BUCKEYE BUZZ: Beware Of Alcohol-Fortified Fans At Ohio Stadium

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Everyone expects Ohio Stadium to be one hopping joint on Saturday night when they host Southern California.

"Crazy" is apparently the operative word.

"Any game at Ohio State at night is extremely crazy," TB Dan "Boom" Herron said.

TE Jake Ballard added, "Oh, it's going to be crazy. It's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a lot of guys on this team and a lot of guys on their team. To play in front of that big of a crowd, on that stage, in front of the whole country, even the world."

A reporter asked coach Jim Tressel if the 8 p.m. start time meant that many in the home crowd might have more time to fuel up with something stronger than tap water.

"I wouldn't give all the credit to alcohol for that," he said. "They have a chance to get excited about the game, they're watching other games, you get the blood flowing a little bit when you're watching good football and all of a sudden the darkness comes and the lights come on and you think back to your childhood of high school football that you couldn't wait to get there."

Nonetheless, some of his players think that a percentage of the fans might have geared up for the game with strong beverages.

"That might be a factor why they're so much wilder by the time we get to night games," said wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher.

With a laugh, he said he had no plans to head up to High Street after the game.

"I'd steer clear of campus in general," he cracked.

HONORED: Ohio State's honorary captain for the game is former NFL "Assassin" and standout Buckeyes DB Jack Tatum.

TRESSELESE: Jim Tressel, on whether his team would use last year's landslide loss as motivation: "I'm sure the guys that played in the game last year have a little bit different vantage point than the guys that didn't, and I think motivation at the end of the day ends up how does it motivate you personally. So there will be some guys that say, hey, I could have done this or that better the last time we played, but I hope they said that the week following that game and started working on that. But as a whole, will we sit and pound on the fact that we weren't successful? No."

QUOTE OF THE DAY: USC FS Taylor Mays, on Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor: "You can see he sits in the pocket better than he did last year. It gives us more challenges. He's big. He's tall. He's long - like a pterodactyl."

NOTE THIS: Several lingering questions on the depth chart were ironed out (somewhat) on Thursday.

Tressel said:

- Both Sanzenbacher and Ray Small will likely return punts.

- Small, fellow WR DeVier Posey and DL Dexter Larimore are all practicing with the team and expected to be ready to go for the game.

- DB Aaron Gant has had arthroscopic surgery and will not be available.

- Small is listed "in our first four" wide receivers.

- OL Mike Adams, stuck in Tressel's doghouse, will not dress.

Asked when Adams will be a factor at LT, Tressel said, "As soon as he shows that he deserves to be." Is there a timetable when he might dress for a game again? "Day by day," Tressel said.

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