Wells Out
Jim Tressel said Chris Wells will not play against USC.
"He's been getting treatment 15 times a day," Tressel said. "I guess if looks could kill he fought me. I just told the team because it's important our guys know what we thought we should do."
Too bad. I can hear the excuses now.
I'm calling shenanigans.
They're going to try and play him.
ABC will work up some great shots of him slowly out of the tunnel with the Rocky theme song playing.
And after he fails they'll show a close up of him limping off the field, look over his shoulder and say:
'By the beard of Zeus and the sweater vest of Tressel, I shall have my revenge at the Horseshoe!"
I see Paul Pierce again. As a Trojan fan, I am worried that Beanie Wells will play and pull a Paul Pierce that could change the season and game. His physical presence on the field will cause the Ohio state Buckeyes to upset the Trojans( even though they shpould Ohio State is a great team and should be favored). It will be a Willis Reed type performance that will garner a Heisman and a win.
The Buckeyes will be inspired and beat USC. USC should be on guard and expect Ohio State to pull special teams tricks and everything. This a warning and I as a fan I am worried. Go USC!
I don't think Tressel is bluffing. Frankly, he doesn't strike me as the type (like Belichek). Wells will sit tomorrow. Tressel figures that there is no need to risk the remainder of his season by aggravating his foot/toe injury. It's hard to run on bad feet.
Often, we talk about resting a hurt starter against a clearly inferior team (like the talk about keeping Sanchez out of the Va game). I guess the reverse can be true: Why play an injured star in a game that you are supposed to lose by 10+ points? Why let a fierce USC defense beat up on a wounded player? (A coach would NEVER admit to such, lest his lose his team's confidence.)
But this is still a very dangerous team. The back-up RBs could probably start at several other BCS schools. There are 18 seniors starting. Carroll said they have the best defense in the country. They have been hearing for two weeks how they are going to get slaughtered. They are coming in fired up. I don't take this one for granted (and after Stanford, I don't take any game for granted). In the end, however, USC's team speed and athleticism will win the day. USC cannot beat itself with TOs and poor special teams play. Beat the Buckeyes!!
Fight On!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wells will be playing Sunday's, no doubt. But last I checked, he does not play on defense....and an OSU defense is supposed to be the flagship of this year's program (yes, an, instead of THE, just because). Wanted to see OSU with their horse , but don't believe it delivers a win for them anyway.
USC occasionally loses the PAC 10 games they should win........and usually wins the OOC and BCS games.
USC RB's are interchangeable for the most part, each having their own strength, certainly. One goes down, its not book of REVELATION time, and that is the difference between the programs, even w/the QB's.
Wells is an awe inspiring RB, but, Pete was prepared to start the season with a back up QB when Sanchez was injured in fall camp. Just as important, the entire team was also prepared to accept an injury to the starting QB, and leader. Again, i think this is the difference between the programs right now.
You don't hang your hat on one of eleven.
If the Ohio St coach says Wells will not play then that is good enough for me. The coach strikes me as a man of his word. This of course can only help SC, but a win is no sure thing. This is not Stanford the Trojans are playing. (Oh, maybe that is a good thing since Troy is on a losing streak against the Cardinal).
The Wells injury is timely-if OSU loses, Tressel and the Buckeyes can always look back and use the "we didn't have Beanie" excuse which is too bad, because his presence would have made the game that much bigger and better to watch, and I still think USC wins either way. Like mentioned above, the key to this game are TO's and special teams play...if we hang on to the ball and play solid ST and maybe even bust a big PR or KR for a long gain or TD, this game is OVER.
There is still no doubt in my mind that Beanie will play...And then when SC gets a lead he will pull a Steve Slaton (Wolf and other West Virginia watchers know what I'm talking about) and leave the game because he's "hurt." Then Ohio State can use that as an argument to go back to the National Title game after sweeping through the Big 11