Ohio State’s players don’t appear to be too concerned that they will be without junior tailback Chris “Beanie” Wells when the Buckeyes line up against visiting Ohio University on Saturday (noon, ESPN).
Wells (6-1, 240) has soft tissue damage to his right foot (just below the big toe) and is expected back for the showdown at USC on Sept. 13. Ohio State would certainly like to have Wells in its backfield this weekend against the Bobcats, but a few of the Buckeyes also believe too much is being made of the situation.
“Yeah, I think so,” fullback Brandon Smith said. “We’ve got some guys that can run the ball and Beanie’s working hard to get himself back together and get healthy. But we’re just trying to worry about OU and get ready for that.”
And yes, the players might be singing a different tune if their star tailback was expected to miss more than one week. But at least for this one game against what could be a scrappy Ohio U. team, they sincerely don’t appear to be concerned.
“I think we’ve got a lot of great depth at running back this year,” wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said. “Beanie is obviously a great back, but Brandon Saine and Boom Herron and Mo Wells, those guys will be able to pick up the slack.”
Sanzenbacher says there really hasn’t been too much discussion about Chris Wells’ predicament in the locker room.
“I think primarily the media is taking care of most of the talking,” he said. “I mean, we know how good our training staff is and we know how Beanie is as far as he wants to get better and he’s going to go through all the right steps. So, as a team, obviously we’re worried because we want to see him get better, but we’re not worried about he’s not going to be able to play or anything like that.”
Smith says that Wells appears to be walking better every time he sees him.
“I know we were in the cold tanks and he was like, ‘How am I walking? How do I look?’ So, he’s feeling good and he’s working hard to get back to 100 percent so he can contribute for us.”
“Mo” opportunities for other Wells
Head coach Jim Tressel announced on Thursday that Mo Wells will get the start at tailback on Saturday. The senior must be excited for the opportunity, but he was putting on his best poker face when he met with the media.
“No, I don’t feel any different,” he said. “I’m still going to do what I can in practice and on Saturday to help contribute in any way the coaches ask me. I’m going to have the same approach whether Beanie was playing or not.
“Everyone wants to play as well as they can any opportunity they get. I go into every game saying that if I get my opportunity, I’m going to show what I can do. So, I don’t feel any extra excitement or anything. Every game is exciting, whether it’s playing in the fourth quarter and showing people what I can do, or starting the game, or whatever the case may be.”
Mo Wells agrees with the reports that Chris Wells won’t miss more than one game.
“I talked to Beanie about it briefly,” Mo Wells said. “He told me his foot feels pretty good and they’re still doing treatment on it and stuff. But I haven’t really talked to him too much about it.”
Mo Wells was also asked if any part of him takes offense to all the hang-wringing among OSU fans about Beanie Wells’ injury.
“Not at all,” he said. “Beanie is a major part of this offense and this past season he was our team MVP and he made some big plays in big games. A lot of the fans haven’t seen too much of the other running backs, so it’s the fear of the unknown. They don’t know what we can do. But I don’t take offense to that at all.”
Wells (5-10, 190, Sr.) missed some practice time during preseason camp, but says he feels very good now.
“I had a couple things nagging me in camp,” he said. “I had a little bit of a stomach flu which caused me to miss some camp. I wasn’t eating very much and the heat and stuff was getting to me. And my back was hurting me as well (Wells was wearing ice packs on his back when he walked into the interview room). Just some nicks and bruises, kind of goes along with the game. But I feel 100 percent now.”
Wells also explained how the practice reps have been divided this week between himself, Saine (6-1, 218, So.) and Herron (5-10, 195, Fr.).
“They’ve all been divided pretty evenly,” he said. “Even when Beanie was practicing, all the reps were divided pretty evenly between everybody. Everybody gets a chance to roll in there because you never know who might get the next opportunity.”
When asked to compare the three running backs who will play this week for OSU, assistant coach Doc Tressel said that Wells and Herron have more quickness and explosion, while Saine is the speed merchant of the group. Wells also gave his assessment of the group.
“I think we’re all pretty versatile and we can all run the ball,” he said. “We can all block, catch and we know the offense pretty well. I think B. Saine, he has that 10.3 speed. Boom is quick and very shifty. Myself, I’m quick, more of a slasher. I might not, you know, break 10 tackles on the play, but I can make a guy miss here and there. Those are the small different things that we have. But we’re all somewhat similar running backs and we’re pretty much even.”
When the depth chart was released for the Youngstown State game last week, Herron was the No. 2 back and Saine was No. 3. Wells was asked if he was disappointed when he saw the initial two deep.
“Nah,” he said. “It’s all about whatever is best for the team. You don’t worry about things you can’t control. I practice hard and if I play well, everything else will take care of itself.”
Wells also explained how he thinks his game has improved during his four years in Columbus.
