COLUMBUS — Nick Bosa will miss Saturday’s game against Tulane.
The All-America defensive end’s status for the Penn State game and the severity of his injury won’t be known until later this week.
Urban Meyer said on the Big Ten teleconference Tuesday that Bosa will undergo further tests and an answer will come later this week. Bosa was injured Saturday during the third quarter of No. 4 Ohio State’s 40-28 win against TCU but not before he recorded five tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble that led to a touchdown.
Through three games, Bosa has 14 total tackles, six for loss, four sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, and one touchdown. His tackle for loss and sack numbers rank in the top five nationally.
“He’s one of the best players I’ve ever been around,” Meyer said.
Without Bosa, Ohio State’s front four continued to dominate. Dre’Mont Jones, Robert Landers, and Jonathan Cooper combined for 15 tackles, three for loss, two sacks, and an interception return for a touchdown.
Jones alone finished with a career-high six tackles, two for loss, one sack, and a backbreaking pick-6 that put Ohio State up 33-21 late in the third quarter.
“Hell of a day,” Meyer said.
The junior defensive tackle was named the Big Ten’s defensive player of the week and OSU’s defensive player of the game. He leads all Big Ten players at his position in tackles (11), tackles for loss (four), and sacks (three).
The Buckeyes were bothered by TCU’s tempo and looked out of sorts for long stretches of the game. It’s a similar style Penn State uses, except the Nittany Lions — who welcome the Buckeyes on Sept. 29 — have a superior quarterback in Trace McSorley. Pressuring the quarterback, which Bosa does as well as anyone in the country, is paramount.
“Every opposing team tries to throw multiple blockers at Bosa throughout the game, and he still finds his way to the quarterback,” NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “It doesn't matter if he’s being doubled by a tight end or chipped by a running back — he just refuses to be blocked.”
Contact Kyle Rowland at: krowland@theblade.com, 419-724-6110, or on Twitter @KyleRowland.
First Published September 18, 2018, 7:12 p.m.
