NOTEBOOK | Ohio State football

Fitting in: Howland High's Doug Datish will, at some point during his career, find himself trying to create holes for Clarett. Datish is one of four freshmen offensive linemen hoping to find his name on the two-deep roster with a shot at playing time, very early on in the campaign. "I think everybody hopes to do that, but as of right now I have no idea what's going to go on," said Datish. "I think that's coach [Jim] Bollman's decision and I have no control over that." The offensive line came on strong last season but is once again a concern this year for Ohio State. Datish is one of the youngsters the staff is hoping will bolster the unit. "I don't know really what my role is, I don't think any of us [freshmen linemen] really do yet," Datish said. "I'm just trying to fit in as best as I can and see what happens." Datish, whose father Mike played for the Buckeyes in the early '70s, has been mentioned as a candidate to provide depth, if not become a starter, at either guard or tackle. "I've played every position so far so I have no idea," said Datish. "Center, guard and tackle, we've all played everything. Flexibility is the key."
Ryan is intern: Former Youngstown State quarterback Jeff Ryan is working for the Buckeyes as a video intern. "I'm helping out with the offense, doing more with the computer work and the off-the-field stuff," Ryan said. "It's a good starting point for my future. We'll see what happens after this, give it some time." Being reunited with Coach Jim Tressel is a natural progression for Ryan. "Jeff is a quality control guy studying our offensive side, working in the video area and research and so forth," said Tressel. "I like having another set of eyes from that standpoint. He's not allowed to coach kids, but he can come in and talk with our staff and work video stuff for us. A guy that's thrown that many passes and made that many big plays and good decisions, I like having as many resources here as we can."
-- Gary Housteau