Going into its matchup against UCLA last weekend, Ohio State decided to play it safe with wide receiver Carnell Tate, who was held out of his second straight game due to an injury. However, it seems star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is now also dealing with an injury, as he played his lowest snap count against the Bruins.
Smith and running back CJ Donaldson were both questionable heading into the game, and both were held to a lower snap count than usual as the Buckeyes were able to take care of business quickly against UCLA.
Both Tate and Smith's presence on the field is so important to Ohio State's offense, and with a trip to the Big House right around the corner, the Buckeyes are going to want to be at full strength.
Ohio State is being very careful with Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate injuries
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day seemed pretty clear about what the Buckeyes want to do about both injuries. Day even spoke about why Smith didn't play nearly as much as he normally does against UCLA.
"Jeremiah had a certain amount of plays," Day said in his post-game press conference. "We felt like we're just going to hold him, make sure that he's at 100 percent here over the next week. And decided to hold Carnell this week as well.'
Ohio State knows they have to be at its best in order to give itself the best chance to break Michigan's win streak against it. Unfortunately, the Wolverines will be down a few players as well, with running back Justice Haynes now officially out for the season.
If the Buckeyes are trying to be this careful, then they must be scared of having to play Michigan, knowing that the last four years have ended with wins over Ohio State. If Day doesn't have one of his two best wide receivers on the field, Michigan's defense will smell blood in the water and be ready to get to the young quarterback Julian Sayin.