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But with Chris Wells, Ohio State's ball security is immediately questioned. He has now fumbled in three of the last four games and seems to be regressing -- not improving. He fumbled last week against Illinois without even getting hit.
Tressel said there isn't much more the coaches can do for him. This is something he'll have to figure out on his own.
''About the only thing coaches can do is have (Wells) sit down and think about it,'' Tressel said. ''There's a certain length of time that makes sense. He had a chance to think about it through the second half of the game.''
Presuming he has a good week of practice, Chris Wells should return to the lineup this week against Northwestern, Tressel said. The Wildcats surrendered 150 rushing yards to Nevada earlier this year, 230 to Penn State, 300 to Wisconsin and 200 to Michigan.
It would seem an ideal opponent to get Wells feeling good again. But what if he fumbles again -- or what if he doesn't? Does one game against an inferior Big Ten opponent warrant the trust to run the ball against Michigan, which is tied for the lead in the Big Ten with 11 fumble recoveries? That is for Tressel to decide. For now, he's still trying to get Wells to realize the importance of holding onto the ball.
''I've always said that turnovers are all about how deep is your belief of the importance of the possession of that ball,'' Tressel said. ''Whether you're the quarterback getting ready to throw it to somebody, you're the running back or the wide receiver who's got it in their hands or you're the linebacker who's got it right in their sights where he can intercept it, do you understand how important that is? That sometimes takes time.''
It's not uncommon for freshmen to struggle with the idea. Eddie George fumbled twice against Illinois his freshman year and even had one returned 96 yards for a touchdown in what was a close loss. In 2002, freshman Maurice Clarett fumbled three times on the same field Ohio State will play this week.
George grew out of his fumble woes and Clarett never really struggled aside from that day in Evanston. But Wells admitted after his fumble against Minnesota two weeks ago that the fumbles were beginning to take a toll on him mentally. He hasn't been made available to reporters since.
''He's down on himself right now,'' Pittman said. ''As a running back, you don't want to fumble, especially in his circumstance where he's already fumbled a couple times this year. But you have to learn to put it behind you. He's a freshman. He's got a long way to go.''
The underlying danger of not using Wells means quarterback Troy Smith is exposed to more hits. Smith revealed yesterday he's already battling a thumb injury that has been bothering him for the last few weeks.
''It's sort of like a sore ankle because it's going to take that pressure and it's going to take those hits,'' Smith said. ''But you'll never find me crying or whining about it or making any excuses. I have to continue to play ball.''
Smith has been wearing a protective brace on the thumb, but will continue to play through it. Last week against Illinois, he had his worst statistical game of the season, throwing for just 108 yards.
Without Wells, Smith became the second running back last week, carrying the ball a season-high eight times on called running plays.
The more Smith runs, the more he's obviously prone to bigger hits and possibly more extensive injuries. That makes the status of Wells even more critical to the offense.
''I don't think that freshmen have the game slowed down as much as older guys,'' Tressel said. ''When you come from the high school game, I don't care where you play, to the college game, the world is buzzing by you. And you have so many things going on in your head and physically going on. All of a sudden, you're a junior, the game slows down, you can do a better job taking care of everything you need to do, just like in life, when the world slows down, you've got a better chance.''
The Buckeyes can't wait two years for Wells' world to slow down. They now have less than two weeks.
