Expectations are a helluva drug. They can take you to surreal places where anything is possible. They can put tons of weight on small, yet tough shoulders. Maurice Wells ran for 3,076 yards and 31 TDs in his junior season and finished his senior year despite injuries, with 1,900 yards and 20 TDs. He also broke the single game rushing record with 429 yards. He is shifty, quick and according to his own perception in high school he is strong; more on that in a second.

He was rated as highly as #2 in the nation of all running backs and told by coaches like Pete Carrol a spot is waiting whenever he wanted it. After failing to crack 40 yards in his final high school game and a subpar performance at the Army All-American game, his stock plummeted. Still, he committed to play for Ohio State and the sky was the limit.

Wells watched an Ohio All-Star game that featured MVP Tyrell Sutton, who many believed lost out on a chance to play for Ohio State because the Buckeyes went after Maurice instead. I remember the forums were rabid with comments like, "he saw first hand what we passed him for so he better be good." Sutton of course went on to rush for over 1,000 yards as a freshman at Northwestern. Another guy that OSU fans and coaches wanted badly was Javon Ringer, a phenomenal RB from Ohio who was unable to get past the admission policies at Ohio State. These facts were not accepted by OSU fans who wanted the local boy to play in C-Bus and were looking for someone to blame.

Maurice Wells was doomed unless he stepped in as a starter in his first season. Did I say expectations are a helluva drug? Well, if that's true than the hangover is a total bitch.

Wells came to college undersized, listed at 5-10 185 pounds. Still, Ohio State could not afford to redshirt him with only 3 scholarship ‘backs on the roster. He played behind Antonio Pittman, who in 2005 and 2006 surpassed 1,000 total yards rushing. He played in front of 215 lb. track star and Ohio native Erik Haw. When Haw transferred before the 2006 because he was sitting behind Mo Wells, guess what, fans were pissed. After all, Haw was a Columbus native and Mo Wells did not look all that great in his first season, with only 199 yards on 61 attempts. His sophomore campaign, sitting behind Pittman and phenom Chris Wells, Mo Wells only had 171 yards rushing on just 46 attempts. Before the championship game against the Florida Gators he hinted at transferring.

The reaction by many OSU fans was sad, really, for this Maurice Wells fan. In sum, it was a "good riddance, don't let the door hit you in the ass" type of reaction. Even into the summer, with Pittman declaring pro and only returning 1 scholarship RB (Chris Wells), who was injured during the spring, Ohio recruiting analyst and Buckeye fan Duane long was saying he SHOULD transfer because OSU had a couple pretty good freshman coming in. This was said at the start of this past summer, when any amount of common sense could tell you that the Buckeyes desperately needed able, experienced and talented bodies at the RB position. It was a slap in the face, period, the likes of which only those who squander opportunities due to ego deserve.

Runningback has been a thin position for OSU over the last several years because of injuries, early NFL draft entries and most notably transfers. The fact that respected football authorities were essentially hoping Mo Wells would transfer was both mind-boggling and infuriating.

Thank god Wells did not listen to resident experts at the forums. He stayed and has played a vital role as backup to Beanie Wells, rushing for 325 yards and 3 total TDs. In Ohio States arguably toughest games, at Purdue and at Penn State, he has rushed for 74 yards and 55 yards. He is the teams most consistent blocker out of the backfield and rarely fumbles. I believe the word is reliable, something you don't always see in the stat sheets or recruiting bios.

Also worth noting is Chris Wells has been hampered by an ankle injury all season and freshman Brandon Saine underwent knee surgery, which he has recovered from. The other freshman, Boom Herron, has been able to redshirt--a rarity these days at the tailback position for Ohio State. If Mo Wells had been afforded that opportunity, he'd only be a sophomore right now.

Mo Wells is the lightning to Chris Wells' thunderous smackdown. He is shifty and tough. He'll hit a hole or bounce it to the outside. He'll make a key block and hold on to the football. He won't transfer and he won't pay attention to message boards. He is a Buckeye who bleeds Scarlet and Gray. Will he meet expectations, who knows, expectations are for recruiting junkies to get drunk over. But he is STRONG, both mentally and physically. Let me go further out on a limb and say, that yes, he CAN break arm tackles, dreadlocks a blazin'.

If OSU runs the table and makes it to the title game, they are going to need Mo Wells to make plays. Wells is waiting patiently, like he always has, for that opportunity. I'm here to tell you this Buckeye fan appreciates that. You are strong Mo Wells and we all love that about you. You are a dynamo and we can't wait for you to set up 3rd and 2 for Beanie when the Buckeyes need you most. Without players like Mo Wells, teams don't stand a chance to win championships.

