Ohio State quarterback Devin Brown will be available for Michigan game

COLUMBUS — Ohio State backup quarterback Devin Brown will be available Saturday at Michigan, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day said Wednesday on his 97.1 The Fan radio show.

Day said Brown has been “practicing much more this week” after being listed as “questionable” this past weekend against Minnesota and ultimately not playing in the 37-3 blowout victory.

Brown has been nursing a right ankle injury that he suffered in Week 8 against Penn State.

Ohio State had just started using the 6-foot-3, 213-pound dual threat in a red zone package. Day turned to Brown for three straight red zone trips at Purdue, the first of which he capped with a rushing touchdown. Those were his first meaningful snaps since Week 2 against FCS Youngstown State, the final chapter of his longstanding competition with Kyle McCord for the QB1 role.

Against Penn State, Brown’s number was called again, except he hurt his ankle on a five-yard run that saw him fall just short of the end zone in the third quarter of a 20-12 win.

The following week, Day said Brown would be sidelined “at least a couple weeks.” But three days after the Buckeyes win at Wisconsin in Week 9, Day noted that Brown was back on the practice field. He didn’t get into specifics about what capacity Brown was able to practice, however.

Brown hasn’t played in a game since his injury, although he was technically available for the Rutgers game in Week 10. And he wasn’t on the availability report for the Michigan State game in Week 11, either. But Brown fell down in pregame warmups, which Day considered “just a bit of a setback.”

The redshirt freshman suited up against the Spartans yet didn’t play during the 38-3 win. That opened the door for true freshman Lincoln Kienholz to make his Ohio State debut.

Brown did significantly more in warmups last week against Minnesota, but he still didn’t see action. Kienholz went in for mop-up duty again.

Brown also missed time back in the spring when he fractured his pinkie finger on his throwing hand, an injury that prevented him from participating in the spring game.

Having him at least available for The Game is a good sign for the Buckeyes, who will need every weapon they have in the red zone.

Michigan, after all, leads the country in opponent red zone touchdown percentage (33.3%). The Wolverines have allowed just six red zone touchdowns this season and just 18 total red zone trips.

Using Brown as a runner gives the Buckeyes an extra blocker, equating numbers down there, where, as Day says, every yard is worth two or three.