toledoblade.com --

COLUMBUS - When Ohio State gathered for its first practice of the 2008 football season, the agenda did not include a much anticipated first test for heralded freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, or the installation of some innovative offensive wrinkles.

The Buckeyes went to work on special teams on Day One, because while Ohio State was winning a third consecutive Big Ten championship last season and advancing to the national title game for the second straight year, there was nothing special about some areas of their special teams.

"We were last in the world in kickoff returns," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said jokingly, while explaining his rationale for addressing the special teams area first.

While Tressel's humorous exaggeration would place the Buckeyes behind Belgrade State, the University of Djibouti, and even Reykjavik Tech, they did actually trail Florida International (1-11), Alabama-Birmingham (2-10) and Idaho (1-11) in returning kickoffs.

Of the 119 Division I football programs (now called the Bowl Subdivision), the Buckeyes were No. 117 with just 17.6 yards per kickoff return. National leader Oklahoma averaged 28.3 yards per return, while the Big Ten's best at this specialty was Michigan State, at 25.7.

Tressel said when fall practice started that changing things around and putting special teams on top of the agenda in the preseason had a definite purpose.

"It's a little bit different, but it's an emphasis that we feel as if we need," Tressel said. "We want to make sure we get deep into our special teams from a concept standpoint, so they understand how important they are. So, we're emphasizing it."

While the Buckeyes were dead last in the Big Ten in bringing back kicks, the other areas of special teams work were better, and much better in some cases. Ohio State ranked fifth in the conference in punt returns,

third-best in kickoff coverage, and third in net punting.

On the kicking side, the Buckeyes ranked fifth in the Big Ten in field goal accuracy (18 of 23), but did not have many opportunities, since 30 of their 47 trips into the red zone went for touchdowns. On extra points, kicker Ryan Pretorious missed just once (48-49), but that was the fifth-best percentage in a conference that had three teams go all season without a miss.

"We know that to be a championship-type team, we need to improve in all areas. And since our kickoff returns were not that good last year, it makes sense to focus in on that," senior running back Maurice Wells said at the team's recent media day. "There's always something to work on, something that needs improvement."

Junior wide receiver Ray Small handled most of the kickoff returns last year, along with Wells and sophomore running back Brandon Saine. Tressel indicated that Saine and redshirt freshman Dan "Boom" Herron came out of spring practice with the inside track on the kick return roles for this season.

"The guys that really caught my eye this spring in the kickoff return were Brandon Saine and Boom Herron," Tressel said. "Those two guys, I thought, really did a good job of bringing it up."

Yesterday evening, after the team held a long kick scrimmage in Ohio Stadium, Tressel said the kick return game was still evolving while Saine has been a little dinged up and had his contact work limited.

Tressel also reminded everyone that one of the main reasons for the fall off in Ohio State's kick returning is that Ted Ginn Jr. now lives in Miami. The former Buckeye averaged 25.6 yards per kick return in his career, and took one back 100 yards for a score in 2005. Ginn also had six punt return touchdowns while at Ohio State.

"I don't know that we ever put all of the blocks together that we needed to spring one," Tressel said about last year's difficulties with returns. "But that's also kind of a reminder on how good the guy was before that."

On the punt return side, Tressel likes Small, along with veteran wide receivers Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie. Hartline was second in the Big Ten in punt returns, and his 90-yard return for a touchdown against Kent State broke an Ohio State record that had stood since 1950.

"We've got a lot of talented guys on this team, a lot of great athletes and real fast guys, so I'm confident the coaching staff will find the right combinations for both of our return teams," Hartline said on media day. "If something was a weak area last season, we'll work real hard at making it a strength for 2008."

Contact Matt Markey at:
mmarkey@theblade.com
or 419-724-6510.

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