Ohio State will be without 22 players for the Big Ten Championship Game against Northwestern, including junior wide receiver Chris Olave and senior linebacker Baron Browning.
Both were listed as unavailable for the Buckeyes on the team’s status report, which states “individuals listed as unavailable this week may be unavailable because of injury, rehabilitation because of an injury or illness.”
Other notable names on the report who will be out include fifth-year senior punter Drue Chrisman, a pair of contributing defensive ends in Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Tyler Friday, and freshman wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who may have been in for a larger role with Olave out.
Also listed, but as a game-time decision, is sophomore safety Marcus Hooker, who has been a consistent starter for the Buckeyes this season.
The other names listed as unavailable for Ohio State are wide receiver Chris Booker, cornerback Cam Brown, running back Steele Chambers, defensive lineman Jacolbe Cowan, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg, defensive tackle Zaid Hamdan, wide receiver Jaylen Harris, quarterback Gunnar Hoak, linebacker Cade Kacherski, quarterback Jagger Laroe, tight end Corey Rau, linebacker Ben Schmiesing, safety Bryson Shaw, offensive lineman Ryan Smith, defensive back Alec Taylor and safety Kourt Williams.
Brown, Cowan, Harris, Laroe, Taylor and Williams are the only names that were also listed as unavailable in Ohio State’s last status report prior to the game against Michigan State on Dec. 12.
Not listed on the status report this time around are Thayer Munford, Josh Myers and Nicholas Petit-Frere, signaling that the Buckeyes should be healthy on the offensive line against the Wildcats Saturday.
For four free issues of the print edition of Buckeye Sports Bulletin, no card required, sign up at the link here: https://www.buckeyesports.com/subscribe-4issue-trial/
