Ohio State sophomore defensive end Noah Spence will miss Friday's Orange Bowl as well as the first two games next season for a violation of Big Ten rules, the school announced Wednesday morning.
While the school did not specify the violation, the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch reported that Spence -- one of the most explosive defensive players in the Big Ten -- used an unapproved dietary supplement.
The school's release said Ohio State assisted Spence and his family "in exhausting the appeals process that was available to them with the Big Ten."
Spence had a team-high eight sacks and was second on the team with 14.5 tackles for loss. His absence against quarterback Tajh Boyd and a powerful Clemson offense could be a big one. Sophomore Jamal Marcus is expected to start in Spence's stead; Marcus has two sacks and 15 tackles this season.
Going forward, the school said Spence will be allowed to take part in spring drills but will miss the first two games next season, against Navy and Virginia Tech, before being eligible to return for Game 3 against Kent State.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