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onearmedbandit said:

You neglected to mention his greatest skill: his ability to make 4 "shifty" moves in the backfield before being dragged down for a loss by three defenders. I'm pretty sure he leads the nation in that category. Mo Wells enrages me, though he did have a nice game this week. Brandon Saine should be the #2 back. He's as fast as Wells, is stronger, and actually hits the hole with authority instead of dancing around for losses. Saine's YPC is 1.5 yards better than Mo Wells' (5.0 to 3.5). Mo Wells stinks and I don't like him. Of course, this is subject to change if he ever does something amazing in the Michigan game or whatever bowl the Bucks end up in.

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October 29, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

'Bandit- You are an idiot. Mo does his best in key times during a game, when he's not asked to to run up the middle and run out the clock. That is where his ypc gets killed. Ohio State putting Saine at FB is genius because he is such a threat at receiver. Nevermind Saine's microscopic knee surgery a few weeks ago, when Saine approaches a tackle he slows down. There is no slow down in Mo. He runs at people and it's great to see. Again, your an idiot but we are all entitled to our opinions. Everyone likes Saines unproven ability, just like Erik Haw but he's not ready to carry the responsibility at #2 just yet. The knee injury killed those chances. The fact that fans want to see a true freshman who acts more like a WR with the ball in his hands is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, Saine has huge upside. But all you have to do is look at the depth chart and look at how Tressel is utilizing Saine at the moment and I'd say they agree with me. Putting Saine at Fullback his genius. He is a great receiving threat but the odds of him playing much tailback, injuries aside, are little to none right now. Yards per carry does not tell half the story. But hey, believe what you will. You don't like Mo Wells, well, F' you. He's in it to win it. Scarlet and Gray all the way!

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October 29, 2007
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onearmedbandit said:

I've been watching this silly goose be average to bad for the last few years, and it's geting a bit old. Whenever we hand the ball to him, my roommate and I get instantly pissed because it's basically a give up play. The reason I compared them on YPC is because Saine and Wells have a similar number of touches, but Saine does more with them. Wells may look kickass with his predator hair do, but a star he is not and will never be. Saine picks a hole and goes. Wells tries to dance around while waiting for a huge hole to open and gets crushed. How good can a back be if he's completely useless between the tackles (Reggie Bush notwithstanding)? I like utilizing Saine in whatever way gets him the ball. If Mo Wells is in, he better be blocking or else I'm throwing things at my TV.

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October 29, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

It's a team sport, a star is not what he needs to be. You don't understand a Jim Tressel team and what it takes for a Tressel team to win if you hate on Mo Wells. I don't think you understand but that's ok. Mo Wells has a ton of fight in him. I only wish Riley, Maldanado, Clarret and the list goes on and on...had half the guts he displays. Maybe you don't remember these hyped backs but I do. They were too good for OSU. Again, if OSU goes undefeated, Mo Wells will play a huge role. But fans don't like role guys, just hype and expectations. Like I said, it's like a drug. It makes you delusional. Silly goose? Buy a freaking clue.

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October 29, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

Did you see PSU respect the hell out of the draw play, which lead to the td screen pass to Hartline? There is a reason they were fooled, Wells is becoming a solid college football veteran. He will be a four year guy. I'm sorry if every guy can't be 3 years and go pro or 1-2 years and transfer. A star I guess he is not. A threat he most definitely is. A Buckeye, no doubt. Keep on hating, it's wasted energy. Edit: I also wanted to add, that you said the "last few years." It's his third year dude and he has shown tremendous improvement from last year. It's not even comparable. And I don't see him acting silly at all, more determined than anything. If I were an out-of-state recruit, I'd hesitate to go to Ohio State because of the fans.

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October 29, 2007
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onearmedbandit said:

Damn Lloyds, are you Mo's brother or something? The way you defend his average play with such anger amazes me. I'm a gigantic OSU fan and I love most of the players. Wells is one of the few guys that frustrates the hell out of me. Of course I love stars (who doesn't?), but I realize that it takes a lot of role guys to win as well. These role players make big plays that you may not expect in big games, and I hope Mo can do that in the Bucks' final 4 games. Up to this point, however, I've seen far too many negative plays from him when our other backs are getting a significantly higher number of yards per touch. The same line is blocking for all of them, and Wells even gets to take the 3rd and 15 draw plays that inevitably go for 8-10 yards because the defense is overplaying the pass. Wells' lack of production concerns me more than his heart. To say you wouldn't go to OSU if you were a star athlete because of the fans is ridiculous. Few teams can claim the dedicated fan base and incredible atmosphere that Ohio State possesses. I think you're getting a little too worked up about this Mo thing and coming to conclusions that don't really follow a logical path.

