The injury that prevented Denzel Burke from playing in the second half of the Cotton Bowl won’t prevent him from playing in the national championship game.
The Ohio State cornerback said he will be full-go for Monday’s season finale against Notre Dame during Saturday’s national championship game media day in Atlanta.
“I’m 100%, man. I'm ready to go. Just a little mishap last game, but I'm ready to go,” Burke said.
While Burke didn’t want to get into specifics about his injury, which Ryan Day described as an “upper extremity issue,” he said it was “nothing crazy” and that his removal from the game was precautionary.
“It's definitely something you don't want to have, but it was just for the betterment of the team and the betterment of my future,” Burke said of watching the second half of Ohio State’s win over Texas from the sideline.
Burke left the Cotton Bowl in the final minute of the first half with an apparent shoulder injury after missing a tackle on a 24-yard catch-and-run by Texas receiver Silas Bolden. Jermaine Mathews Jr. replaced Burke for the rest of the game, and Burke was proud of how the sophomore cornerback stepped up in his absence.
“I've always been proud of Jermaine. He did a great job. We trust him. He's been developed, and he's a great player,” Burke said.
While it’s likely Mathews will still see playing time in the national championship game even with Burke’s return, the senior cornerback is certainly motivated to make a big impact against Notre Dame. After all, it’s the final time he’ll play for the Buckeyes, and the chance to win the national championship was one of the biggest reasons why he stayed at Ohio State for his senior season.
“To be able to end my college career on this note, to go out there and win a natty is a great opportunity,” Burke said. “Now we gotta go out there and execute and finish the job.”
Assuming Burke starts against Notre Dame on Monday, he’ll make the 51st start of his Ohio State career, breaking Luke Fickell’s record for the most starts ever by an Ohio State defensive player.
