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.

As Buckeye Nation holds its breath.

Literally, as I sit here Ohio Stadium is silent as Chris Wells gets worked on. He and fumbled the ball as he rushed near the goal line. It didn't look good as teammates helped him off the field. Wells had to eventually be helped to a cart where it can only be presumed he's heading for X-rays.

Wells eventually came back in an orthopedic boot. X-Rays taken in the locker room came back negative.

A couple of observations:

Despite a 26-0 lead the Buckeyes look far from impressive. The two TDs they scored came outside the redzone - one courtesy of a Chris Wells 43-yard-TD run and the other a 31-yard Todd Boeckman to Brian Robiskie TD pass.

The went 0-4 inside the redzone. Not good. Not inspiring because there will come a time when the offense has to come up big inside the 20 and if they can't do it against YSU, then they won't be able to do it against a USC or a lot of Big Ten teams.

Injury update: at one point in the first half Beanie Wells pulled himself out of the game and Robiskie wasn't out at mdifield for the the start of the second half. Considering he's a team captain. He should have been. That shoulder-arm injury looks troublesome.

Terrelle Pryor's stats in his first drive: 3 of 3 passing, 25 yards and he rushed for 16 yards on 4 carries including a long of 14.

Pryor flashed the skills that made him last year's most wanted recruit, but you can definitley see that when it comes to the passing game, he will need work. He took a sack looking to make something happen. Admirable, but he needs to know when to get rid of the ball

It's the first game and the Buckeyes have a comfy 16 point lead, but here's hoping a trend isn't developing. They are 0-for-3 in the redzone. Sure, they'll get away with it against YSU and OU next week, but the likelihood that they will against USC…ummm…NO.

After dealing with parking issues and the like I finally hit Ohio Stadium and it would the Buckeyes already realize that they are playing an inferior opponent.

This is one of those games - as well as next week's - when they should take the opportunity to get their kinks worked out. Settling on for a field goal on the first drive doesn't qualify.

In this very game last year, Akron's Chris Wells looked uninspired and unimpressive. Not so today. Four carries 55 yards and a score. 'Nuff said.

Now the crowd cheers as Jim Tressle give sthe crowd what they want on the third drive of the game - Terrelle Pryor - the QB phenom out of Jennette, Pa.

I'm trying to decipher what's going on in C-bus lately.

Why?

Because I think the OSU schedule gods are finally listening to the naysayers. You know, the ones who dissed that thing called a schedule last year. Although, in all fairness, that line-up of cream pu…errr…ummm football teams was set up to help a team that was viewed to be in a rebuilding year.

Those critics were right. Last year's schedule wasn't befitting a football program that views itself as a perennial powerhouse. Apparently, however, the times they are a changin'.

The Buckeyes, who previously announced a home-and-home match-up with the Oklahoma Sooners, just announced the same deal with the Tennessee Volunteers. Yes, those Volunteers. That would be an SEC team. In the regular season.

Perhaps they got tired of hearing about all of the experts proclaiming the SEC the best conference - even if it is correct. Even if that is the case, this continues to be a step in the right direction for Buckeyes. It gives them legitimacy in one respect.

However, they will continue to beat up on the state's usual suspects. I have no way of knowing what the future holds, but with these other powerhouses, the Buckeyes need to add one team just below the likes of the Oklahomas and Tennessees to add further legitimacy. The Tennessee series begins in 2018. Gee, get your tickets now.

Apparently there is no winner, not just yet.

According to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Terrelle Pryor won't be signing nothing today. No how. No way.
And if you read that particular story, what you will find is a young man seemingly being tugged a million different ways.

He apparently has made his decision, but it's different from his father's. Take this paragraph from the story, for example:

"When we talked (Tuesday morning), I gave him my choice and he gave me his," said Pryor's father, Craig. "They weren't the same. But it's his decision."

Craig Pryor said he did not pick Ohio State, but he did not indicate what school his son chose.

Never underestimate the appeal of pleasing a parent. And given past stories where Pryor said Penn State had been "creeping up" on him and that Joe Paterno and his staff had spent more time talking to his parents. That, as they say, is the benefit of geography.

I wrote this the other day in a story that ran in the ABJ. With parents, colleges and Charlie Batch looking out for Pryor it's kind of weird that there is no choice, no?

I have to wonder if everyone is working from a different agenda. Terrelle says that he's made his decision. Some will argue that it should be based on where he can get the best possible education and I would argue that that is extremely naive. The sanctity of the student-athlete and how the emphasis should be on the ''student" has tragically evolved into the myth in the age of sports cable networks and the huge dollars being paid to the NCAA.

If it's the Michigan Wolverines he gets the chance to play right away in Rich Rodriguez's spread-option offense. If he has little interest in playing pro sports in any form or fashion after getting his degree and doesn't really expect to win for at least three years more than likely, by all means that's the decision he should make.

If it's the Penn State Nittany Lions, three quarterbacks stand in his way. Additionally, can anyone define the PSU offensive philosophy for the past three seasons other than it be Anthony Morelli on his rear end? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? Quick name the last successful Penn State QB? Kerry Collins comes to mind. He led the Giants to the Super Bowl seven years back.

If it's Ohio State he can point to the fact that they developed someone shorter of stature with the same skills as Pryor, Troy Smith, into a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. They have displayed that with Smith they're willing to shape the offense around its strength and, they turned a barely 6-foot passer into someone who will likely challenge for the Baltimore Ravens starting job next year.

I have two sons and I do know one thing. As much fondness as I have for one particular school, if they were in this situation I'd want them to go where they are comfortable and happy. Looking at this tug-of-war, it doesn't appear that is the case with Terrelle Pryor. And that, as they say, is tragic.

I do know one thing, however. This drama that has been playing out over the course of the past five months, is getting older than watching reruns of The Andy Griffith Show.