By: Ap via WDTN.com —
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - What’s brewing today with the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes …

BUCKEYES BUZZ:@ In the wake of the Buckeyes’ loss to USC, there were lots of calls on Columbus sports-talk radio for the firing of Ohio State offensive coordinator Jim Bollman.

Two wins have quieted that talk.

Bollman, who also coaches the linemen, was asked this week if a great running back can cover up the mistakes of a mediocre offensive line. Here’s his response: “I think anywhere on offense you’d better have guys who can carry the ball and throw the ball and catch the ball and do all that kind of stuff, and up front we can figure out some way to trip them up. That’s what I think. Everybody always says it starts up front, and it does start up front.

“We always talk about our responsibility (on the line) is to give all those other guys a chance to operate. But you’d better have some other guys who can operate, because you can block ‘em all you want and if there’s no one to run the ball or throw the ball or catch the ball, we’re not scoring any touchdowns.”

INJURY UPDATE:@ Coach Jim Tressel said Thursday that freshman OL J.B. Shugarts injured his shoulder and probably wouldn’t be able to play at Wisconsin (8 p.m. Saturday kickoff on ABC). TE Rory Nicol (ankle) and LB Austin Spitler (concussion) are also sidelined. OL Steve Rehring (foot) is back after missing last week’s game.

STATUS QUO:@ The Buckeyes beat Minnesota in their Big Ten opener last week, but remained No. 14 in the Associated Press media poll.

S Anderson Russell, on whether he was surprised the Buckeyes stayed the same: “Actually, no. I really wasn’t. Just because I know nobody really respects our program.”

SPEED READ:@ You’ve probably seen the play cards that Ohio State’s offensive players have attached around their forearms. They contain the names of plays and the order they’ll be called.

WR Brian Robiskie said there’s no worry that a defender can steal that information.

“If they can memorize 30 plays in 5 seconds, then go ahead,” he said. “But I don’t worry about it.”

KELLEN III:@ Ohio State cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson was a Cleveland Browns assistant in 2004, so he knows a little about NFL-quality TEs like the Browns’ Kellen Winslow Jr.

Johnson said Wisconsin TE Travis Beckum is a game-breaker, just like Winslow Jr. was during his days at the University of Miami.

“I would compare (Beckum) to Winslow,” he said. “I had a chance to spend a year with him with the Browns. Beckum is very athletic, like Kellen is right now. Probably not as big as Kellen, but definitely athletic, fast, he runs really good routes. And he can go up and get the ball.”

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