COLUMBUS, Ohio — What's brewing with the 2011 Ohio State Buckeyes ...

BUCKEYES BUZZ: Everyone expects this to be a difficult year for Ohio State recruiting.

The NCAA problems, including the looming possibility of a bowl ban or other sanctions, are the primary reason. Then there is the uncertain future of the current coaches; should Ohio State hire a new head coach there's a good chance that none of the people doing the recruiting will still be here when the recruits arrive. Another issue is that the Buckeyes are a young team and it's always difficult to bring in a recruit who plays a position stocked with underclassmen.

But the guys who handle recruiting for the Buckeyes — the assistant coaches — say they've tried to do as good a job as ever.

""You know what, recruitment at Ohio State is bigger than any person or situation," said recruiting coordinator John Peterson. "The brand Ohio State will be here longer than me or any coach. When you're out recruiting, you're honest. You're recruiting the kids who want to come to Ohio State. At the end of the day, that's the kids you're going to get."

Cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson said the high school seniors and juniors have questions that can't be answered.

"It's always hard when there's that part of it," he said. "But we say, 'Hey, all you have to do is come and be around our players. You bring your family, you come down, be around our players, be around the program, be around everyone that's involved with athletics.' That's a huge, huge plus."

Peterson said it was too early to tell if the next recruiting class will be dominated by homegrown talent. It is widely presupposed that other schools will use Ohio State's problems against it in out-of-state recruiting. Always the Buckeyes' bread and butter, Ohio kids are more likely to come to OSU than others.

The coaches say they try not to insert themselves into the recruiting spiel.

"We've never tried to do that," Johnson said. "I know a lot of (schools) do. A lot of recruiters do, but there's no reason for me to sell me. There's no reason for me to sell any of my credentials. That makes no sense whatsoever. It's all about Ohio State."

And until the NCAA sanctions are finalized and the season plays out, recruiting to and at Ohio State remains a difficult job.

STILL AVAILABLE: Some tickets are still available for the noon kickoff Saturday between Ohio State and Indiana at Ohio Stadium. Ticket prices start at $70.

NEXT BIG TEN EXPANSION SITE? Ohio State spokesman Jim Lynch posted a note on his Twitter account on Thursday that the university is opening an office in Mumbai, India, in April of 2012.

WHO'S BACK DEEP? Interim coach Luke Fickell said Thursday that he doesn't know if fourth-string TB and KR Jaamal Berry, who has been charged with misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct, will return to the team this season. He has been suspended indefinitely until his legal problems are cleared.

Fickell also said that Jordan Hall (sprained ankle) will miss the Indiana game.

That means that the Buckeyes will likely try a number of combinations on returns.

"Philly Brown could fill in there a little bit, Chris Fields is obviously a guy who's returned kicks for us and Devin Smith as well," Fickell said. He also included Dan Herron and Carlos Hyde as possible deep men.

COMPLIANCE UPDATE: Consultants studying how well Ohio State programs comply with rules and requirements have finished the first stage of their review.

The compliance review was launched earlier this year following the school's football memorabilia scandal that led to several player suspensions, the departure of coach Jim Tressel and an NCAA investigation.

Geoff Chatas, the university's chief financial officer, said consultants have finished reviewing the school's compliance efforts and are moving on to how well the university compares to other colleges and companies.

Consultants updated university trustees Thursday on their progress but did not give details of findings.

The review looks at compliance across the university, with an emphasis on athletics, research, student financial aid and the medical center.