Whether Ohio State has its best receivers has not been determined, at least publicly, but the possible absences of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate won’t lower the stakes when the No. 1 Buckeyes play at No. 15 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday.
Tate has missed the last three games and Smith sat last week against Rutgers, each with undisclosed injuries. Coach Ryan Day said Tuesday their status might not be known until after kickoff.
“They’re going to continue to rest tonight, they had a good day of rehab,” Day said. “So we’ll wake up in the morning and see how they’re doing, but nobody wants to play more than those two guys.
“Ultimately we will rely on the medical staff to give us a boost or not.”
Smith, on teammate Caleb Downs’ “Downs 2 Business” podcast, said this week that he “should be good to go.”
Tate and Smith are semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the NCAA’s outstanding wide receiver. Smith has 69 receptions for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns; Tate has 39 catches for 711 yards and seven touchdowns.
“The receivers are elite. Four, Jeremiah (Smith) is elite. Carnell Tate is elite,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. “They have Brandon Inniss, he’s elite. The tight end, Max Klare, is a very good player as well. The quarterback is elite. They have elite players all over the field skill-wise.”
Of course, if one or both star receivers are out, that could impact how the Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) end a four-game losing streak against Michigan (9-2, 7-1 Big Ten).
Michigan is also dealing with injuries. Fullback Max Bredeson, who injured his leg in the last game against Maryland, is expected to play as are receiver Semaj Morgan and running back Jordan Marshall.
An Ohio State win places the Buckeyes in the Big Ten championship game Dec. 6 in Indianapolis. The Wolverines must win and have either No. 2 Indiana (vs. Purdue) or No. 6 Oregon (vs. Washington) lose to advance.
A win at Michigan and a loss at Indiana pit the Wolverines against Oregon; if Michigan wins and Oregon loses, it will be the Wolverines and Hoosiers.
Then it gets interesting. If Michigan wins and Indiana and Oregon are upset, then the Buckeyes and Wolverines will have a rematch.
Ohio State has reeled off 15 straight wins starting four games to win the 2024 CFP championship. Its last loss was a stunning 13-10 home loss to unranked Michigan, a 21 1/2-point underdog, last season and resulted in a postgame brawl when Michigan players tried to plant a flag at midfield.
Neither coach expects a repeat of those hostilities.
“You have to play with emotion, but you can’t let it play with you,” Day said. “You have to learn to use it as nitrous, not as a primary fuel source.”
Moore said the match was different from others.
“It’s a feeling you can’t describe. It’s an intensity. It’s just an aura that you can’t describe until you’re on the pitch, but it’s great to be a part of it,” he said. “It’s great to be a part of this. It’s the best rivalry in sports.”
–Field level media
