Football
Some Buckeyes Out, Others in for National Championship Game
By John Porentas

In what is becoming an annual event, the OSU football captains presented the Big Ten championship trophy to Director of Athletics Gene Smith yesterday during the half time of the OSU vs. UMBC basketball game. The capacity crowd cheered lustily and senior captains Kirk Barton and Dionte Johnson presented the trophy to Smith. Following the ceremony OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel met with reporters to update them on his team's bowl preparations.

Lawrence Wilson

Several items of interest, most of them revolving around personnel issues, were discussed by Tressel. Tressel had hinted after the Michigan game that injured defensive end Lawrence Wilson could possibly be ready for the LSU game. Tressel backed off that position on Saturday.

"I don't know that Lawrence will be ready to play. We've been trying to maybe move it along so he can maybe give us a little time. He has gotten in and play football the last three or four practices but if the game were today I don't think he'd play," said Tressel.

"Lawrence was maybe the one we thought we could get a little bonus, but today, the 28 or 29, whatever date it is, I don't see it," Tressel said.

Tressel confirmed that Antonio Henton continues to occupy the backup quarterback slot ahead of Robby Schoenhoft who is working at tight end this month. Tressel also hinted that Henton's role be larger than that of a simple backup by the time that game rolls around.

Antonio Henton

"Antonio has been getting all the second reps and has done a good job," said Tressel.

"As we looked at ourselves trying to work a number two and a number three both we didn't see progression being made that we needed.

"You better go in (to the national championship game) with two quarterbacks ready to win, especially in a championship game. It's just hard to get three guys reps," said Tressel.

Tressel said that Henton could in fact be a change-of-look type quarterback for the Buckeyes.

"We'd like to think that's something we could do and we're preparing to do that," said Tressel.

"You have to just in case the injury occurs but you'd like to to have a bonus, to have maybe a little change of pace.

"That's what our attention in all these practices was, to get a second guy ready to maybe give you a jump start here or there.

"I thought he (Henton) was coming along and then we had the unfortunate situation where he lost his privileges for seven games.

"Exactly what would have happened in those seven games I don't know but I thought he was really starting to come. In the last game he played he probably played 20 snaps and played pretty well," Tressel said.

Robert Rose

The news wasn't quite as good on other players. As has been earlier reported, defensive end Robert Rose is out for the bowl game due to injury, joining linebacker Ross Homan and linebacker Curtis Terry as players who will not play due to injury. Additionally, freshman defensive back Eugene Clifford will not play due to violation of team rules.

"Eugene had been hurt and and really hadn't played in the last four or five games and hadn't come back from that, but you always get disappointed when guys have to lose privilege," said Tressel.

"We constantly talk about it, we constantly warn our guys that if guys don't do this they may have some problems. When you have a hundred-something teenagers and even one of them has a problem, or two or three or four, it disappoints you. Just from a pure football standpoint Eugene really wasn't in the mix the last half of the season due to that injury."

Return to the-Ozone Columns and Features

Return to the-OZone Front Page