Ryan Day gives positive update on Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate with the Michigan game just a few days away
The Buckeyes need Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate in their biggest game of the regular season against Michigan.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are 11-0 on the season, but that means little during rivalry week. Ohio State will travel to Michigan this weekend with a chance to end its four-game losing streak to the Wolverines.
The Buckeyes haven’t had WR Carnell Tate for the last three games, and Jeremiah Smith didn’t play last week against Rutgers. With the biggest game of the regular season coming up, all focus is on the health of Ohio State’s two-star wideouts.
Ryan Day gives promising update on Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate ahead of Michigan game
Day was asked whether Smith and Tate were trending toward playing against Michigan, and his answer was encouraging.
“They are,” Day said on Monday. “They’re going to continue to get some rest tonight, had a good day of rehab. So we’ll wake up in the morning and see how they’re doing, but nobody wants to play more than those two guys.”
Tate reportedly felt tightness in his lower body before the Purdue game, and the Buckeyes held him out as a precaution. The junior wideout didn’t play the next two games either and has been in street clothes on the sideline for the last two weeks. Tate has 711 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season, and he has taken off in a major way — likely setting himself up to be a first-round pick next April.
Smith played a quarter against UCLA before sitting out against Rutgers. The star sophomore has been dealing with a nagging injury, and holding him out last week was believed to be a cautious move with Michigan looming.
Smith has 902 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns this season. Having both players available against Michigan will be crucial. Ohio State will head north as a two-score favorite on Saturday, but that has to be thrown out the window. The rivalry game is always physical and usually goes the distance, with close football throughout four quarters. If the Buckeyes have their star wideouts back, they’ll feel much better about their chances.
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