OSU football: Herron's sore ankle could mean start for Saine

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It appears that Brandon Saine will get the start at tailback on Saturday night for Ohio State when the No. 9 Buckeyes play at Indiana.

Coach Jim Tressel said at his midday news conference today that Daniel Herron is bothered by an ankle sprain. Herron started the first four games of the season at tailback for the Buckeyes.

Last week, Saine and Herron shared carries in OSU's revitalized running game during a 30-0 win over Illinois. Saine gained 81 yards on 13 carries to lead the ground attrack.

This would be the first start for Saine, a junior.

Tressel also indicated that freshman Jordan Hall would be considered the backup at tailback, though that could change if Herron's condition improves before the 7 p.m. kickoff Saturday.

 

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On his radio show, Tressel said he wanted to get freshman OT Marcus Hall into the game this week. That would be the first of three freshman offensive linemen to burn their redshirts. The others still looking like they'll sit out the season are Jack Mewhort and Corey Linsley.

-- We all know by now that Anderson Russell will start in place of Kurt Coleman, and that Orhian Johnson most likely will be the fifth defensive back. Tressel said on his radio show that the next two safeties in line to play are Nate Oliver and C.J. Barnett.

Oliver, a third-year sophomore, has more experience, so he would go in if Indiana is running some things that might confuse Barnett, a true freshman. Barnett came to OSU as a cornerback.

Zach Domicone is healthy again, but will be used only on special teams this week, Tressel said.

-- The team is busing to Indianapolis on Friday, and will not go to Bloomington for a walk-through. OSU has not played at Indiana since 2005, and since then, the Bloomington-area hotel where they used to stay apparently went out of business. It's not exactly a large metropolitan area stocked with full-service hotels, either....teams need a lot of conference-room space to conduct meetings and have team meals, etc.

So after talking to other teams that have played at Indiana lately, the Buckeyes decided staying in Indy was the way to go.

That leaves them a bus ride to Bloomington on Saturday. They will fly home from Bloomington afterward, though, because getting back as soon as possible and getting rested after a night game is the first priority.