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October 29, 2007
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Lloyds Apple said:

Mo Wells was the ONLY other healthy back besides big Wells for half of the season (and big Wells has been hurt, too). He was the only healthy scholarship back during spring ball. So, let me know who the other options are. Sure, Saine is an option but he is also a true freshman with limited carries due to injury. And thank god Saine can be slowly plugged back into the offense. I look for Saine to do big things in the next 4 games. The venom tossed at Mo Wells over the past couple of years has been intense. I wish OSU fans could appreciate a kid that is helping one guy to redshirt and two other guys heal--all while helping the team win games by doing the little things. All while showing considerable improvement. But no, instead it has to be sharp witted sarcastic commentary on how he sucks. That is what angers me. I spoke to him a few times and he was always a nice dude and someone you'd want to root for. Every yard and opportunity he's had he's earned. But I guess in life that's not good enough sometimes. Not when people want perfection. And yeah, it is my opinion that certain people in Ohio are always going to be pissed at out of state guys who "steal" 'ships from Ohio guys and then don't live up to whatever lofty expectations that exist. I've followed recruiting long enough to see it unfold more than once. It really turns my off of the recruiting game and makes me consider the people involved, the biases that exist and the human element that goes towards the psyche of somebody involved in college football. I'm not trying to fight but you struck a chord to say the least. My conclusions are logical, while yours are more likely to draw a laugh. But I guess it's Ohio guys too. Look at Justin Zwick. If it were not for him, Todd Boeckman would have burnt his redshirt year in the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State. He was not 100% if I recall correctly but gutted it out anyways. Now, we get to enjoy Boeckman for another year. But that is lost to the fact he did not live up to the hype. That kind of stuff annoys the hell out of me. Program guys like Mo and Zwick deserve an article of praise sometimes without a quick slap in the face from fans. But hey, if Mo Wells "enrages" you then rage on brotha'. I'm going to root for the guy.

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wpeery said:

I agree with Nick on this one--Mo Wells dances entirely too much. I think he's a one-cut type of runner. Virginia's Cedric Peerman had the same problem last year and Virginia's coaches told him he was trying to dance too much back there and he needed to be more of a one cut runner. Some guys can get away with dancing back there, but you have to be the elite of the elite(Reggie Bush, Barry Sanders). Very few running backs can get away with dancing too much behind the line of scrimmage. It's never a good thing in my opinion. No matter what type of offensive player you are, running back, receiver, quarterback, fullback, etc...it's better to make up your mind, pick a hole, and get up field. Some running backs have a horizontal type of running style and they are more east-west type of runners. I think Mo Wells definitely classifies as a north-south, type of runner. Maybe the coaches will try and work with him on that, I am not real sure. Fans are allowed to have high standards of their student athletes in my opinion, because that is why they are getting paid to go to school. You're not getting paid to be a nice guy. It makes me happy to hear that guy like Mo Wells is a nice guy and is not a prima donna, but that doesn't matter once he gets in the trenches. Austen Everson was Ohio's quarterback and he was one of the nicest human beings in the world, but the man could not throw a football to save his life and Ohio's offense suffered greatly because of it. I cannot stand it when home crowds boo their own players, but fans are allowed to be critical when a player is not producing. In life, you take the good with the bad, when you do well your praises will be sung, when yo do poorly your faults will be talked about and criticized. That's just the nature of the beast. Just wanted to throw in my thoughts on the situation.

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October 30, 2007
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wpeery said:

	That is one of the best football pictures I have ever seen by the way! Wells looks like a robot sent from outer space! So sweet.
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JEH45 said:

Hell, I might as well chime in. I am also a Mo Wells fan, but his lack of historic production bugs the hell out of me. Game after game I have rooted for Mo to have a break out game. It hasn't happenned. Maybe it will never happen. During the summer I believed the calls for Mo to transfer were stupid and I still believe they were. I appreciate his effort. With Coach Tressel "trust" seems to be a very big deal. I note the staff has trust in Mo. I note the staff trusts Mo to protect his QB. I see the staff has put a package in for both Mo and Saine. Not for one minute do I believe we have seen all that comprises that package. Am I convinced Saine is the second coming-no, and I don't believe any of us has seen enough to know he is the second coming. I do believe the knee situation hasn't helped in Saine's development or utilization. Do I believe the staff trusts Saine as they do Mo-not for a minute. Remember fellas, OSU is playing for all the marbles right now. A no gain carry may frustrate you, but a fumble going the other way could be devastating. I also subscribe to the thought that Mo's YPC has suffered because x number of his carries have been when our coach doesn't want to gain yards or score points. At the same time I can not deny Mo doesn't average behind the 1's what the other boys average. I do believe the staff has additional schemes to utilize Mo's skills we haven't seen yet. I also see Mo in another way we can not, as fans, ever understand and that is as a "team" member in the locker room, practice field, weight room, and just kicking back. I suspect, but don't know, that Mo plays a positive role for the Bucks. I can go on but I won't. I will sum up by saying I think Mo is running harder and more decisive than he ever has. I believe him to part of the puzzle and part of the game plan. Reggie Bush he ain't, but a positive contributor he is. Put me in the dam glad Mo is a Buckeye camp.

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