Throughout the week, Ohio State football fans have been wondering just what in the world was going on with Carnell Tate leading up to the UCLA game. Last week against Purdue, mystery surrounded the star wideout, as he was nowhere to be seen on the field.
Ohio State football has an obvious Carnell Tate decision leading up to the UCLA game
Then at halftime, Day confirmed that Tate was dealing with a minor injury and that he was out for the game. Now, the Ohio State faithful will have to watch the UCLA meeting without No. 17 in action once again. Moments ago, news broke via Pete Nakos that the stud wideout has officially been ruled out:
Ohio State WR Carnell Tate is out today against UCLA, source tells @On3sports.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) November 15, 2025
Missed the Purdue game with a calf issue.https://t.co/NfKbcR5ocf pic.twitter.com/rerjsb6P1v
Ohio State WR Carnell Tate officially ruled out for the UCLA game
This shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Earlier in the week, we wrote about how there was going to be no need for the Buckeyes to rush Tate back into action too soon. With the greatest of respect for UCLA, this is a game Ohio State should have no issues with, especially with Nico Iamaleava not suiting up at The Shoe.
Tate is a superstar wideout and he's a projected first-round pick. Why have him play against the Bruins in a game Ohio State is expected to dominate from start to finish? Instead, giving him an extra week to rest is the right call here in our opinion.
Should Ohio State take care of business against UCLA, the team will be 10-0 leading up to the Rutgers game. Then, Michigan will be on the schedule for Nov. 29 in Columbus. We don't have to tell you how important that game is for Day and the hope is that Tate will be good to go.
Missing back-to-back games isn't ideal for the standout receiver, but this sure feels like a smart decision from the Ohio State staff. Let Jeremiah Smith and the other pass-catchers do their thing against the Bruins. Simply no need to force Tate back out there right now.