“I think I’ve been getting better every year,” he said. “Coming in every running back has that raw talent to be a running back, but you come to a school like Ohio State that’s at another level and you have to learn the small things like pass blocking and receiving and just knowing the offense and stuff like that. Running routes. So, I think with those other parts of my game, I think I’ve improved.”
Despite the heated competition to carry the football – and every running back wants the ball as much as possible – the group is very close off the field. Wells, Wells, Saine and Herron can always be found hanging out with each other.
“Yeah, we all get along real well,” Mo Wells said. “Thursday nights before the game, we all choose a running back’s house to go over and watch the games and stuff. There’s always a couple college games on and we just have some food and relax before the game. We’re around each other so much, so it would be hard to not get along with someone because you have to see them every day multiple times.”
Sanzenbacher bounces back from big hit
Sanzenbacher was one of the standouts of OSU’s preseason camp, but he had just one reception for four yards in the opener against Youngstown State. And he paid for it with a hard hit that left him momentarily flattened on the Ohio Stadium FieldTurf.
“Didn’t feel great, but just knocked the wind out of me for a little bit,” Sanzenbacher said. “Luckily it wasn’t a head injury or anything too bad. I think I got called up to the media room after the game just to talk about that hit.”
However, it might have felt even worse if Sanzenbacher had dropped the ball.
“Yep, I had to take the hit anyways, so might as well hang on to it,” he said.
Sanzenbacher is still in a competition with Ray Small to be the Buckeyes’ No. 3 wide receiver behind starters Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. Plus, true freshman DeVier Posey is making a push for more playing time due to his strong play. Then there’s also guys like freshman Lamaar Thomas and sophomores Taurian Washington and Grant Schwartz fighting for time. There is no shortage of quality depth at receiver for Ohio State this year.
“Well, I think it’s obvious that we do have great depth at the position, which is good for any position because I think it breeds competition within the room,” Sanzenbacher said. “Probably the best way to get the best out of anyone would be to put them in a competitive situation and we definitely have that with the receivers.”
Sanzenbacher got a smile on his face when asked about the “battle” to be the third WR between him and Small.
“Well, it hasn’t been an unfriendly battle or anything like that,” he said. “Like I said, I’m totally in favor of having competition out there. I think it helped us both step up our games throughout camp and will help the rest of the season. And it also helps the young guys realize how you have to play to be competitive at this level.”
Many followers of the program expected Sanzenbacher to redshirt when the product of Toledo Central Catholic High School arrived on campus last year. However, he surprised even himself by opening up the season as OSU’s No. 3 wideout. Sanzenbacher took a deep breath before reflecting on his freshman year.
“It was just a whirlwind,” he said. “It was great having that experience that first year of going to Michigan and playing and getting a chance to do the whole national championship thing and go down there and be a part of the game. I think it definitely puts a different perspective on this year because now you’re a year into it and you’ve seen everything and now I can focus more on football.
“I feel a big difference this year. Coming in last year, you try and stay poised as a freshman, but it’s really hard. You’ve got to go through so much stuff. Even before the game, there are so many traditions that could distract you from what you’re trying to think about. And that’s been a lot easier for me this year.”
With a group of solid receivers, OSU feels that it can run more three-and-four-wide sets than it did last year. The Buckeyes’ offense will look more like it did in 2006 this season. But the really good part about the offense from Sanzenbacher’s perspective is its versatility and balance. Ohio State can go with a variety of power looks with a fullback or two tight ends, and it can spread teams out in the shotgun-spread.
“I think mixing things up definitely is important,” Sanzenbacher said. “It makes it tough on defenses to decide what to do. And that is the main reason you want to have diversity in your offense. You want to be able to use any kind of formation. I think it definitely adds depth to the offense because you can bring in people to play different roles.”
One of those people is of course freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor who is going to give defensive coordinators something else to prepare for this year. Todd Boeckman is going to be the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback all season and could be headed for a big year. But it’s evident that Pryor is going to be a part of the offensive game plan each week.
And from his teammates’ perspective, the most-impressive aspect of the phenom’s debut against Youngstown State was his poise and pocket presense.
“Definitely impressed with how he handled the pressure of everything, especially all the anticipation leading up to the game,” Sanzenbacher said. “He handled it very well.”
The Buckeyes’ starting fullback agreed.
“For a young guy with all the expectations that all the fans have for him, he just came in there and played like it was a practice or a scrimmage,” Smith said. “He’s a great athlete and things don’t get to him, so that’s a great sign, I think.”
Bobcats won’t be a pushover
Ohio University isn’t expected to win the MAC championship this year – in fact many publications pick them in the bottom-half of the conference – but the Bobcats might be better than people expected. They went on the road and almost knocked off a decent Wyoming team in a 21-20 nail-biter.
