by Ohio State will be shorthanded on Saturday. After testing positive for Covid last week, Ryan Day will remain at home. There will be some players also not available but those names will not be released until Friday.
The players and staff will be tested tomorrow again before boarding the plane around 8 p.m.
It is safe to assume that Justin Fields is not part of the group not able to play. News that big would have likely slipped out, so it would result in a major shock tomorrow if we find out otherwise.
Fields will be coming out with a vengeance after the tough outing versus Indiana and a canceled game. I expect Fields to throw 30-40 times and not be afraid to use his feet when needed. This is due to his competitive fire but also the pressure he might feel to perform and possibly without other stars.
Even if the offense does start slow, the defense should be flying around the field and taking advantage of the Spartans. Ohio State’s front seven has been excellent against the run and I would expect plenty of pressure in the face of Lombardi.
Sending the linebackers on the blitz will take away lots of time that the secondary would need to cover. Tuf Borland, Pete Werner and Baron Browning could once again have incredible performances. Even backups Justin Hilliard, Teradja Mitchell and Dallas Gant might see more action this week in order to get fresh legs sprinting into the backfield.
