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Buckeyes gain perspective from talk with soldier

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Members of Ohio State's defensive line group tackle New Mexico State's Seth Smith Oct. 31, 2009. The one constant for OSU this season has been the solid play of the defensive line.

AP Photo Members of Ohio State's defensive line group tackle New Mexico State's Seth Smith Oct. 31, 2009. The one constant for OSU this season has been the solid play of the defensive line.

The Associated Press Updated 11:00 AM Friday, November 13, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio — What's brewing today with the 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes ...

BUCKEYES BUZZ: Among the visitors to Ohio State's practices this week was Sgt. Sean Clifton, a 36-year-old Army intelligence officer with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group of the Ohio National Guard. Clifton was in Afghanistan last May 31 when he was caught in a firefight in an Afghanistan village.

He survived, but bullets went through his sciatic nerve and almost all of his abdominal organs were damaged. He was left with pain and little movement in his right leg.

Clifton was invited to speak to the players on Wednesday after practice.

"It's amazing, man, what the troops do for us, for the United States of America," QB Terrelle Pryor said. "It's just crazy. We don't realize what we have. Just to hear from the guy tell about how he got shot. He was saying it was like it felt like nothing: 'I got shot here and I got shot here.' He didn't complain. He knew he had his team with him and he preached on team a lot and it has the same to do with us."

Coach Jim Tressel said it was a learning experience for everyone.

"I thought it was a tremendous thing, not just for Terrelle or any of the kids but even for the coaches," he said. "Because sometimes you might have a perception that Veterans Day is recognizing some older fellows that did their thing way back when. But these are guys that (on) May 31st, took a bunch of bullets. That's not that long ago. And what they did as a team, so Sgt. Clifton is still living, is incredible."

Pryor said he would no longer equate football with war.

"Sometimes when we talk about going to war and stuff like that on a football field, it's a different standpoint for them," he said. "They're going to war and they're either coming back or not. We have another day to fight on a Saturday. We have to realize that and we maybe should stop using that term. We're really not going to war, if you stop to think about what war really is. These guys are putting their lives on the line so we can play this sport."

Tressel said stories like Sgt. Clifton's can change perceptions.

"I feel good this week. Maybe part of it is because it's been a little bit different, we had the opportunity with Veterans Day to kind of step back," he said. "We're talking about losing to Purdue or whatever, and people are saying what if you don't win this game or whatever, OK, there's consequences. And you start talking about people taking X number of bullets in the midsection and the other guy running in and taking the gunfire so he can pull him out. Well, that puts Purdue and Wisconsin and Iowa in a different perspective."

INJURY UPDATE: Tressel said Thursday that most of the Buckeyes' injured players will be available to face Iowa on Saturday, although he couldn't say that most were 100 percent.

Among the hurting who are back are OL Mike Adams and J.B. Shugarts.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Tressel, asked whether Brandon Saine or Dan Herron would start at TB: "I don't know who'll play the first play. That's up to my big brother."

Tressel's older brother, Dick, is the Buckeyes' RBs coach.

___

November 12, 2009 11:01 PM EST

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Mike, Tressel's conservative play calling cannot be compared to Belichick's call last night. We arent preaching to go for it on your own 30! We just want to take some chances and not run between the tackles every 1st and 2nd down. Then on 3rd and long have Pryor force a throw into coverage. "Tresselball" is killing OSU's chances of ever beating an SEC team. The game changes and those who do not change with it get left behind, hence where the big ten stands on a national level.

Andrew
2:24 PM, 11/16/2009

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For everyone who thinks Coach Tressell is too conservative in his Ohio State football play calling, check todays storys on Bill Belichick's decisions as Head Coach of the New England Patriots last night. His radical play selection and poor clock management during the fourth quarter helped turn an advantage of 13 points for the Patriots into 14 points in 5 minutes for the Indianapolis Colts, and allowed those Colts to post a 35-34 come from behind victory last night in Indiana.

Mike Ditmer
6:30 AM, 11/16/2009

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I am so glad that Coach was fortunate enough to have an authentic hero speak to the team. I wish he could have that gentleman speak to the fans as well. Yes, we would all like to win every game every year, but that isn't a realistic expectation, and in the scope of life that doesn't matter. What matters most is how we treat our fellow human beings, and how we conduct ourselves. That is what people will remember, and that is what makes us better people, and ultimately better fans.

John F
9:03 AM, 11/14/2009

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