Ohio State officials recall ‘JT’ bands

Combined dispatches

Ohio State issued a recall on “JT” wristbands Wednesday night, hours after several freshmen football players wore them to a news conference as a show of support for former coach Jim Tressel. “They were pulled back out of concern, just being cautious,” team spokesman Jerry Emig said, adding that their use had not been run past the compliance department before their distribution. “The players had bought them [for $15 each] from a … individual within the program who had ordered them on his own. We got them to take them back to him and get their money back.” Emig said the action was not out of spite for Tressel, but concern whether the players’ use of the wristbands might serve as a promotion for their sale, which would be against NCAA rules.

Staff changes

Ohio State safeties coach Paul Haynes was promoted to co-defensive coordinator and running backs coach Dick Tressel will take on the added role of special teams coordinator. Haynes, starting his seventh season at Ohio State, will work alongside defensive coordinator Jim Heacock. He’s in his 16th coaching season overall. Tressel is in his eighth year as running backs coach and his 35th season as a college coach.

Coaches poll

Oklahoma is the preseason No. 1 in the USA Today coaches’ poll. The Sooners received 42 of 59 first-place votes to easily outpoint No. 2 Alabama, which received 13 first-place votes. Oregon, which lost last season’s BCS championship game, is third and LSU is fourth. Florida State is fifth, followed by Stanford, Boise State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Wisconsin. Defending national champion Auburn is 19th. Ohio State is 16th and Notre Dame is No. 18.

Big Ten

The Big Ten will begin playing nine conference games in 2017. The league expanded to 12 teams by adding Nebraska this season and split into two six-team divisions this season. The league will hold a football championship game for the first time.