Digest

First down

By TIMES WIRES
Published October 28, 2006

Five things

1. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, above, asked for his reaction to a newspaper story that said he could feasibly be the next coach of the Cleveland Browns, said: "I've not spent one day playing in the NFL or coaching in the NFL, and I've got my hands full doing what I'm doing, so that's my reaction." He said he couldn't "think of a thing" that would make him leave Columbus, and tried to move the media's attention to defensive back Antonio Smith, who was scheduled to appear. "Antonio, are you here yet?" Tressel said, drawing laughs.

2. Jack Nicklaus dots the "I" for Ohio State's marching band today. He will be only the fifth non-band member given the honor. The golf legend won the 1961 NCAA individual title for OSU; his museum is on campus.

3. Leading to today's game against Penn State, Purdue defensive lineman Ryan Baker was asked about the only time he spoke to Joe Paterno. "I remember when he gave me a phone call during recruiting - I didn't understand one word that man said," Baker said. "I finally said, 'Sir, I really did not understand much of what you just said.' He said he gets that a lot because he talks soft and mumbles."

4. Missouri end Brian Smith broke his right hip last weekend and coach Gary Pinkel still can't explain it. "If you saw that film, you'd say there's no way in the world he even got hurt," Pinkel said. "He just kind of turned and kind of stumbled."

5. ESPN's College GameDay is in Columbia, S.C., for just the second time to watch Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks play Tennessee. The first GameDay visit was in 2001 after then-coach Lou Holtz begged for the exposure. South Carolina lost 54-17. And which coach watched from the hotel then hung half a hundred on the Gamecocks? Steven Orr Spurrier.

[Last modified October 28, 2006, 02:16:16]