The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes picked up an impressive non-conference win over No. 15 TCU on Saturday night, but they may have suffered a big loss in the process.
Junior defensive end Nick Bosa limped off the field in the third quarter and did not return to the game.
Bosa went back to the locker room and came back out a short time later in sweatpants.
The TV broadcast described it as a “lower abdomen strain.”
So what, exactly, did Bosa hurt? And how long is the Buckeyes’ star going to be out?
After the game, acting head coach Ryan Day said he wasn’t sure.
“I don’t. They’re evaluating what’s going on now,” Day said.
The fact that Bosa was out of uniform at the end of the game has to be a concerning sign for the Buckeyes.
This was a close game against a ranked opponent, one that the Buckeyes couldn’t afford to lose. If the injury was severe enough to sideline him Saturday, there’s a decent chance Bosa could miss additional games.
That won’t make much difference against Tulane at home next Saturday, but losing Bosa would be a big blow to the Buckeyes’ chances on the road at Penn State on September 29.
Junior defensive end Jonathon Cooper and sophomore Chase Young would be tasked with filling in for Bosa.
Cooper had a sack that short-circuited a second quarter drive for the Horned Frogs, and finished the night with four tackles. Young had a quiet night, but has flashed elite potential in the past.
If you’re looking for a reason to feel encouraged for the Buckeyes, the defense played some of its best football of the night in the moments after they lost their star.
“It was a little bit of a wake-up call because we lost our best guy. So we had to go out there and play,” said senior defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones. “I mean, there’s no one to rely on. We got to rely on
ourselves. We got to rely on each other. I think tonight, after a hard first half, we did.”
Now the big question is how much longer they’ll have to do that without Nick Bosa.