Carpenter's status not certain for Ohio State in Fiesta Bowl

ASSOCIATED PRESS
OHIO STATE OUTSIDE LINEBACKER BOBBY CARPENTER WILL FIND OUT LATER THIS WEEK WHETHER HIS BROKEN RIGHT LEG HAS MENDED ENOUGH TO ALLOW HIM TO PLAY IN THE FIESTA BOWL AGAINST NOTRE DAME.
CARPENTER, WHO LED NO. 4 OHIO STATE WITH EIGHT SACKS THIS SEASON, DID SOME JOGGING AND LIGHT CUTTING TUESDAY AND SAID HE FELT BETTER THAN EXPECTED.
"I'M NOT WHERE I NEED TO BE BY ANY MEANS," HE SAID. "THERE'S BEEN GREATER THINGS ACCOMPLISHED IN FOUR DAYS THAN WHAT I NEED TO DO, SO THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY I LOOK AT IT."
CARPENTER, A SENIOR, BROKE HIS LEG ON THE BUCKEYES' FIRST DEFENSIVE PLAY AGAINST MICHIGAN NEARLY SIX WEEKS AGO. THE INJURY NORMALLY TAKES AT LEAST THAT LONG TO HEAL.
COACH JIM TRESSEL SAID THE TEAM WOULD HAVE A GOOD IDEA WHETHER CARPENTER WILL PLAY BY TODAY OR FRIDAY.
"THE MEDICAL PEOPLE'S PLANS WERE TO GET HIM OUT HERE, WORK HIM OUT A COUPLE DAYS AND THEN TAKE AN X-RAY," TRESSEL SAID.
CARPENTER SAID HIS LAST X-RAY SHOWED THE BONE WAS HEALING WELL. "I'M JUST CONCERNED WITH ME BEING ABLE TO GO OUT AND PERFORM THE WAY I NEED TO PERFORM," HE SAID.
FRESHMAN JAMES LAURINAITIS WILL START AGAINST NO. 5 NOTRE DAME ON MONDAY IF CARPENTER CAN'T PLAY.
"I WOULD EXPECT BOB TO BE BACK," LAURINAITIS SAID. "THAT GUY IS SUPERMAN. IF ANYONE CAN COME BACK FROM THAT, IT'D BE BOB. AND I HOPE HE DOES."