"As the San Francisco 49ers deliberated whether to give quarterback Troy Smith, who joined the team in September, a crack at starting last weekend in London, the team relied on a coach who knows Smith far better than anyone in San Fran does. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said Thursday that 49ers coach Mike Singletary called Tressel when Singletary was trying to decide whether to start Troy Smith or David Carr in the absence of Alex Smith."