Ohio State will be without a cadre of veterans this weekend.
Defensive end Chase Young, linebacker Baron Browning, defensive end Jonathon Cooper, offensive tackle Joshua Alabi and wide receiver C.J. Saunders are listed as unavailable for the Buckeyes' game against Rutgers on Saturday in the weekly status report released on Friday morning.
| Ohio State Status Report for Rutgers |
|---|
| GAME-TIME DECISION |
| N/A |
| UNAVAILABLE |
|
DE Chase Young WR C.J. Saunders DE Jonathon Cooper OT Joshua Alabi WR Austin Mack LB Baron Browning RB Marcus Crowley OL Matthew Jones WR Ellijah Gardiner S Ronnie Hickman DT Taron Vincent WR Kamryn Babb DT Noah Donald (walk-on) OL Brett Novick (walk-on) |
Running back Marcus Crowley, offensive lineman Matthew Jones and Ellijah Gardiner will also not play on Saturday. Ohio State listed wide receiver Kamryn Babb, safety Ronnie Hickman and defensive tackle Taron Vincent as unavailable as they continue their long-term recoveries from injuries.
No one has been deemed as a game-time decision this week. The status report does not disclose the reason for any player's unavailability or the expected length of their absence.
Young will miss his second game in a row due to suspension before returning to action the following week against Penn State, Ohio State announced on Wednesday. Cooper, a senior, will miss his third game in a row. The absence of Young and Cooper means a quartet of underclassmen – Zach Harrison, Tyreke Smith, Tyler Friday and Javontae Jean-Baptiste – will be called upon to fill in at defensive end. Last week, Harrison and Smith started and combined for three sacks.
Browning will not be available on Saturday after being on the field for only one play last weekend against Maryland.
Chris Olave will likely get his third start in a row due to Mack missing a third straight game. Olave, thriving with the opportunity, had seven catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns in his first start and 10 targets in his second start last weekend.
Crowley suffered an injury late in last weekend's game against Maryland, which is likely the reason why he's not available against Rutgers. Given his absence, Master Teague will get the brunt of the second-half carries, provided the game is a blowout win for Ohio State, as expected.
