Ohio State safety Anderson Russell was carried off the field a week ago, spent the day on crutches days ago, and practiced close to full health 24 hours ago. The 6-foot, 205-pound sophomore sprained his right ankle during last week's game against Kent State, leaving the field on crutches. But the Buckeyes are certainly not counting him out of this Saturday's game against Michigan State.
Ohio State's running backs are running all over the place - some for better, some for worse and some just for running's sake. Brandon Saine appears to be back on track after sitting out two games following arthroscopic knee surgery, Beanie Wells' tender ankle may keep him off the field for much of Saturday and Maurice Wells is balancing them both out by filling the role of the only steady runner on the roster.
After much confusion regarding the status of runing back Brandon Saine, head coach Jim Tressel has announced that the freshman will play on Saturday when the No. 4 Buckeyes take on No. 23 Purdue. Saine, who is Ohio State's third-leading rusher even having sat out two games, has missed the last two weeks while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. He will certainly not be 100 percent, according to Tressel, but should get 10-20 plays in on the field.
Team doctors are having a hard time agreeing on the status of Ohio State running back Brandon Saine. Last week, head coach Jim Tressel said that the freshman had a 50 percent chance of playing against Purdue this week. On Monday, Tressel amended his earlier statement to say that Saine would definitely not be ready by Saturday. On Tuesday, the freshman was upgraded to questionable, but no one is exactly sure where he is in the rehabilitation process, or how that will translate into Saturday's lineup.
Chris "Beanie" Wells has a simple message for anyone who might be worried about the state of his ankle after the tailback limped out of Saturday's win over Northwestern: "I'm fine." The sophomore said after the game that had the Buckeyes needed him (which they happily did not in a 58-7 steamrolling of the Wildcats), he could have returned to the game. Wells did plenty of damage before rolling his left ankle at the end of a six-yard gain on his first carry of the third quarter, as he tallied 100 yards rushing for the third-straight week in just one half of football.
Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel certainly has a way with words. Although the coach would not explain what exactly the injury is that is keeping Dane Sanzenbacher, the Buckeyes' No. 3 receiver, on the sidelines for Saturday's game against Northwestern, he succinctly told the media that during last week's game against Washington, the freshman "got whacked."
Ohio State defensive end Lawrence Wilson underwent surgery Sunday morning on his right leg after breaking it on Saturday in a 38-6 win over Youngstown state. Doctors estimated that the 6-foot-6, 276-pound junior would be sidelined for six to eight weeks, confirming head coach Jim Tressel's unofficial estimate.
Ohio State's season got off to a painful start, as starting defensive end Lawrence Wilson broke his right leg to dampen the Buckeyes' 38-6 win over Youngstown State. The 6-foot-6, 276-pound Wilson was expected to be a force up front, following up a 17-tackle, three sack sophomore season, but all of that changed in the second quarter, when the junior lay writhing in pain following a Youngstown State completion.
