By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) — Notes from Jim Tressel’s news conference today:

* Cameron Heyward is practicing and will be ready to go. Add backup safety Aaron Gant to the previous list of guys – Travis Howard, Orhian Johnson, Mike Adams, Jermil Martin – who probably won’t play this week.

* Tressel reiterated that the Buckeyes have a shot at drawing 106,000 fans for the opener with Navy, which would break the Ohio Stadium attendance record of 105,711 set against Penn State last year.

* Two seasons ago, when the Buckeyes brought in two good freshmen running backs, Brandon Saine played and Dan Herron redshirted. But during the staff’s personnel meeting Wednesday, running backs coach Dick Tressel told his brother that both freshmen running backs - Jaamal Berry and Jordan Hall - are ready to play.

Jim Tressel said Berry is a very precise running back who doesn’t worry about making moves, he just wants to get upfield. Tressel said some young backs are too concerned with running around guys, but Berry is actually so intent on going north that Tressel asked him if he ever uses some moves.

Tressel called Hall a natural football player and while praising the blitz pickups of both young backs, he told a story of Hall finding a blitzer coming from the opposite side he was supposed to look at during practice and “knocking Kurt Coleman upside down.”

* Asked for a special teams player to watch, with special teams standouts like Brian Rolle, Austin Spitler and Shaun Lane either starting on defense on gone to graduation, Tressel mentioned backup cornerback Donnie Evege, a sophomore back after missing nearly all of last year because of injury.

* Backup quarterback Joe Bauserman will play for a series with the first-team offense during the second quarter, if things go according to play. Tressel always like to play his backup quarterback in the opener. Asked if the Buckeyes could show a look with buy generic drugs Bauserman at quarterback and Terrelle Pryor at receiver, like during the Fiesta Bowl with Todd Boeckman and Pryor, Tressel smiled and said he couldn’t talk about that. If that is there, don’t expect it against Navy.

No related posts.