Ohio State will be without the best player in the country for their matchup this Saturday with the Maryland Terrapins. Chase Young is being investigated for a potential NCAA violation coming from an incident in 2018. As of right now, Young is facing an indefinite suspension, but the OSU athletic department is optimistic that he will return at some point in 2019.
Young was well on his way to breaking the Ohio State single-season sack record. He sits currently at 13.5 sacks, only 0.5 away from tying the school record. In addition, Young had a legitimate chance at being the first defensive player to win the Heisman in decades. He will still likely be a top 5 pick in next year’s NFL draft.
While Young is the best player in the country and an absolute game-wrecker from the defensive line, his absence will likely not affect the outcome of Ohio State’s next 2 games, against overmatched Maryland and Rutgers. However, after those games, Ohio State finishes the season with current number 4 Penn State and then, of course, Michigan. If Young will miss the rest of the season, the next 2 games will be about getting important reps for ends Tyreke Smith and Zach Harrison. Certainly, if Young is out indefinitely, the Buckeyes have been dealt a major blow to their National Championship hopes, College Football Playoff hopes, as well as Big Ten title hopes.
Chase Young has since issued a statement about his suspension saying it’s all a misunderstanding stemming from a loan he had accepted from a family friend and has already paid back in full.
