Columbus- Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith didn't want to get a step closer to the Heisman Trophy this way, watching Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson dislocate his shoulder on Saturday.
"It's a terrible situation," Smith said Wednesday. "He's one of my good friends in college football, so I would hate to see someone end their season or possibly their [college] career on that kind of note, because of the kind of guy he is and the kind of super athlete he is."
Peterson's injury came on a 53-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run that put Oklahoma ahead, 34-9. Jim Tressel saw it, but don't expect to see Smith coming out of game any earlier than he did Saturday, when the second team came in with just under 13 minutes to play and Ohio State leading Michigan State, 38-7.
"The games are short to start with," Tressel said. "I look at the grade sheet and there's guys with 33 plays. So do I hope nothing unfortunate happens like what happened with Adrian? Of course. But we can't run scared. We've got to make sure we do what we've got to do to get better. I didn't feel comfortable in East Lansing until we scored that last touchdown."