UPDATE: At halftime, Ryan Day told sideline reporter Brooke Fletcher that Carnell Tate has been ruled out for the rest of the game after he didn't see a snap in the first half.
Early on against Purdue, things looked to be a little off for the Ohio State football team. It didn't take long for fans to notice that standout wide receiver Carnell Tate, a future first-round pick, was nowhere to be seen on the field for the first offensive drive.
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Then, even more eyebrows were raised when Tate wasn't on the field for the second or third drives either. Just what in the world is going on? Moments ago, Big Ten Network sideline reporter Brooke Fletcher cleared things up, saying Tate was 'a little tight during warmups' and that the staff is being cautious. Tate hasn't been ruled out for the game and per Fletcher, Tate can play if he's needed.
Carnell Tate won't play vs. Purdue according to Ohio State coach Ryan Day
Tate didn't show up on the injury report leading up to kickoff, so it left plenty of people scratching their heads as to why the elite wideout isn't making plays like he normally does for Julian Sayin and offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. Before Fletcher's update, the Big Ten Network broadcast team acknowledged that Tate wasn't on the field, with them also confused as to why he wasn't playing.
We don't want to assume anything here with Ryan Day and his staff, but with Ohio State taking on the 2-7 Boilermakers and being huge favorites for this one, it could be why the Buckeyes don't want to take any chances with Tate for this one.
Why risk him making things worse if the Buckeyes can get the job done without him on the road against a team that has been struggling from start to finish in 2025? However, right after CJ Donaldson scored his short touchdown run to put Ohio State in front, Tate was spotted celebrating and it didn't look like he was dealing with anything serious at all.
Tate has also been seen cheering on his guys, but without a helmet in hand - he's also got a smile on his face. This is something Day will surely be asked about right after the final whistle, as Ohio State supporters everywhere are hoping this isn't something that has been lingering for some time. Thankfully, it seems like Tate is going to be just fine and this is nothing for people to panic about.