CHICAGO – “Push forward” is Buckeye head football coach Urban Meyer’s plan for opening the 2015 season without four key players.
The university Thursday has suspended All-America defensive end Joey Bosa, receiver Corey Smith and H-backs Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson for the Buckeyes’ opening game at Virginia Tech.
An Athletics Department spokesman says the players violated department policy and Meyer offered no further insight during his press conference at the Big Ten football media days in Chicago.
“The way I’ve always done in the past is internal is internal and external is external,” he said. “So if it was a legal something, if you have to address externally, then I do that. But internally, it was a violation of team policies. And that’s as far as I’ll go.”
The defending national champions open the season Labor Day night in Blacksburg, Virginia, against the only team to beat them last season with no choice but to make do.
“Whether it’s a sprained ankle or stuff, you try to create a culture where teams know how to move forward and not concern yourself,” said Meyer. “When we lost Braxton 10 days before the first game [in 2014], you lose J.T. [Barrett] a week before the Big Ten Championship game, you push forward. You know, we’re pushing forward.”
Bosa had 13.5 sacks as a sophomore and enters his junior year as one of the top NFL prospects in college football.
Marshall was second on the team in receptions as a freshman with 38 and was also the team’s best punt returner.
Wilson and Smith combined for 41 catches for 555 yards.