Commentary: Wilson knew what injured Wells was feeling

COLUMBUS - Lawrence Wilson's mind raced back to last year faster than Usain Bolt exploding out of the starting blocks in the 100-meter dash when he saw Chris Wells lying on the turf at Ohio Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

   A year ago, Wilson - a talented 6-foot, 4-inch, 275-pound defensive end - was poised to have a huge season for Ohio State. Maybe even the kind of season that would have led him to consider an early exit to the NFL.

   He gave the fans a preview of what they might expect when he got a quarterback sack early in the 2007 opener against Youngstown State.

   But not long after that sack, he went down with a broken right leg and missed the rest of the season.  His junior year became a redshirt season.

   Now, here he was one year later, in the same stadium, against the same team, watching a teammate who, like him, grew up in Akron, down on his back with what looked like it could be a major injury.

   "It was hard watching him go down because it reminded me of last year and what I went through," Wilson said.  "It was hard."

   Wells, who rushed for 1,609 yards while battling wrist and ankle injuries last season, was hurt when he slipped as he got ready to take a handoff from quarterback Todd Boeckman with Ohio State up 26-0 midway through the third quarter.

   "As I handed him the ball he didn't grab it. He went down and was in some serious pain," Boeckman said. "One of the best backs in the country is lying there in pain. It's a sight you definitely don't want to see."

   Wells might have been the most frightened of any of the Buckeyes.

   "I was talking to him (on the sideline) and he said, ‘Yeah, I kind of just freaked myself out,'" wide receiver Brian Hartline said. "He kind of psyched himself out but then the docs talked to him and he kind of calmed down. I think he'll be fine."

   If Wells was the most scared, Wilson might have been the most empathetic. He was one of several Buckeyes who went onto the field to check on the big tailback.

   When - or in the worst-case scenario, if - Wells will return is uncertain. He walked back to the sideline with a protective boot on his injured foot after leaving the bench area on a golf cart. But he was still visibly limping.

   Wells played with nagging ankle and wrist injuries last season. If this is no more severe than those, maybe he can do that again. The question that no one at Ohio State wanted to consider was if he will be ready for the big game at Southern California in two weeks.

   This setback just illustrated again that injuries are the wild card in football. Ohio State's plan for a path to perfection took a big hit if Wells is out for a long time or is forced to play at a diminished level.

   It's a cliché when coaches say that getting through a one-sided affair like Saturday's game without any injuries is a great thing.  It's a cliché until somebody like Wells gets hurt.

   Wilson didn't get to make the kind of quick comeback that Ohio State was hoping for after Saturday's game for Wells.

   But he did look like he was ready to pick up where he left off a year ago. He had a  sack for 18 yards and helped Ohio State hold Youngstown State to only 74 yards total offense.  

   "It's great to be back. I couldn't sleep last night thinking about it. It felt real good to be back playing with my boys," he said.

   And even though Dan Herron, Brandon Saine and Maurice Wells are capable running backs, Ohio State has to hope Wells can get back to his boys soon.