Ohio State: ‘Beanie’ on big stage again
Associated Press
COLUMBUS — Chris “Beanie” Wells will soon decide whether he wants to return for his senior season at Ohio State or make himself available for the NFL Draft.
If he had a say in the matter, Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez would like the
6-foot-1, 237-pound Wells to turn pro by Saturday.
“Maybe the biggest difference between Beanie and some of the other backs we’ve faced — and we’ve faced good ones — is just his size,” Rodriguez said this week during preparations for Saturday’s rivalry game between the Wolverines and Buckeyes. “He’s got the speed, but he’s such a big, physical player. Lot of times he just stiff arms guys and breaks out of tackles and he can outrun you. You can’t just go up and wrap your arms around him. You’ve got to actually tackle him.”
Wells is perhaps the most important figure in the 105th meeting of the old rivals. With a freshman, Terrelle Pryor, starting at quarterback for the 10th-ranked Buckeyes, it’s unlikely that conservative coach Jim Tressel will take many chances. That means Wells will be likely called upon often against a Wolverines defense surrendering 128 yards a game on the ground.
Tressel said Wells has earned that responsibility.
“You don’t get knighted as a guy that’s going to play good in that (big) game,” he said. “You have to go do it against good people.”
Wells certainly has. He’s a big-game hunter — and there’s nothing bigger in these parts than Michigan vs. Ohio State.
Over his past two seasons as a starter, in nine games against ranked teams he has rushed for 1,118 yards, averaged 5.6 yards a carry and scored nine times. A year ago against No. 23 Michigan on a wet track, he went for 222 yards on 39 carries and scored both touchdowns in a 14-3 victory. That was a career-high in rushes and the 222 yards is the most by a Buckeye against Michigan.
Wells was not made available to reporters this week.
But Wells recently addressed his feelings about the scarlet-letter days on the Ohio State schedule.
“I just love playing in big games,” he said. “It’s something that I guess you could say that I’m made for. I like to think that I’m made to play on the big stage.”
His running mate in the backfield, fullback Brandon Smith, said there’s just something about the best teams that bring out the best in Wells.
“He’s fired up whenever he gets the ball in his hands,” Smith said. “I think his motto is, ‘Great players make great plays in big games.’ I’m sure that’s in the back of his head somewhere.”
It’s not just carrying the ball, either. Wells’ personality grows with a tougher opponent, too.
“When I’m out there, I feel as if I bring a presence to the field and a sense of energy to the team,” he said.
Wells, who missed three games earlier in the season with a foot injury, piled up 143 yards on 24 carries in last week’s 30-20 win at Illinois. Perhaps the highlight-reel play of the season for the Buckeyes took place when Wells vaulted Illinois safety Donsay Hardeman — it appeared he was a good 4 feet off the ground as the mystified defender disappeared under him, grabbing at air — on a 25-yard run.
The good-natured Wells is a happy-go-lucky kid who everyone on the team seems to like. Smith said off the field Wells is a “goofball” — joking with upper- and underclassmen alike.
At the same time, his teammates know that the impending decision on a pro career — keep in mind, he’s one of 11 kids — is weighing on him.
“It will come down to what he wants in his heart,” said cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, who could have gone in the first round of the draft last year but elected to return for his senior season. “He could easily go to the NFL next year. He’s played well enough in college to do it.”
Especially in the biggest games.
BUCKEYE PERISCOPE
BUCKEYES BUZZ: Ah, the paranoia of college athletics.
Woody Hayes was always spotting suspicious cars and people around his practices. He thought they were part of a large conspiracy to spy on the Buckeyes and steal plays and defensive sets. The old military expert must have believed what he was doing was of national importance.
And it’s not just old school, either. Let’s face it: One reason coach Jim Tressel closes all practices to the media is so nothing leaks out about injuries, trick plays, who’s there and who’s absent, and other information that he feels could compromise a game plan.
Some schools — USC, Tennessee, Florida, among others — don’t play such cloak-and-dagger games. Practices are open, the players freely chat with anybody before, during and after workouts, and no one wastes any time worrying about such gamesmanship.
Now the current Buckeyes are presented with a perfect way to get some insight into Michigan’s attack — without having to send a person to Ann Arbor.
A spy has come in from the cold. Justin Boren, from suburban Pickerington, left Michigan in a huff earlier this year and has enrolled at Ohio State. A big offensive lineman, he’ll be eligible to play next season (and, given the way the line has played this year, will likely be an immediate starter).
There’s two ways to look at any information Boren might provide. True, he might be able to provide Ohio State coaches with some insight into personnel. But, on the other hand, in his only year in maize and blue he played for Lloyd Carr, who resigned last year and was replaced by current coach Rich Rodriguez. So there’s a disconnect there.
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said Boren was uneasy about his situation.
“I’m sure that he would be very happy when this weekend is over because he’s got a lot of dear friends (at Michigan) and he has a different scenario in his life,” Tressel said.
CB Malcolm Jenkins said Boren likely wouldn’t be that valuable of a defector.
“It’s different from when he was there,” Jenkins said. “We probably won’t get too much out of him. We’re not worried about getting secrets.”
Hayes is probably spinning in his grave.
MOST FAVORED: Ohio State was favored by 19 points by the Glantz-Culver line Monday. That jumped to 20½ points — possibly because of word that Michigan QB Steven Threet (slightly separated shoulder) and RB Sam McGuffie (death in the family) might miss the game. That means the Buckeyes are giving more points in the betting line than ever before against Michigan.
MATCHING WITS: The game will pit Tressel,
Baldwin-Wallace class of ’75, calling plays against Michigan defensive coordinator Scott Shafer,
Baldwin-Wallace class of ’90.
Both were QBs while with the Yellow Jackets. Both had coaching fathers. Jim’s late dad, Lee, is a College Hall of Famer who went 155-52-6 at B-W. Shafer’s late father, Ron, was a longtime coach at Painesville Riverside HS and coached against the older Tressel when he was the coach at Mentor HS.
GOING GLOBAL: It seems everyone is trying to grab a piece of the media glare surrounding the
Michigan-Ohio State game.
In another gimmicky news release making the circuit Tuesday, former Ohio State QB Craig Krenzel came out in favor of the “Save the Buckeye” campaign, an initiative to stop global warming.
The gist of it is that with the growing threat of global warming, buckeye trees may not be able to grow in Ohio and may become native to Michigan.
SPEAKING OF GLOBAL WARMING: The forecast calls for a high of around 35 under partly cloudy skies on Saturday. There’s a 10 percent chance of precipitation.
PRYOR RESTRAINT: As he made his way off the field and through the tunnel to the Ohio State locker room after Saturday’s win at Illinois, QB Terrelle Pryor got into some verbal sparring with Illini fans. Observers said there was finger-pointing and profanity.
“He loves to compete and he loves people questioning whether he can get something done or not, but is that always the best thing to communicate back and forth? Not always,” Tressel said.
— The Associated Press
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Filed by Associated Press November 19th, 2008 in Sports. Popularity: 2% |
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