It looks as if Ohio State junior cornerback Bradley Roby already has played his final college game.
Roby announced in November he was turning pro, and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said Wednesday that Roby likely will not play against Clemson in Friday's Orange Bowl because of a bone bruise in his knee.
"I don't think Roby is going to make it," Meyer told reporters.
Roby suffered the injury against Michigan State in the Dec. 7 Big Ten championship game.
Roby is the Buckeyes' most talented player in the secondary, but he had an inconsistent season and a good showing against Clemson's Sammy Watkins in the Orange Bowl would have been a positive for Roby.
Sophomore Armani Reeves is expected to start in Roby's stead. The Buckeyes' secondary has struggled this season, and Roby's absence will not help in that regard against Clemson. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney downplayed Ohio State's pass-defense struggles in a Thursday morning news conference, saying the numbers were skewed for two reasons: Ohio State's run defense is solid and opponents get behind and have to throw.
Swinney is partly right: Ohio State's run defense is good, as the Buckeyes allow just 102.6 rushing yards per game. But opponents have thrown the ball just 64 more times than they have run it, and when they throw it, they have had success. The Buckeyes are tied for 105th nationally in pass defense, allowing 259.5 yards per game. Ohio State also has surrendered 26 TD passes, second-most in the Big Ten and tied for fifth-most among teams in the six major conferences.
To make matters worse for Ohio State, it will be without sophomore defensive end Noah Spence, its top pass rusher. He has been suspended for three games (the Orange Bowl plus the first two games next season) for a violation of Big Ten rules.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.