The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Ohio State has suspended defensive backs Donald Washington and Eugene Clifford for the national championship game against LSU for violating team rules.
The loss of Clifford, a highly touted recruit from Cincinnati who has contributed almost nothing during his freshman year, is negligible. But the absence of Washington, who had emerged as a reliable starter during his sophomore year, will reshuffle the entire secondary when the Buckeyes face LSU on Jan. 7.
Expect freshman Chimdi Chekwa, who has played well at times but who also was beaten for some big plays in one-on-one coverage against Illinois, to take Washington’s corner spot when Ohio State plays its base defense.
I don’t want to tell Les Miles how to do his job or anything, but he might want to consider throwing directly at Chekwa’s side once, twice, maybe even 17 times over the course of the championship game. Something tells me that a freshman defensive back starting in the biggest game of the season might be an easy target to throw on – especially with future first-rounder Malcolm Jenkins defending the other side.
Update: Check that, now FOX Sports.com is reporting that only Clifford will be suspended and not Washington (the starter).
