of the Ohio State offensive line in '09/'10, that's your portal. Getting these guys repetitions against the Bobcats will be huge in adding additional depth should the unthinkable happen in either of the next 2 contests.

No alarms and no surprises as the defensive depth chart remains virtually static this week. It remains interesting that The Vested One lists the right end spot as a sort of hybrid defensive end/defensive tackle slot, but makes perfect since when you consider the bodies occupying the slot are more than fit for both positions. Brian Rolle and Jermale Hines were both all over the place against the Penguins; it'll be interesting to see how their energy and speed translates against the quicker receivers and backs of Ohio U., and then the even speedier weapons they're sure to see in Southern California the following week.

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