Here is video of OSU coach Jim Tressel's press conference (about 14 minutes in duration, thanks to ScoutingOhio.com for producing this video)
Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel addressed a bevy of topics during a Tuesday press conference.
The No. 10 Buckeyes (10-2) are preparing to play No. 3 Texas (11-1) in the Fiesta Bowl, which will be held Jan. 5 in Glendale, Ariz.
Ohio State freshman defensive end Nathan Williams was arrested for shoplifting at a mall near Dayton last week. Conventional wisdom indicated that Williams might be suspended for the bowl game, but Tressel clarified the situation on Tuesday.
“Nathan has to take care of his personal business (Tuesday),” Tressel said. “We’ve gone through the steps of talking with our athletic administration first and foremost to see what policy we’d need to follow there. Then we went to our coaching staff and then we went to our seniors and we talked about the ‘what ifs.’ And the way it appears right now, from an institutional standpoint, there isn’t any mandated punitive situation.
“From a team standpoint, there is some from a physical nature and there’s some from a playing time nature that the coaches and the seniors all agreed upon. So, he’ll have some work to do and he’ll miss some time and he’ll have some constraints on the bowl trip. And so, how he’ll handle all that will determine what exactly happens on the 5th.”
As it stands now, Tressel says Williams will travel with the team to the bowl game.
“Yeah, he’ll make the trip,” the coach said.
A rumor that has been going around the last few months is that OSU redshirt freshman quarterback Joe Bauserman might look to transfer following the season. Bauserman might choose to go the FCS route (former I-AA) so he can play right away if he does decide to leave OSU.
However, either Tressel knows nothing about an impending Bauserman transfer, or he just didn’t want to say much to reporters about it.
“I have not heard that,” Tressel said. “I have not heard anything like that.”
And Bauserman is still practicing with the team and will make the bowl trip.
“Oh yeah,” Tressel said.
Tressel also shed some light on the situation that involves fifth-year senior Curtis Terry who suffered a season-ending injury towards the end of the regular season and wasn’t even announced on Senior Day before the Michigan game.
“Oh, he couldn’t move,” Tressel said. “He had two rods in his leg. It was real serious. He had surgery and was on a walker and he came to senior tackle, but he could not come to the game. He was on a walker up until our banquet and he just started walking these last couple of days. But he’s here every day. He’ll graduate in March and he’ll be ready for the combine.”
Terry played in too many games this year to qualify for a medical redshirt and possible sixth year in the program.
“No, that is not a possibility,” Tressel said.
There has also been a lot of talk recently about defensive tackle Shawntel Rowell who was a member of OSU’s 2008 recruiting class, but did not qualify academically. Rowell originally said he would be able to practice with the team during bowl preparations and would then enroll at OSU for winter quarter. However, Tressel was not able to clear up much regarding Rowell’s predicament.
“He’s still a perspective student-athlete and he’s not with us right now,” Tressel said. “I guess that’s what I’m allowed to say.”
Tressel was also asked about Dawawn Whitner – the younger brother of former OSU safety Donte Whitner. Dawawn told Bucknuts several months ago that he would attend Columbus State Community College for a semester and would then transfer to OSU if he was able to maintain a “C average.” Whitner thought he would enroll in January and would then be on scholarship. However, there was not much Tressel could say on the matter.
“He’s a perspective student-athlete,” he said.
OSU’s bowl practice schedule is set
Tressel also discussed OSU’s practice schedule for the rest of the month and how the team would handle Christmas break.
“We practiced Thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week and we had a huge recruiting weekend and were able to get almost our entire recruiting class in this past weekend and our families,” Tressel said. “It gave our players a chance to meet them and host them and we thought that went very, very well.
“Then we went to work beginning (Monday) for what is really our biggest week of preparation. We practiced (Monday) and (Tuesday) and then (Wednesday) will be strictly a lifting day and a film day. And then Thursday-Friday-Saturday we’ll be at it again. And then we’ll practice Monday and Tuesday of next week and our guys will head home Tuesday morning after practice to have five solid days at home with their families. And then we’ll reconvene in Scottsdale and we’re looking forward to getting back to work as we go. The week we’re out there, we’ll be practicing at Pinnacle (High School).”
Beanie health update
Ohio State junior tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells has dealt with one nagging injury after another during the last two seasons. His latest ailment is a pulled hamstring which left him unable to finish the Michigan game.
“I think Beanie is pretty healthy,” Tressel said. “Beanie and Brandon Smith didn’t get to practice (Monday) – they got to do some physical fitness. Because we had a little issue with going on TV on the news. So, they ran quite a bit (Monday) and Beanie looked pretty sore (Tuesday) morning. They went on TV and they were late coming to practice.
“I would call Beanie probably right now 85 percent healthy. And we anticipate he’ll be 100 percent as we go into the game.”
