Scout team takes some extra punishment

It’s no secret that the color blue is frowned upon inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Maize and blue together? Heresy.

But there is an exception. During Michigan week, Ohio State’s scout team wears dark blue jerseys, complete with the Wolverines’ winged helmet.

“This is something that’s being going on for years,” senior center Billy Price said. “It’s part of the tradition.

“It’s huge for us. It makes it fun for us. I don’t know what they do, but we want to make sure we’re fully engaged in this rivalry.”

It’s probably not as much fun for the scout-team players. Practice this week is more intense than normal, and they bear the brunt of it.

“You see those ugly colors and want to hit it a little more,” senior linebacker Chris Worley said.

Defensive end Jalyn Holmes described practice this week as more physical, even “confrontational.”

“I think they practice a little harder when they’re in that,” fellow defensive end Tyquan Lewis said. “They try to give us the best look possible (for Michigan). But us being an older group, sometimes they definitely feel a lot of pain.”

It wasn’t physical pain that J.T. Barrett mentioned when he recalled serving as scout-team quarterback as a redshirt his freshman year. Wearing that uniform hurt more.

“It was awful,” he said. “I’m pretty sure those guys feel the same way. I don’t like blue and yellow together.”

Freshman quarterback Tate Martell has drawn raves for his performance on the scout team this year. He has even dabbled at running back this week to give the starters a feel for Michigan runners’ shiftiness.

“I really appreciate what he does,” Holmes said. “He makes us a better team every week.”

That goes for the entire scout team.

“We think we have the best scout team in the nation,” Worley said. “The caliber of players that are on those scout teams, it’s crazy. A lot of times, those guys are better than the teams we’re playing. We appreciate the heck out of those guys.”

Terry Glenn tribute

Ohio State will wear a helmet sticker on Saturday in memory of former wide receiver Terry Glenn, who died in a car accident Monday.

The sticker has Glenn’s initials, as well as a mention of his “83 Kids Foundation.”

Glenn’s son, Terry Jr., thanked Ohio State on Twitter for the tribute.

“The bucks are rocking these helmet stickers for my dad when we play this weekend,” he wrote. “How awesome. Much love to all the Buckeyes out there.”