Justin Green’s first Ohio State experience of his collegiate career will be a little different than other players’.

After originally committing to the Buckeyes, Green backed out and joined the Illini, who promised to play him at running back rather than defensive back.

The freshman knows he may face some unwanted recognition from the fans when he steps out onto the field.

I don’t even want to think about that right now,” Green said. “I don’t even want to think about that.

Green’s season started off a little flat, as he lost a yard on one carry in the opener against Missouri. However, his second game was more successful as he gained 56 yards and recorded his first career touchdown.

But success aside, Green has become acclimated with the college game.

“Those first two games definitely helped out a lot as far as getting my feet wet,” Green said. “Right now, the big thing for me is learning all the big plays and all the possibilities.”

The Illini’s playbook is notably a difficult one to learn for freshmen, and it’s been one of the biggest obstacles in Green’s young career.

“Sometimes it is a problem, we’ve got a whole lot of signals.

You’ve got to think really fast and think on your toes,” he said. “It’s definitely faster than high school, but I’m pretty much acclimated to it now.”

Green’s brother, Marcus, played at Ohio State from 2002 to 2005, and he went to high school in Louisville, Ky., three hours away from Columbus. Needless to say, Saturday will be a special day for him.

“I grew up in that stadium,” he said. “It’s gonna be big to just step in that stadium and be able to play in front of that crowd.”

Home cooking

Head coach Ron Zook is notable for his success recruiting in the Ohio area.

With 14 players from the Buckeye State, there is sure to be an abundance of ticket requests from friends and family.

“I think a lot of them are excited about having the opportunity to go home and play in their home state,” Zook said.

“If they grew up in Ohio they heard about Ohio State. I think anytime you play an opponent, if you’re a competitor you love to compete against the best and obviously they’re one of the best.”

Zook’s seat getting hot

Zook has faced his fair share of criticism.

A coaching record of 18-30 in four-plus years at a school doesn’t go unnoticed, even when one of those years ended in a Rose Bowl.

“It’s part of the profession. Do you like it? No,” Zook said. “There are a lot of things I get upset about as well, so I can understand why people get upset. That means they care. They are passionate about their football team.”

Zook and the Illilni have pressure to produce after a disappointing 2008 season and a disappointing start to 2009. Quarterback Juice Williams said the fans are asking only one question.

“Who’s going to show up? Is it going to be the team that played Missouri or the team that faced Illinois State?” he said. “We pray to God that it’s Illinois State.”