Ohio State's Chris Wells becomes a man of mystery with his foot injury

The right foot injury to Ohio State star tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells has unfolded as the season's first big mystery with a potential dangle life that could last days before the Sept. 13 showdown against USC at the Coliseum.

If Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel is smart, and he's as smart as they come, he'll keep the status of the injury as close as he can to his sweater vest.

Why not keep USC guessing?

Ohio State certainly doesn't need Wells this week to beat Ohio in Columbus. Ohio State has not lost to a school in its home state since a 7-6 defeat to Oberlin in 1921.

No conference in the country keeps its news more effectively guarded than the Big Ten, so only God and Woody Hayes might know where it goes from here.

The school said it would allow Wells a day or two of treatment before issuing a statement on his status.

Really, though, why say anything definitive?

Unless Wells is ruled out for the year, there might be no way of knowing the extent of his usefulness until he takes his next snap in a game.

USC Coach Pete Carroll, working the gamesmanship game, has already said he expects Wells will play but has failed to produce the diploma he's received in any field of medicine.

The Columbus Dispatch provided a little more insight in Monday's paper, reporting Wells gave prized tailback recruit Jamaal Berry, on a visit from Miami, the thumbs-up sign Sunday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

"He said he's going to be OK," Berry told the Dispatch.

Of course, Berry isn't a doctor either, and now the first tape job he receives from the training staff as a Buckeye could be on his mouth.

Wells' injury could potentially have an impact on this year's national title race and the Heisman Trophy chase.

Oh, it has to be said the Big Ten doesn't own the patent on keeping secrets, either.

Last year, Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon tore knee ligaments on Nov. 3 against Arizona State but decided to keep the injury private in an effort to keep his team in the national-title hunt.

Fitted with a brace, Dixon tried to play in a Thursday night game at Arizona on Nov. 15, but his knee buckled on a play in which he was not touched. Oregon lost, and the Ducks' national-title hopes were dashed.

Wells injured his right foot Saturday in the third quarter of Ohio State's 43-0 win against Youngstown State. He had, to that point, gained 111 yards in 13 carries.

A junior from Akron, Wells gained 1,609 yards and scored 15 touchdowns last year in helping lead Ohio State to the Big Ten title and the national-title game in New Orleans.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com