Ohio State's Saine hopes to kick it into high gear

COLUMBUS - Ted Ginn Jr.'s last kickoff return at Ohio State ended in an ugly way when he was injured in an end zone celebration at the 2006 national championship game.

But OSU's kick runbacks last season were just as ugly in a different way. There was little to celebrate in the kickoff return department when the Buckeyes ranked No. 117 out of 119 NCAA Division I football teams.

It's a problem coach Jim Tressel promises to address this season. One way he might try to fix it is by putting sophomore tailback Brandon Saine in to receive kickoffs.

Saine was a state champion in the 100-meter dash and 400-meter dash at Piqua High School.

Is Saine up for the challenge? "Wherever the coaches put me, I'm willing to go."

Saine returned three kickoffs for 60 yards, with a long of 39 yards last season. His kickoff resume at Piqua was a little more impressive, though.

"I ran a couple back for touchdowns but then they started kicking away from me," he said. "We definitely need to bounce back from last year (on kickoff returns)."

The 6-foot, 1-inch, 217-pound Saine has size, speed and can catch a pass. With Heisman Trophy contender Chris Wells starting at tailback and Maurice Wells and Dan Herron competing for carries, Saine might be used in a variety of roles.

He got off to a fast start last season, averaging 51 yards rushing a game in the first three games before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.

Post-surgery, he totaled 114 yards the rest of the season after having 153 in the first three games.

Obviously, something wasn't quite the same after he returned. Saine says much of the difference was that the surgery left doubts in his mind.

"I was really timid," Saine said. "My knee might not have been bad but I was kind of scared that it wasn't 100 percent.

"It took me awhile to realize that I could move it and run at full speed. We got a little break after the BCS game and when I came back and started working out I realized there was nothing wrong with the knee.

"I didn't know what to expect. I was kind of nervous I wouldn't have full range of motion in my knee, but it was a minor surgery so it wasn't anything to worry about. The speed hasn't gone away."