Ohio State sophomore Dontre Wilson had foot surgery and could be out until the bowl game, head coach Urban Meyer confirmed Wednesday after practice.
Wilson, who broke his foot during the team's 49-37 win against Michigan State last weekend, leads the team with 1,064 all-purpose yards. He caught two passes for 23 yards and a touchdown against Spartans.
In Wilson's absence, redshirt freshman Jalin Marshall was elevated to the Buckeyes' starting H-back and primary return man.
"Me and Dontre were sharing reps, so it just gives me the opportunity to play a little more. It's heartbreaking to me because we're so close," Marshall said Wednesday, "but I feel like I'm ready to take on that role and play a little bit more."
Added Marshall about Wilson's morale: "He's doing pretty well ... he's holding up pretty well. He's gonna fight back and be ready for the future."
Ohio State, which moved up to No. 8 in the latest set of College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night, plays No. 25 Minnesota Saturday at noon in Minneapolis.
