COLUMBUS – Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day says freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud will probably not play in the game against Akron on Saturday night.
(10) OHIO STATE (2-1) vs. Akron (1-5); Ohio Stadium, Columbus OH; Sat. Sept. 24 (7:30 p.m./BTN)
Following the Buckeyes’ win over Tulsa, Stroud said his arm was sore.
“I think the mindset right now is to use him only in am emergency role on Saturday,” Day told reporters Thursday.
Day had not named a starting quarterback by early Friday but the job was expected to go to either Kyle McCord or Jack Miller III, according to a report on WBNS 10-TV.
Growing pains
No. 10 Ohio State is suffering through some growing pains.
That was evident in the Week 2 upset by Oregon and the Buckeyes’ struggles with Tulsa.
The Buckeyes are playing more freshmen than coach Ryan Day would like so they can use the extra work and room for error on Saturday when seven-touchdown underdog Akron visits the Horseshoe in the last nonconference game of the season.
They’ll resume Big Ten play at Rutgers on Oct. 2.
Third-year coach Tom Arth is 2-19 running the show at Akron, including a 1-5 finish in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.