Ohio State will take on Tulsa without a starting defensive end on Saturday.
Zach Harrison was one of 13 Buckeyes listed as unavailable on the team's official status report, while center Harry Miller will miss his third straight game to open the 2021 season, as well. Senior linebacker Teradja Mitchell is the lone player listed as a game-time decision.
| OHIO STATE STATUS REPORT FOR TULSA |
|---|
| GAME-TIME DECISION |
| LB TERADJA MITCHELL |
| UNAVAILABLE |
|
WR KAMRYN BABB RB MARCUS CROWLEY DE ZACH HARRISON DE TYLER FRIDAY OL JAKOB JAMES BUL JAYLEN JOHNSON OL TREY LEROUX LB MITCHELL MELTON OL HARRY MILLER DL NOAH POTTER SAF JOSH PROCTOR OL RYAN SMITH OL TOBY WILSON |
Harrison led all defensive ends in snaps played during both of the past two games, and his 120 reps so far are more than any other member of Larry Johnson's defensive line. Harrison is the lone Buckeye defensive lineman with a sack to his name so far this season, forcing a game-changing fumble on a second half strip sack against Minnesota in the season opener, and he has tallied seven total tackles as well.
In place of Harrison, Javontae Jean-Baptiste will likely get the start opposite Tyreke Smith, as the redshirt junior has logged the third-most snaps among Buckeye defensive ends in each of the first two games. Five-star true freshman J.T. Tuimoloau should see a steady diet of snaps as well, as the heralded recruit received double-digit reps against Minnesota and Oregon as the No. 4 defensive end on the depth chart.
On offense, redshirt freshman Luke Wypler will likely see his third start at center to begin the year. Miller was seen in full gear after practice at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center Wednesday, but remains unavailable for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State center Harry Miller, whos been unavailable for the first two games, among the players coming off the practice field in uniform as we await post-practice interviews at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) September 15, 2021
Mitchell started both games at Will linebacker to open the season and has played more snaps than any other linebacker on the roster. If he is unavailable to play on Saturday, Steele Chambers – who made the switch from running back just a few weeks before the start of the season, and has been rotating with Mitchell at Will linebacker – will likely see increased reps.
Also of note, third-year running back Marcus Crowley will also be out for the first time this season. Crowley appeared to take a blow to the head on the opening kickoff of the second half against Oregon and remained down on the field until he was eventually driven back to the locker room on a cart. After seeing nine offensive snaps against Minnesota, Crowley did not get any against Oregon.
Jerron Cage could make his season debut for the Buckeyes on Saturday, as the fifth-year senior defensive tackle was not listed on the status report. Cage, who was projected to split time with Antwuan Jackson at nose tackle to start off the year, did not play in either of the Buckeyes' first two games.
The Ohio State defense could also see senior cornerback Sevyn Banks make his 2021 debut Saturday. A returning starter from 2020, Banks did not play against Minnesota or Oregon, but was not listed on the status report before either game. However, head coach Ryan Day this week that Banks is “not too injured to play” and that the Buckeyes hoped to get him on the field this weekend.
