The Ohio State Buckeyes cruised to a comfortable road victory over the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday afternoon, but they did so without one of their biggest stars.
Standout wide receiver Carnell Tate was sidelined after suffering an injury during pregame warmups. Like most major college programs, Ohio State releases an availability report before kickoff to outline the status of injured players. Tate was not listed as “out” or a “game-time decision” on the report, indicating that he was expected to play. However, despite being fully dressed and participating in warmups, he never took the field.
As the game went on, fans and broadcasters noticed Tate’s absence. The Big Ten Network crew pointed it out during the broadcast but didn’t have much information until halftime, when sideline reporter Brooke Fletcher spoke with head coach Ryan Day for an update.
Day explained that Tate tweaked something before the game, and the team made the call to keep him out as a precaution. “He’s not gonna play. It was kind of a thing before the game we just didn’t feel comfortable putting him out there, so you won’t see him in the second half,” Day said.
Though Tate sometimes finds himself overshadowed by fellow wideout Jeremiah Smith, he’s still one of the premier receivers in college football. A legitimate Biletnikoff Award contender, Tate is also widely projected as a top-five pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Needless to say, the news led to a lot of reactions on social media. “Sketchy,” one fan wrote in a post on X. “The fact that the Buckeye offense has disappeared in the second half must prove that Tate means much, much more to the offense,” another said. “Welp,” someone else added.
It’s certainly a development that could impact Ohio State’s national championship hopes. Whether Tate can return to action next week remains to be seen.
https://thecomeback.com/college-football/ohio-state-buckeyes-carnell-tate-injury-news.html