Ohio State captain ruled out against Tulsa

The No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes will be without one of its top defenders in a Saturday afternoon home contest against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, as defensive end Zach Harrison was been ruled out hours before kickoff. In place of Harrison, Javontae Jean-Baptiste will likely get the start opposite Tyreke Smith.

Harrison, a junior, was one of the Buckeyes’ top pass-rushing threats and is a captain of the defensive unit. He was widely praised for delivering one of the most impressive offseasons of anybody in the program, growing as a vocal leader and tapping into his immense physical potential, according to On3’s Lettermen Row. That paid off with a game-changing sack and forced fumble in the season opener, though Harrison and the rest of the pass rush didn’t have much of an impact in the stunning upset loss to Oregon last week.

Whether with or without Harrison, Ohio State’s defense has struggled mightily through the first two games of the year, and head coach Ryan Day has had to look at new ways to evaluate opposing offenses and call plays. As of Thursday afternoon, Day had not yet decided if defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs would call plays, or if he would leave it up to his defense entirely.

Perhaps no performance was worse than Ohio State’s defense against Oregon, as the Ducks were able to run all over the Buckeyes’ defense. CJ Verdell had 20 carries and turned it into a whopping 161 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, Verdell had 34 receiving yards on three catches and another receiving touchdown. Though Harrison had four solo tackles against Oregon, Ohio State’s defense looked as disappointing as can be.

“I mean, [the lack of pressure] it is frustrating for sure,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on Tuesday. “We’ve got to create some disruption, we’ve got to affect the quarterback and we didn’t do that.”

Surely, the loss of Harrison will make it even more difficult for Ohio State to bring pressure.

Harrison, a third-team preseason All-American, is one of the most experienced members of Ohio State’s defense. He was named to the All-Big Ten second team last season, after tallying 14 tackles, two sacks and two passes defended in the seven-game, COVID-abbreviated season. He’s played in 21 games across the past two seasons.

Harrison is not the only Buckeye ruled out, and he’s not the only defender. Ohio State will also be without Josh Proctor, its starting safety, after he suffered a season-ending leg injury last week.

A full list of inactives can be found at Letterman Row.