Ohio State's two superstar wide receivers are listed as questionable for The Game.
Though the expectation all week has been that they'll play, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate have officially been designated as game-time decisions for Saturday's matchup at Michigan. Starting nickel Lorenzo Styles Jr. is available after going down with an apparent shoulder injury last week against Rutgers.
| OSU STATUS REPORT FOR MICHIGAN |
|---|
| Questionable |
|
WR Jeremiah Smith WR Carnell Tate |
| Out |
|
DE Logan George S Malik Hartford WR De'zie Jones QB Mason Maggs WR Quincy Porter DT Maxwell Roy DT Ahmed Tounkara |
Smith and Tate's return to the field would obviously be a massive boost for Ohio State as it tries to snap its four-game losing streak to Michigan. Two of the best players in college football, regardless of position, Smith has 69 receptions for 902 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games while Tate has 39 receptions for 711 yards and seven scores in eight games.
On the Downs 2 Business podcast with safety Caleb Downs earlier this week, Smith said that he's "good to go" for The Game. Ryan Day responded "they are" when asked if Smith and Tate are trending toward playing this week on 97.1 the Fan's Buckeye Roundtable Monday and "everybody was out there" at practice on Wednesday. Day confirmed Friday that both players made the trip to Ann Arbor. But official confirmation of whether Tate and Smith will play won't come until Ohio State takes the field.
Styles went to the medical tent with an upper-body injury early in the second quarter against the Scarlet Knights. His return is a welcome one as Ohio State's defense seeks to dominate another game. He has 25 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups in nine games, allowing just 6.1 yards per target in pass coverage, per Pro Football Focus.
The most notable player listed as out for the Buckeyes is freshman wide receiver Quincy Porter, who has four receptions for 59 yards in a reserve role this season. His absence gives the Buckeyes one less depth option at wide receiver if either Smith or Tate is limited, leaving Bryson Rodgers, Mylan Graham and David Adolph as Ohio State’s top wideouts off the bench.
