COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Branden Joe, a sophomore fullback at Ohio State, was obviously absent from the team's annual Picture Day proceedings Friday night in Columbus. New head coach Jim Tressel said there was a reason for that.
"As you can see Branden (Joe) is not here tonight," Tressel said of his sophomore stud, who recently was arrested on DUI charges. "Branden will not play in the first game. He's in the beginnings of a three-week separation, if you will, from the team during preseason camp and will miss the first game. He will rejoin us the Sunday after Texas Tech (Aug. 25)."
A report in the Columbus Dispatch indicated that Tressel was not very pleased with Joe's situation.
"I think you want to do what you think is fair, and you can't use anyone for messages," Tressel told the paper. "I would hope we'd get messages without having to send them. I would hope we could see the mistakes made by one another, or by other kids from other teams around the country, or by people in our society, and see the things we should or shouldn't do. But I don't think it would be fair to Branden Joe or to anyone else to send messages. You have to handle each situation, and do the best you can to be fair."
The sophomore, who was expected to battle for a starting job, was found asleep in his car on a highway ramp near campus at 3:45 a.m. on July 26. He refused to take a breath analysis test, and has pleaded not guilty in a Franklin County (Ohio) court.
Joe is the fourth Buckeye to be arrested in less than a year.
Derek Morris, the highly-touted offensive lineman from North Carolina, was left out of the team picture as well. The 6-6, 360-pound recruit still is awaiting word from the NCAA on his eligibility
When asked if there was anything new on that subject, the normally loquacious Tressel answered, "No."
The Buckeyes, who are ranked 12th in the preaseason USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, open up the 2002 campaign at home on Aug. 24 against the Red Raiders and will host in-state rival Kent State on Sept. 7.