Even with Beanie Wells’ absence, the Buckeyes are listed as 34-point favorites. However, the players don’t want to make history (unless it involves securing OSU’s 800th all-time win). Ohio State has not fallen to an in-state opponent since a 7-6 defeat at the hands of Oberlin in 1921.
“I guess we haven’t lost to an in-state opponent in over 80 years and we know what happened with Appalachian State and Michigan last year,” Smith said. “These guys are coming in – just like anybody that comes to play in the ‘Shoe – they’re coming to play the best they can and they want to make some news. So, we’ve got to be ready to go.”
The players are saying all the right things about not looking ahead to the following week against USC. But it’s hard to imagine that they’re not thinking about it.
“Every game is important and we’ve got OU this week,” Mo Wells said. “USC is very important as far as the national title, but in my opinion, OU is just as important. Because if that’s a game we lose, we’re out of the national title as well. So, every game is important.”
Added Sanzenbacher: “Obviously we know what’s coming the following week, but I don’t think we’ll have any problem with overlooking. We try and prepare for every team individually and we’re doing that this week.”
Sibling rivalry
As for Posey, there will be a familiar face covering him when the Buckeyes line up against the Bobcats. One of OU’s top secondary players is sophomore cornerback Julian Posey.
DeVier Posey (6-3, 205) might be the younger sibling by two years (Julian redshirted a year), but he’s got four inches of height over his brother who stands 5-11, 186.
“I’m going to do everything I can to make plays,” DeVier Posey said. “I know he’ll be over there talking, so it’s going to be fun. It will be interesting if he actually gets a chance to tackle me. It will be weird. We’ll see how everything goes, but I know he’ll be talking. … I might talk stuff after the fact. But I’m not going to talk during.”
Posey doesn’t think his brother’s presence will be a distraction though.
“I really have to block everything out and that’s where mental focus comes in,” he said. “I need to be really mentally focused for that game I know I’m going to have to block everything out. I’m not going to worry if I’m lined up against Julian Posey, my brother. I don’t know if he will do that, but defense is just different because defense is more physical and more personal. With offense, you’ve got to know a lot of assignments and you’ve got to know what you’re doing. So, I think it’s a different situation for us.”
Posey was asked how his family is going to handle Saturday’s affair. Will they be rooting for the Buckeyes or Bobcats?
“They are going to be supporting the Poseys, I know that,” he said. “They are going to be screaming when I do good and when he does good. I don’t know. We have some people sitting on OU’s side with OU tickets and we have some people where Ohio State fans sit. So, it’s going to be split up as far as where our family will be sitting, but they’re going to be rooting for both of us.”
Posey is just 18, but he’s mature beyond his years – both physically and mentally. On the field he looks like a veteran. And when he talks to the media, he sounds almost like a coach.
“I guess I’m mature,” Posey said. “I feel like I was put in a different situation where I had to mature and everything. I feel as though I got a lot of practice in high school as far as this situation goes with the media with phone interviews and that stuff. But as far as on the field, I just feel like it’s football, the same game I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old. It’s just at another level and you’ve got to step up. But it’s still the same game and the headaches and the aches and pains all feel the same. It just feels like football to me and it feels good because it’s not too different.”
Much like Pryor, one could argue that Posey has walked into the ideal situation. He doesn’t have to be a starter right away with all the pressure associated with it. Not many true freshmen are ready for that. However, he also gets a chance to play a lot right away and show what he can do.
“That’s a big part of why I came here is just the learning process,” Posey said. “Because you’ve got guys like Hartline and Robiskie and Dane Sanzenbacher and Ray Small and just older receivers that I think will be future NFL players. You get to learn and see them day-by-day. It’s one thing to have a coach talk to you. But when you can watch and learn from players and someone that’s in your shoes, but a little farther along, you can learn a lot better out there and I think that’s helped me with my adjustment to the college game.”
Posey’s teammates said from the moment he stepped on campus this summer, they knew he was going to be a special player. Tressel reiterated their thoughts during his press luncheon earlier this week saying that Posey’s name would always come up when he checked in with guys like Hartline to see how the summer was going.
Posey was asked if he received any of that positive feedback from his older teammates, or if they kept it to themselves.
“I felt like during this summer, we worked so hard and I just felt like I wanted to work like those guys and they just told me to keep up the hard work and things like that and keep focused,” he said. “But I don’t think they really wanted to tell me because they wanted me to keep working hard. And that’s the way I like it. I’m just going to keep working. I like to put my head down and just grind.”
Posey is an athlete that is confident without having an ounce of brashness. He never doubted his abilities and felt like he belonged at OSU as soon as he joined the team. It’s been a smooth adjustment for him so far from high school to college.
“Well, I’ve always felt like that,” Posey said. “I’ve always felt like I can fit in anywhere I went. I’m confident in what I can do, but it’s not to a point where it’s cocky. I just feel like I’m confident.”
