The Thud Heard 'Round Columbus was felt all the way to Charlottesville, Va.

That's where Southern California coach Pete Carroll, shortly after watching his third-ranked team clobber Virginia 52-7, was asked if he knew that Chris "Beanie" Wells had gotten hurt.

"He did?" Carroll replied.

After a surprised reporter responded, "You weren't aware he got hurt?" Carroll gave a wry smile, according to an account on ESPN.com.

"Yeah, somebody told me," he said. "They stuck (the news) on my chair when I came in."

Carroll's nonchalant attitude over whether Wells could miss the Sept. 13 Ohio State-USC game because of his right foot injury probably was no act. Carroll doesn't sweat stuff like that.

Many coaches hide injury information or go to absurd lengths to protect their starting lineup.

Virginia coach Al Groh hid the identity of his starting quarterback, Peter Lalich, until Saturday's first snap. After USC's beastly defense swallowed Lalich whole, the quarterback declined to say when he'd been told he would start.

"I'm not allowed to talk about that," he replied.

Carroll's practices are open to reporters and USC fans. His attitude: Everyone knows what we run. Go ahead and try to stop us.

The Trojans, by the way, are idle Saturday, giving Carroll extra time to prepare for the Buckeyes.

"We play them two weeks from now, right?" he joked.

THE WISHING WELL(S)

Wells writhed in pain immediately after the injury, prompting Ohio State fans to fear the worst. And Wells told school spokeswoman Shelly Poe, "I think I felt a pop."

But X-rays revealed no broken bones, and coach Jim Tressel said the injury was not turf toe, which cost Buckeyes linebacker Ross Homan his sophomore season.

Poe said Ohio State officials likely would provide an update Monday, adding, "A day or two of rest, ice and treatment will do a lot to tell them what the injury is."

Although Poe received many calls from media members Sunday, she said the Ohio State coaches were not freaking out.

"In the football building, it's pretty normal," she said.

Without Wells, a prime Heisman Trophy candidate, the Buckeyes would turn to Dan Herron, Brandon Saine and Maurice Wells. The three combined to average 4.6 yards on 15 carries Saturday against Youngstown State, while Beanie Wells gained 111 yards on 13 carries (8.5 average).

"I would say we're both powerful backs," Herron said after the game. "I think we run alike, if you ask me."