Please patronize our advertisers to help
keep theOzone.net free for everyone.

The-Ozone.net Mall

Interesting, Fun companies with interesting, quality products - and the-Ozone gets a piece of the action!

Football
Who’s In, Who’s Out: Tressel Updates Missing Players on Eve of Camp
By Brandon Castel

CHICAGO — With his Buckeyes prepared to open fall camp in just three days, Jim Tressel had plenty to say Monday about the 2010 season and beyond.

Although expansion talks took center stage at the Big Ten Media Kickoff Luncheon, Tressel was asked a plethora of questions about his current team, including the status of a number of players who were expected to be on the field Thursday when the Buckeyes hit the practice field.

“Physically I don’t think we have any problems. Academically, the guys that have been working out with us don’t have any problems,” said Tressel, who’s Buckeyes were picked as the preseason favorites in the Big Ten yet again as they gun for their sixth straight conference title.

Jermil Martin
Photo by Jim Davidson

Tressel confirms that group includes sophomore offensive tackle Marcus Hall, who had been rumored to be in academic trouble, but not Hall’s former Glenville teammate Jermil Martin.

“Jermil Martin hasn’t been working out with us so he wouldn’t be reporting,” Tressel said of the redshirt sophomore tailback.

That could mean the end of Martin’s Ohio State career, which would make him the third academic casualty for the Buckeyes this off-season (wide receiver Duron Carter and defensive end Keith Wells being the other two).

With Martin out of the mix, the Buckeyes are hoping to have blue-chip prospect Roderick Smith when camp opens, something Tressel

“I’m hoping he’ll be here,” Tressel said of the 6-foot-3 tailback out of Fort Wayne, Ind.

“He’s got an academic thing that I think he’s done tomorrow. It becomes now a paperwork issue, but we’re hoping he comes the fifth.”

Even without Martin, Smith enters a loaded backfield that already includes veterans Brandon Saine and Boom Herron along with youngsters like Jordan Hall, Jaamal Berry and Carlos Hyde. Asked if Smith would get a chance to compete for a role on the offense this fall, Tressel said, “We’ll see what he earns on the practice field.”

Tressel Refutes Alleged Charges Against Two Players

Tressel is also expecting to have defensive end Nathan Williams and backup linebacker Storm Klein despite reports from NBC channel 4 in Columbus that both players had been charged with misdemeanor assault stemming from a Sunday morning incident.

“The only thing I know is that they probably should have retracted it because it’s not accurate,” Tressel said.

Storm Klein
Photo by Jim Davidson

“I saw the guys last night when they were coming in to work out and it was not what was reported. But that happens, we’ll move on.”

A junior out of Washington Courthouse, Williams is expected to replace Thad Gibson in the starting lineup this fall while Klein will back up senior Brian Rolle at the mike linebacker position.

Along with Gibson, the Buckeyes must replace both of their starting safeties from a year ago in Kurt Coleman and Anderson Russell. Senior Jermale Hines slid back to play some safety in the spring after playing the nickel, or Star, position the last two seasons, and the Buckeyes are hoping to keep him back to there to provide a veteran presence alongside redshirt sophomore Orhian Johnson.

That probably depends on the health of Tyler Moeller, who Tressel is expecting to have back at full capacity this fall.

“If you had a game tomorrow Paul Haynes would tell you that he would play your nickel and he would probably leave Jermale Hines back at the safety,” Tressel said.

“Jermale played that nickel the whole time this year because Tyler was hurt, but we’ll see how that looks in the preseason.”

Moeller was slated to start for the Buckeyes at Sam linebacker in 2009 before an off-the-field head injury knocked him out for the entire season. He returned in the spring as a safety, but could not participate in full contact at the coaches’ discretion. 

They are going to cut him loose this fall and as long as his head can hold up to the trauma of full-on collisions, Moeller should be in the starting lineup for the Buckeyes when they face spread offenses like the one Miami runs with quarterback Jacory Harris.

“He’ll also play safety, but I think you’re primary thing as you walk through the door is that he’d be your starting nickel and a big part of your special teams,” Tressel said.

Donate by Check :

Ozone Communications
1380 King Avenue
Columbus, Ohio

Help us bring you more Buckeye coverage. Donate to the-Ozone.

Click here to email this the-Ozone feature to a friend...or even a foe.

(c) 2010 The O-Zone, O-Zone Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, rebroadcast,rewritten, or redistributed.