The Ohio State football team is preparing for a night game against UCLA in the Shoe on Saturday night. After a game at Purdue that saw the Buckeyes dominate, they are expecting more of the same as the Bruins head into Columbus. Ryan Day is hoping to keep his team's undefeated record intact.
In West Lafayette, Ryan Day made the decision not to play Carnell Tate. The starting receiver was dressed for the game and even went through pregame warm-ups. It wasn't until the second series of the game that people realized Tate hadn't been on the field for a single snap.
Tate was held out for the entire contest. Following the game, Day said that Tate felt a twinge during pregame, so they held him out as a precaution. On Wednesday night, the Buckeye head coach didn't give any clarity as to what Tate's status is for Saturday night.
Ohio State football player Carnell Tate's status unclear
With the media attending practice on Wednesday night, the receivers worked out during the portion that was closed off to the media. That means that no one was able to see if Tate was out there or not. After practice, no one asked Day about Tate's status, so his status remains unclear.
It's unlikely that Ohio State needs Tate to beat the Bruins with how many other skill players they have. The Buckeyes should be able to beat UCLA with their backups out there, let alone a full fleet of starters. Another game without Tate is possible, and it might even be probable.
Day likely doesn't want to give UCLA any kind of knowledge about Tate's availability before they clash in the Shoe on Saturday night. He wants to keep every possible tactical advantage. He doesn't provide status reports until just before kickoff for the same reason.
Joshua Padilla was out there practicing, so at least one player who was injured last week has a good shot of playing against UCLA. There's a chance that Padilla even takes over the starting job at right guard over Tegra Tshabola. Whether Tate is lined up with Jeremiah Smith won't be determined until Saturday night.