Ohio State to Play Rutgers Without Key Receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith
Ohio State will be without wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith when they face Rutgers on Saturday. Tate has been unavailable since experiencing tightness prior to the Nov. 8 win at Purdue, and was listed as out on the team’s availability report last week against UCLA. Coach Ryan Day stated Tate could have played against Purdue but was held out as a precaution; he offered no update when asked Tuesday about a potential setback.
Smith, who leads the Big Ten with 10 receiving touchdowns and ranks third in the conference with 902 receiving yards, was listed as questionable last week and played a limited role against UCLA, appearing on just 22 snaps. His absence, along with Tate’s, significantly impacts the Buckeyes’ receiving corps as they continue their pursuit of a Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff berth.
In addition to Tate and Smith, Ohio State’s injury list for the Rutgers game includes wide receivers Quincy Porter and De’Zie Jones, defensive tackle Jarquez Carter, linebacker Logan George, safety Malik Hartford, quarterback Mason Maggs, and defensive linemen Max Roy and Ahmed Tounkara.
