OSU FOOTBALL Backup unhappy by not playing

Troy Smith said he hasn't been told why he's not getting any time on the field.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Troy Smith, pushed off into the shadows as No. 7 Ohio State's backup quarterback, stops just short of saying he doesn't believe he got a fair shot at the starting job held by Justin Zwick.
"You've got to roll with the punches," Smith said after a recent practice in preparation for Saturday's Big Ten opener at Northwestern. "Everything is not given to every player all the time. Some players have to work hard. Obviously, I'm one of them."
After all but sharing the starting job throughout the spring and August practices, Smith passed for a touchdown in the season-opener. He played only one series against Marshall and did not play at all in the Buckeyes' most recent game at North Carolina State.
Zwick has struggled
Zwick, who like Smith is a redshirt sophomore, is ranked 46th in Division I-A in pass efficiency. Ohio State is tied for 64th in the nation in turnovers lost.
Asked if he had been told by Tressel or other coaches what he did wrong or Zwick did right to win the job, Smith said, "That's for you guys to decide. I really can't say anything on that because I don't want to put myself in a position where ... what I said to the media has something to do with my playing time or my future here."
A sore point for Smith is that he said no Ohio State coach has ever told him why his playing time has fallen off.
"I didn't make the decision for me to start or for me to sit on the bench so I wouldn't know," said Smith, wearing dark sunglasses and a Pittsburgh Pirates Willie Stargell jersey. "They haven't let me know anything yet. So I'm still sort of out on the limb."
Ohio State coach Jim Tressel blamed Smith's comments on both the player and reporters.
"[It was] probably a poor question and a poor answer," Tressel said Wednesday.
Tressel not surprised
Tressel said he was not surprised that a player was upset at not playing.
"We've got great competitors and Troy is one of them. They want to play. You hope you didn't recruit any guys [who don't want to play]."
Tressel said that he spoke with Smith on Wednesday about the quarterback's comments. He declined to say what was discussed.
Zwick fumbled four times and threw two interceptions in a 27-6 victory over Cincinnati, then threw two more interceptions as the Buckeyes edged Marshall 24-21 in their second game.
Zwick did not have a turnover in a 22-14 win at North Carolina State two weeks ago, but the offense was limited to just 137 yards.
Involved in dormitory fight
Smith said his candidacy for the starting job may have been hurt because of his involvement in a fight outside an Ohio State dormitory last fall. Smith was found guilty of disorderly conduct, while the same charge was dropped against wide receiver Santonio Holmes.
Smith, a shifty runner with a strong arm, saw some action a year ago as a running back but said he would not be receptive to moving to another position.
"I'm a quarterback," he said. "And when I get my shot to go to the NFL, I'm going as a quarterback."
Smith said his coach at Cleveland's Glenville High School -- Ted Ginn Sr., the father of fellow Buckeye Ted Ginn Jr. -- advised Smith to continue to work hard and make the best of the situation.
"As a human being, I'm not happy," he said. "I'm not going to sit here and say that everything is peaches and cream and that I have no feelings because this is my life. ... I'm not going to say they [the coaches] are playing with my life, but it's sort of like they've got puppet strings on it."