By JON SPENCER
NNCO
He began the afternoon running like Jim Brown and finished the game walking like Herman Munster.
Given the grim alternative, watching Chris “Beanie” Wells clumping around on the sidelines in a protective boot was a beautiful sight and brought color back to the faces of 105,000 paralyzed fans fearing the worst.
If you thought panic swept through the Ohio Stadium stands when Wells was helped off the field in the third quarter, his right leg dangling like a string of spaghetti, you should have been on the Buckeyes’ sideline.
“I really didn’t know what was going on with Beanie,” backup tailback Brandon Saine said. “It got real quiet. I was really scared. I wanted to run out there to help. Now we’re just hoping for the best.”
All of a sudden, the rout of Youngstown State in the ‘Shoe became the back story to Beanie’s health and the well-being of a team bidding for a third straight trip to the national championship game.
No one has ever hoisted the BCS crystal ball or rushed for 2,000 yards or won the Heisman Trophy — all things forecast from various corners for Wells and the Buckeyes — with a broken leg or an ACL tear or a high ankle sprain.
And Wells, as good as he is, won’t be the first.
Coach Jim Tressel shed little insight on his star running back’s condition other than that the X-rays were negative. That sliver of good news — which, by the way, nearly trumped OSU’s first season-opening shutout since 1977 — gave teammates like Brian Hartline reason to be positive.
“He went down a couple of times last year and was all right,” Hartline said. “His spirits were down. I think he started thinking too much and freaking himself out, thinking it was worse than it was. He’s a competitive guy. I’m sure he’ll figure out a way to come back.”
The Buckeyes better hope Hartline is right. They can talk all they want about the tailback depth behind Wells with “Boom” Herron and Brandon Saine and Maurice Wells (yes, he’s still around), but the odds aren’t good of them sunning themselves in Miami come January without their best big-play threat.
With apologies to Brian Robiskie, whose 31-yard scoring grab against blanket coverage shouted Biletnikoff Award, no one gets the Buckeyes down the field quicker than Wells.
Held to 46 yards by the Penguins in last year’s opener, Wells had 55 yards by the end of Saturday’s first series, capped by his 43-yard burst untouched through the heart of YSU’s defense on fourth-and-one.
It is the shortest of Wells’ last three scoring jaunts, preceded by a 65-yarder last season against Michigan and a 62-yarder against LSU in the BCS title game. There’s no need to rehash what else happened in that game, although the 38-24 loss to the Tigers couldn’t be worse than the thought of playing without Wells for any extended period of time.
“You don’t like to see your horse go down like that,” guard Ben Person said, “but I don’t think (his injury) will have any psychological effect. We’ve got a stable of backs, a lot of talent back there. Beanie’s our guy, it hurts not having him, but I think he’ll be back sooner than later.”
Wells had already rushed for 111 yards on 13 carries when he got hurt on OSU’s first drive of the third quarter. He planted his right foot awkwardly and missed connections with quarterback Todd Boeckman on the handoff. Youngstown recovered the fumble at its own 4, but that obviously was the least of OSU’s problems.
It got so quiet you could have heard a pass plunk off the hands of an OSU defensive back (it happened again Saturday) when Wells was carted off to the locker room.
In his absence, the Buckeyes scored two more touchdowns on dazzling plays by freshman wideout DeVier Posey and freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, but the biggest roar was reserved for Wells when he lumbered back to the sidelines with 10:59 to play.
Tressel was able to breathe easier, too, although he still was second-guessed afterward for having Wells in the game after halftime with victory already assured.
“It was early in the third quarter, wasn’t it?” Tressel said, defending his decision. “We were out there playing all of our guys throughout the course of the game. He’s the kind of guy we want him to be a 20- to 30-carry guy. I don’t know what he got, but I don’t know that he was overused or anything.”
If the injury isn’t serious, it probably would be wise to err on the side of caution and hold Wells out of next Saturday’s game against Ohio University. Saving him for the showdown at USC on Sept. 13 would seem to be a no-brainer.
Whatever happens, Hartline already is putting up a brave front.
“We’ve got guys (in the backfield) teetering on the edge of breaking out … Boom, Saine, (Maurice) Wells,” he said. “With our offensive line staying intact, opening holes, (the injury) won’t have much of an effect. Right now, we’re confident.”
Are you?
Jon Spencer covers Ohio State for the Newspaper Network of Central Ohio.
