Ohio State football: Multiple players could be opting out of Rose Bowl

When the Ohio State football team takes the field for their Rose Bowl meeting with Utah, it is looking like they will not be at full strength. Steve Helwagen of Bucknuts said wide receiver Garrett Wilson looks to be opting out of the 108th edition of The Granddaddy of The All.

Helwagen appeared on MarkRogersTV on Thursday and said he’s been told Wilson has not been seen at practice. Earlier this month Wilson said he was undecided on playing and was going to have discussions with his family.

Helwagen also said it appears defensive tackle Haskell Garrett and left tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere will not play as well. He made it clear that nothing is official and we should be hearing something from Ryan Day early in the coming week.

Not having Wilson will be a big blow to the offense. He is a difference-maker and we saw how much he means to the Ohio State offense when he had to miss the Nebraska game. Julian Fleming started in his place against the Cornhuskers and I would expect him to do so again against the Utes.

The good news is, Helwagen is reporting Chris Olave has been taking part in practice. While I’d like to believe that is a sign he is definitely going to play, keep in mind cornerback Denzel Ward waited until the day of the Cotton Bowl to announce his decision a few years ago.

While not having Petit-Frere is a blow to the offensive line, that unit is equipped to handle his absence. Thayer Munford will move from left guard out to the position where he’s started 33 games in his Ohio State football career. Matthew Jones will probably be the guy at left guard.

He’s done an outstanding job this year as the unit’s super sub. The junior from Brooklyn, NY started the College Football Playoff semifinal and championship games last year. At 6’4” Jones is more of a true guard and may give the Buckeyes’ run game a boost.

The absence of Haskell Garrett is going to hurt beyond just his playing ability. He’s a captain and leader. Not just on the defense, but for the entire team as well. Most likely it will be Taron Vincent getting the start in place of Garrett as he did against Michigan. The depth of the defensive line is not a concern. The Buckeyes have plenty of capable bodies to use, but Garrett will be missed.

Although Tony Gerdeman and Kevin Noon of BuckeyeScoop.com confirmed they have heard the same information as Helwagen, let’s make this clear: there has not been anything official from the Ohio State football team, Ryan Day, or any of these players.