Early word out of Jim Tressel's Tuesday presser is that Akron native and running back Chris Wells will start against the USC Trojans in this weekend's huge showdown.

That's good news for a Buckeyes team that looked woeful on offense against Ohio University of all teams and needs a spark.

Teammate and defensive end Lawrence Wilson spoke with Wells last week and Monday as the runner worked out apart from the team.
‘’Beanie told me he was going to play and when Beanie says he’s going to do something, he does it,’’ Wilson said. ‘’I know he’s a tremendous competitor.’’

Call it looking past the Trojans, but the OSU offensive unit was lower than flat.

Bad snap in the shotgun inside the 10 yard line, ball in the endzone, boom, score Ohio University 14-6 OU. To say this is not good would be mild. Extremely mild.

This is the No. 2 or No. 3 team in the country? After the butt whupping that USC laid on Virginia last week we're supposed to believe this is a contender for a national championship? Even if they pull this out, they're not contenders for a national championship. Right now, they look like a loosely assembled group of ball players looking for someone to step up and show them how to win. This is not what you expect from a team that returns more than 20 starters on both sides of the ball.

Yes, it's beginning to look as if the Buckeyes will eke out a win here, but I'm almost fearful of what will happen next week in SoCal. Gee, couldn't you guys tell that from other comments? Jim Tressel likes to talk about learning from every game. The Bucks will have plenty to learn about themselves from this one.

One person who really needs to study the film is quarterback Todd Boeckman whose decision making has left a lot to be desired. He's thrown into double coverage more than a few times, including on a pass in the endzone that could have easily been picked up.

Malcolm Jenkins comes up with up with a nice pick to start the second quarter and Todd Boeckman looks as if he wants to give it back by throwing into double coverage.

The Buckeyes had a whopping 28 yards of offense in the first quarter on 15 plays. That's not ugly, that is freakin' scary.

Ohio University puts together the best drive of the day to go ahead 7-3 with 6:56 left in the half. I don't want to be the purveyor of doom and gloom, but can you say Appalachian State? Are the Buckeyes sleepwalking during this game or what? Did they expect that they would not have actually show up?

That's what it looks like.

OU 7, OSU 6. End of the first half. About the only thing the Buckeyes can take solace in the fact that the defense - except in a couple of breakdowns - is as advertised. Akron native and defenisve end Lawrence Wilson is a straight out beast and his partner Thad Gibson, a Euclid native, has impressed as well. Both have been quick, tenacious and disruptive.

First noticeable difference - Mo Wells starting at tailback for Chris "Beanie" Wells.

Two series - two three and outs. It's still a shade over half of the first quarter left and the Buckeyes look as if they have ZERO pep. Nothing. No enthusiam. NO fire. In two series they have no first downs.

Quarterback Todd Boeckman looks to be in Six Million Dollar Man slo-mo, which isn't completely his fault because he's not getting the pass protection that he should. The old axiom is true, the longer they let these guys stick around, the more confident they will get.

Update: Lawrence Wilson makes a nice interception off a ball tipped at the of scrimmage setting the ball up in OU territory only to have the offense continue a trend that developed last week - Ofer in the red zone. They settle for a Ryan Pretorius field goal.

3-0 at the end of the first quarter? Are you kidding me? This is Ohio U. Not USC. OU. Speaking of USC, it won't be pretty next week.

The offensive line is getting no explosion. The running backs have no holes to run through and the offense in general looks lackadaisical.