Football
Thursday Tressel Talk: Flu Bug Has OSU Coaching Staff on Edge
By Brandon CastelThey would likely never admit it, but the recent outbreak of flu cases among Ohio State players appears to have Jim Tressel and his coaching staff a bit on edge as they prepare to face undefeated Wisconsin Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Ohio Stadium.
Wednesday it was safety Nate Oliver, tight end Jake Ballard and left guard Justin Boren who all missed practice with some variation of the flu (more likely stomach than viral), but the infirmary room has been filling up faster than a cafeteria in Madison with an all you can eat cheese buffet.
“The beds are full,” Tressel said Thursday.
The threat level has elevated so high over at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center that anyone who so much as coughs could be in jeopardy of being quarantined.
“You know what, that was a false alarm,” Tressel said of left tackle Mike Adams being kept away from the team Tuesday.
“Someone thought that they had heard (he had it).”
While the Buckeyes are expecting to have Ballard and Boren back in time for kickoff Saturday, the one player who clearly seems to have been hit by something more than the common cold is junior Andrew Miller, who had been splitting time with Adams at left tackle before missing last week’s game due to illness.
“Andrew Miller we won’t have back,” Tressel said.
“Were hoping he can practice as early as (next) Tuesday.”
Because it’s a home game, the Buckeyes will have all the way up until game time to make final decisions on which guys will be able to go, but once the action starts, they will have go with what they’ve got.
“The game is 3:30 on Saturday, (they) better be ready,” Tressel warned.
Boom Back
With the flu knocking so many guys out of the lineup, Tressel said it was good to see at least one important piece of the puzzle getting back in this week.
“Boom looked very good yesterday,” Tressel said of his starting tailback, who missed the Indiana game with an ankle injury.
Herron was knocked out of last year’s game against Wisconsin with a vicious concussion, so there will be a bit of extra motivation for him to be ready to go this Saturday. According to Tressel, it looks like he is right on track.
“Boom is really, I don’t know if I’d call it 100 percent, but he’s up there,” Tressel said.
Even with Herron back, along with Jermil Martin, who imitated Wisconsin tailback John Clay in practice this week, the Buckeyes were still looking at the option of playing freshman Jaamal Berry this week before he reinjured his hamstring in practice.
“Two days in practice this week, he looked good. But he had a little bit of a setback yesterday and re-aggravated it,” Tressel said.
“We’ll see how he looks today, but if he were like he did Tuesday, Wednesday practice, you would certainly consider playing him in the right circumstances.”
One freshman who likely won’t see the field again this year is Jonathan Newsome. The outside linebacker/defensive end had played in two games this season before injuring his knee on a punt coverage play Saturday in Bloomington.
“Jonathan Newsome will be able to apply for a medical redshirt,” Tressel said of the Glenville product.
“If you’ve played in three games or if you play in the second half of the season, you’re spent. The injury wasn’t as severe as…at first all the talk was about immediate surgery, and that’s not the case.”
On the good news front, offensive lineman Jim Cordle returned to practice Wednesday and it sounds like the senior’s return is imminent.
“Jimmy Cordle is coming along. He practiced a little bit yesterday, which frankly surprised me,” Tressel proclaimed.
“I don’t think we’d put him in the game, but he might be back earlier than we thought.”
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