No. 3 Ohio State will not have two matches and several other major reserves against No. 2 Clemson in Friday’s College Football Playoff semifinals at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
Holder Harry Miller and running back Master Teague III are out, according to the team’s availability report. Defensive side Zach Harrison, who has two sacks and 4.5 tackles for defeat as a reserve, will also lose the game, as will striker Tyler on Friday.
Clemson announced that defensive side Xavier Thomas will lose the game. Thomas was on “protocols,” said coach Dabo Swinney earlier in the week. Thomas, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 in the spring, has 3.5 sacks and four tackles by defeat in seven games (one match).
Teague started each of the first six Ohio state games, while Miller started all but the Michigan state game. Teague leads Ohio State in both carry (89) and run touchdowns (6), although Trey Sermon has recently emerged with 443 run yards in his last two games, including a team record 331 against Northwestern in the Big Ten championship game. Freshman Miyan Williams will likely see more action behind Sermon against Clemson.
The state of Ohio does not list the reasons for player absences, although several Buckeyes that appeared in previous availability reports later confirmed that their tests were positive for COVID-19. Wide receiver Chris Olave, starting linebacker Baron Browning and punter Drue Chrisman, who lost the Big Ten championship game against Northwestern, did not appear in Friday’s report and are expected to play.
Olave has 36 receptions for 528 yards and five touchdowns, while Browning ranks third in the team with 23 tackles, and has a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Security Ronnie Hickman, who has five tackles this season, will be a playing time decision for the state of Ohio. Quarterback Justin Fields, who injured his thumb in his pitch hand in the Big Ten title game, did not appear in the report.
Clemson finished his COVID-19 tests before traveling to New Orleans. The state of Ohio, according to the Big Ten protocols, underwent a final round of testing on Friday morning.