The school learned yesterday his appeal for a medical redshirt was successful, meaning he will play once his right knee heals from arthroscopic surgery performed over the summer. The second surgery was necessary after his knee was slow to recover from the torn ACL he suffered last year.

''I don't want to put a specific date on it,'' D'Andrea said, ''but hopefully by the end of the month I'll be good.''

By NCAA rule, players must play in no more than 20 percent of a team's games to qualify for a redshirt. Even though D'Andrea played in four of 12 games, the appeals board granted it, anyway.

If the request had been denied, D'Andrea previously said he would use this season as his redshirt year and come back next year for his senior year. Now that won't be necessary. D'Andrea will be considered a junior again this year.

Zwick update

Justin Zwick is basically recovered from a sprained ankle that hampered him earlier in camp. Coach Jim Tressel said yesterday Zwick is ''97 percent'' healed and that he'll be fine in time for Saturday's noon kickoff.

''I thought Justin was having a lot of really good practices right before he turned the ankle, and that's a shame. You just hate for guys to miss practice,'' Tressel said. ''In the course of a preseason, you can see guys improve by the day. He knows what we're doing. He's smart as can be. I thought he was really getting comfortable throwing the football around and doing what we were doing. Then you have a little detour with an injury and you rehab and go through it and try to stay in it mentally, which he did, and now he's back at it.''

Redshirt freshman Todd Boeckman will also play Saturday for the first time, but Tressel wouldn't commit to how the playing time would be divided.

Backfield in motion

Sophomore Tony Pittman will start at tailback, but Perkins graduate Brandon Schnittker is listed as Pittman's backup and isn't listed on the depth chart at fullback. Stan White Jr. is the starting fullback and Dionte Johnson is his backup.

Schnittker is expected to be the power back Ohio State uses in short-yardage situations.

True freshman Maurice Wells will also play Saturday, Tressel said, but he wouldn't commit to any other tailbacks playing.

That leaves redshirt freshman Erik Haw at least fourth on the depth chart, although Tressel said he wasn't being punished or suspended for his May arrest for smoking marijuana. Haw later pled guilty to disorderly conduct.

''Strictly football performance,'' Tressel said.

Hurricane report

Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Nader Abdallah, listed as the backup to Marcus Green, is originally from Metairie, La., one of the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina.

''He's talked with everyone down there,'' Tressel said. ''Everyone seems to be doing fine.''

Assistant strength coach Bernardo Amerson has family in Hattiesburg, Miss.

''He said the big tree by his house fell the other direction, which is a good thing,'' Tressel said.

Extra points

Tressel said the chances of Ted Ginn playing on defense this week are ''slim'' ... True freshman Jamario O'Neal, another Glenville product, will start the year as the nickel back ... Backup tight end Rory Nicol is expected to miss the first month of the season after sustaining an injury in fall camp.

jlloyd@morningjournal.com