Ohio State received reinforcements when it practices at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Thursday.
Miyan Williams, who was absent from the Buckeyes' media availability on Tuesday, the team's practice on Wednesday and Peach Bowl Media Day because he felt "under the weather" with what running backs coach Tony Alford later called a "stomach bug," returned to Ohio State's practice Thursday and was seen working with his teammates during an open viewing session for the media.
Miyan Williams going through RB drills with Tony Alford and co. pic.twitter.com/6VduIETnlf
— Griffin Strom (@GriffinStrom3) December 29, 2022
During Ohio State's Peach Bowl Media Day session, head coach Ryan Day said he was "expecting" Williams to participate in practice and to "have everybody available" as the Buckeyes run through their penultimate practice before tomorrow's training and a walkthrough on Saturday.
Day also mentioned that the team's revolving door in the running back room this year has been frustrating. Still, he believes the coaching staff and training staff have "overall done a good job across the board" with handling injuries and keeping players ready for when their name is called.
"The one thing is that we've kind of been working through that all season," Day said. "The good news is that our guys have responded well to it, and some guys have stepped up. This is not something new. When Tre wasn't available – we had to go down the road of surgery for him – even though he was working really hard to get back on the field, and I give him a lot of credit for that, but in the end, he had to have the surgery, and that was the right thing for Tre. From there, where do we go? All of these have been preparing hard, and we have some good options going into this game."
Despite his ailments this week, Alford said at Media Day that he fully expects Williams to play on Saturday. His appearance Thursday is a step in the right direction that he will be healthy and ready to go. If he does suit up for Ohio State, Williams would be the expected starter at running back, as the redshirt sophomore set career highs across the board in 2022 by racking up 125 carries for 817 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games.
Day and Alford will also look for contributions from freshman Dallan Hayden and junior Chip Trayanum. Hayden was a sparkplug for the Buckeyes late in the season, rushing for 248 yards and four touchdowns on 46 carries against Indiana and Maryland. However, Trayanum took over the lead role in Ohio State's matchup with Michigan, rushing for 83 yards on 14 carries. Meanwhile, Hayden finished the contest with two carries for 7 yards.
Regardless of who trots out first for Ohio State on Saturday, Day said the Buckeyes desire to use all three running backs in scenarios that fit their style of play and wants his players to keep their focus on how they can make an impact in the Peach Bowl on Saturday.
"The focus is on our players, practice and making sure our players are ready for the game," Day said. "I think we've done a really good job of keeping the main thing the main thing, and that's about playing here at 8 o'clock on Saturday night."
