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.

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.

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.

Sources familiar with negotiations said that the Big Ten Network and Time Warner Cable have reached an agreement in principle for carriage of the year-old cable network in time for this weekend’s Ohio State Buckeyes season opener against Youngstown State Saturday.
The deal calls for Time Warner to carry the channel on expanded basic on all of its systems in the eight-states where Big Ten schools operate. As recently as Friday, it looked as if an agreement wouldn’t be reached in time to broadcast the game.
‘’We have a handshake deal with Fox (the Big Ten Network’s partner) that will ensure that Time Warner customers will be able to watch the game this weekend,’’ said Bill Jasso, Time Warner’s vice president for government affairs and media relations. ‘’And ware are confident that we’ll reach a deal for carriage shortly.’’
BTN and Time Warner have been locked in a battle over the station since the network began. When Comcast, the nation’s top video provider reached a deal last spring, an agreement with Time Warner seemed to be a foregone conclusion.
That’s not been the case and in recent days negotiations had grown a bit contentious with both sides taking their respective cases to the media. In fact, Ohio State University athletic director Gene Smith sent an open letter to Buckeyes fans advising them to switch video providers.
No details of the deal were available.

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.

The Ohio State Buckeyes football team landed another prized recruit today when Keith Wells out of Gainesville, Ga. committed to the team.

Wells is a 6-foot-5-inch defensive end who weighs about 207 pounds. Apparently current Buckeye Cameron Heyward helped him to feel comfortable during his officila visit here. OSU beat out Notre Dame among others with this pick up.

Currently the Buckeyes have 18 players in its fall class after jettisoning DeVoe Torrance last week. Scout.com currently has them ranked as having the 17th best class in the country. Rivals.com has them ranked seventh. All of that changes in a major way if Terrelle Pryor should choose the Buckeyes Wednesday.

If you've paid attention to today's Buckeyes' notes or tomorrow's for that matter, you will read mention of a DVD that Ohio State Buckeyes' Coach Jim Tressel gave his players to motivate them for their game against the LSU Tigers come Monday night.

In what will be a mystery, a portion of the video made its way to YouTube. You can click here if you want to see it. The DVD was a total of ten minutes long, only the first three appear through that link.

It's essentially ten minute of national media types saying "Hey, Buckeyes: you suck!" I'm sure Camp Tressel would have rather not this been made public, but it's a delicious little tidbit that makes this interesting.