Ohio State's run defense was already a key factor in the Rose Bowl, and Haskell Garrett's decision to opt out and Antwuan Jackson's absence at practice creates more questions.
The Buckeyes’ ability to stop the run is a question on which the outcome of the Rose Bowl could hinge.
In place of one if not both of them, a rotation of defensive tackles with varying degrees of experience will have to pick up the slack in order to slow a Utah rushing attack that ranks 13th in the nation with an average of 216.5 yards per game.Rose Bowl Practice Observations: Several Notable Defenders Absent, Cade Stover at Linebacker and Chris Olave Still Practicing for Ohio State
“He’s a senior captain for us, so it’s definitely kind of a tough loss,” Buckeye safety Ronnie Hickman said. “But we have a thing called competitive excellence. When your number’s called, you gotta be ready. The other guys in that D-line room, they work hard and do all the right stuff, so I have no worries about the next guy stepping up and filling his shoes.”
Tyleik Williams will be a popular nchoice among fans to see an increased workload in Pasadena, as the true freshman was second only to Garrett with five sacks and third on the team with 6.5 tackles for loss during the regular season.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
After Nearly Signing with Ohio State Out of High School, Utah Running Back Tavion Thomas Wants to “Show Them What They Missed Out On”After nearly signing with Ohio State out of high school, Utah running back and Ohio native Tavion Thomas wants to “show them what they missed out on” in the Rose Bowl.
Read more »
Eleven Dubcast: With Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson Opting Out of the Rose Bowl, Ohio State Gets to Test Drive Its 2022 OffenseOpt-outs may drive fans crazy, but the Dubcast looks at one silver lining: the opportunity to get younger players live-game experience against a worthy opponent.
Read more »
Skull Session: Opt-Outs Might Be a Good Thing, Ohio State's Receivers Room is Still Stacked, and Alabama Thinks It's An UnderdogSkull Session: Why opt outs could be good for Ohio State in the long run, the Buckeye receivers will be just fine, Alabama thinks it's an underdog, and more.
Read more »
Five Players Who Ohio State Will Need to Step Up Following Rose Bowl Opt-OutsJulian Fleming, Marvin Harrison Jr., Thayer Munford, Matt Jones and Taron Vincent are among the players Ohio State will be counting on to step up in the Rose Bowl after opt-outs.
Read more »
Ohio State football receiver Garrett Wilson declares for NFL draft, opts out of Rose BowlThe Buckeyes will be without star receiver Garrett Wilson for the Rose Bowl against Utah after he opted out on Monday, declaring for the NFL draft.
Read more »