Penn State football coach Joe Paterno wasn't even planning on playing his senior center for the first few games of this season, anyway. It's now evident he doesn't even have that leisure.

After center E.Z. Smith was suspended from the team for the second time in three seasons this past spring, Paterno talked outwardly about sitting Smith at least for the first two games of the Nittany Lions 2005 campaign upon his return to the team.

However, Smith's indefinite expulsion from the university stipulated that he would not be allowed on campus until today, causing him to miss all of preseason camp and likely further delaying his return to the field as a starter.

"I am a little disappointed that they handled it that way," Paterno said at the team's media day on Aug. 13. "I had understood that at the end of summer school he would be eligible to come back out, and we could play him."

Smith's first dismissal was more of a personal issue. The summer before the 2003 season he was dismissed from the team for two underage drinking citations within a week's span. That discharge, along with the more recent one, has again affected the order of strings on the offensive line. During the spring semester, Smith, along with guard Tyler Reed, offensive tackle Andrew Richardson and defensive tackle Scott Paxson, were suspended from the team for alleged involvement in a January bow-and-arrow incident in which arrows were fired through a wall in Nittany Apartments Building 33.

Reed, Richardson and Paxson were inactive for the beginning of spring ball, but the three resumed practicing with the team under provisional status before April's Blue-White game.

Smith, though, was not as fortunate. His role in the incident cost him all playing time in spring and summer practice.

"It was a bad experience, and everyone's learned their lesson," right guard Reed said. "We're trying to move on and not think about that and be ready to go this season."

But when the Lions play South Florida this Saturday, Reed, as of now, probably won't be starting at right guard, a position he's held for two straight seasons. Upon returning to the team, Reed, along with right tackle Richardson, were humbly demoted to fourth string on the line. Since that time, Reed has worked his way back up to practicing with the second- team offense, as of Friday's practice. Richardson's playing time, however, is more likely to dwindle with each mistake -- on and off the field.

"I have to do everything right. I can't slip up a little bit," Richardson said. "You can only get a few chances in practice to show Coach you can do it, and I've got to seize those opportunities."

For now, the void left at center due to Smith's absence will be filled by a walk-on from a place in Central Pennsylvania called Jersey Shore. A player -- Lance Antolick -- who enters the season with one year of eligibility left in a career in which he's never started a regular season game.

For some, a walk-on starter as a senior is the tailor fit feel-good story. But when winning games has been on the decline in recent memory, it's hard to recognize a good feeling when the bad clouds like a rainstorm in summertime.

But reality bites. The reality is Smith hasn't been within squinting distance of his teammates since January. He hasn't lifted with them. He hasn't scrimmaged. As it stands, his name is nowhere to be found on the depth chart.

Next to it, there are no strings attached.

"I don't think we can count on E.Z right now," Paterno said.