Gator Bowl practices begin for OSU, Florida

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Wire reports 10:29 AM Wednesday, December 28, 2011

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Buckeyes also reported at midday Tuesday, with the bulk of the team arriving by chartered jet from Columbus while many of the out-of-state players commuted from their homes.

Buckeyes coach Luke Fickell did not put the Buckeyes through an on-field session, though.

Ohio State’s first practice will be held this morning at the University of North Florida.

Florida arrived at the Gator Bowl without running back Jeff Demps and still searching for two key positions on Will Muschamp’s coaching staff.

Demps missed the team’s first practice Tuesday at Jacksonville University to attend to a personal matter, Muschamp said. Second on the team with 539 yards rushing and a team-high six touchdowns, Demps is expected to join the Gators today. Receiver Deonte Thompson missed practice because of an illness.

Center Dan Wenger and linebacker Lerentee McCray were limited in practice. Muschamp expected Wenger (ankle) to play Jan. 2 against Ohio State, but called McCray (shoulder) doubtful.

Muschamp also denied reports by two coaching websites that he has hired Jeff Dillman to be the team’s strength and conditioning coordinator. Muschamp and Dillman worked together at LSU in 2003 and 2004. Dillman is currently the head of physical conditioning at the IMG Performance Institute in Bradenton, a position he has held since 2009.

But Muschamp said he hasn’t offered the job to anyone, adding that the same goes for the offensive coordinator position.

“I haven’t hired anybody,” he said. “I’ve talked to a lot of people at the strength position and the offensive coordinator’s position. When I make the hire, everybody will know. But no one has been hired. No one has been offered a job yet. So, that’s it.”

Former strength coach Mickey Marotti left Florida after seven years to join Urban Meyer at Ohio State. Former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis left to take the head coaching job at Kansas.

“I still have people I want to talk to,” Muschamp said. “I’ve never put a timetable on it because it’s the right fit for Florida; it’s going to be the best decision for Florida.”

Well-separated: While the Florida team is staying in a hotel in downtown Jacksonville, the Buckeyes are sequestered 25 miles southeast in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. They are staying in a hotel adjacent to the TPC Sawgrass golf course, home to the Players Championship. It has been standard procedure by Gator Bowl officials to house a team there.

Graham says aloha: Former OSU redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Graham, who was granted a release from his scholarship, told The Columbus Dispatch on Tuesday he intends to transfer to Hawaii, which recently hired respected offensive coordinator Norm Chow as its new coach.

“I evaluated offenses all over the country to identify a pro-style offense that would be best for me,” Graham texted. “I believe that the offense with coach Chow will be the best fit for me. I’m excited to play in it.

“I didn’t want to leave all my teammates there (at OSU), but I felt it was time for me to move on. I love Ohio State.”