The Ohio State football team is taking on Rutgers this week in a game they are massive favorites. It's Senior Day, so it will be an emotional game for all of the Buckeyes who are putting on the uniform for the last time in the Shoe. It's also a Big Noon Kickoff game, so it's a big deal.
Heading into the game, there are injury questions surrounding both Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. While Tate isn't a senior, he will likely be in the Shoe for the final time on Saturday. He is projected to be a first-round pick in next year's NFL Draft. The issue is that he hasn't played in either of the last two games.
The Ohio State Buckeyes were able to beat both Purdue and UCLA without Tate on the field. Smith played the first half against UCLA, but was held out of the second half. He had a nasty limp, too. Ryan Day was asked about both players and didn't really give an update on either of them.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day doesn't give definitive update on Jeremiah Smith or Carnell Tate
While asked during his weekly press conference, Day gave a very cryptic answer, saying he had no update.
"But I can tell you they are in great spirits. The medical staff is working hard. We'll take it day to day and see how they come in each day, but they're working hard to get back on the field."
It seems that Day doesn't want to give Rutgers any indication of what they are thinking, although his team could easily beat the Scarlet Knights without either player taking the field. It's clear that the priority is to have them both ready to go for next week against TTUN.
Day never provides injury updates when key players get hurt. That's something that he has been consistent with ever since he took over as the head coach of the program back in 2019. He's not going to start now when the Buckeyes are undefeated and looking to keep that winning streak alive.
Fans shouldn't worry about Tate shutting it down. Smith played against the Bruins even while he was limping around during pregame warm-ups. Both are very likely to be on the field in Ann Arbor, which is the game that might mean the most to the players this year because of the losing streak.