Top RB ‘good to go;’ Georgia coordinator jabs Herbstreit
ATLANTA — Ohio State threw a curve at the Peach Bowl organizers Tuesday when Chip Trayanum replaced Miyan Williams in the group of offensive players made available for interviews.
Who talks to reporters four days before a game might not matter much in the grand scheme of things, but it did raise questions about whether Ohio State’s top healthy running back was actually healthy.
Williams was hampered by an ankle injury in the season finale against Michigan but said Dec. 14 he expected to be ready to go for the College Football Playoff semifinal against Georgia.
His availability could be crucial for the Buckeyes to avoid putting too much pressure on quarterback C.J. Stroud and the passing game to carry the offense, especially with fellow No. 1 back Treveyon Henderson out because of a foot injury.
“Miyan’s good,” Trayanum said. “He’s just a little under the weather right now. He’s straight. He’s gonna be ready to go.”
Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said Williams practiced Monday, the first time the Buckeyes took the field at Mercedes-benz Stadium.
“Miyan had a really good go yesterday, the most work he’s had to date, and as we build through this week, I think we’ll see those guys playing and playing well, but I think you need more than one back,” Wilson said.
With Henderson out, Trayanum might be the second option. He moved to running back from linebacker in the middle of the season and ran for 83 yards on 14 carries against Michigan.
Ohio State also has freshman Dallan Hayden, who ran for 510 yards and had three 100-yard games.
“You need two, sometimes three to play through the season,” Wilson said. “The running back is a little bit like Georgia’s. Like a lot of good teams, you’re playing two or three. This year we’ve had to evolve due to some guys being in and out due to some minor injuries we’ve had, but going into this game, we are at full force.”
Wilson also said starting right guard Matt Jones, who battled injuries most of the season, has been “full tilt” for a couple of weeks in practice and should be good to go against a Georgia front that features All-american tackle Jalen Carter.
Practice was closed Monday
and Tuesday, but reporters will get a chance to see part of it today and Thursday morning to see who is in uniform.
Reporters may get a chance to talk to Williams on Thursday when most or all of the players are available during the bowl media day at the College Football Hall of Fame.
When it was time for representatives of the Georgia defense to speak, Will Muschamp took an opportunity to poke fun at a former Buckeye from Centerville.
When the only previous meeting between the Bulldogs and Buckeyes came up Tuesday, the memory of Georgia’s 21-14 victory in the 1993 Citrus Bowl brought a smile to the Georgia co-defensive coordinator’s face.
“It was a big win for the Dawgs,” said the former Georgia safety, who had one tackle in the game.
Then he threw some shade at ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, Ohio State’s quarterback in the game.
“We had a pre- not a game but I guess a luncheon and Herbstreit got up and threw a pass across the room and I knew we had a shot to win,” Muschamp said to laughter. “Make sure he knows I said that.”
Herbstreit, who is scheduled to do color commentary for the College Football Playoff semifinal between the Buckeyes and Bulldogs, completed 8 of 24 passes for 110 yards and an interception in his last game for the Scarlet and Gray.
The Centerville grad was sacked three times and ended up with one net rushing yard on eight carries.
“It’s a big loss for me because it could have put us in the top 10,” Herbstreit said that day in Orlando of the Buckeyes, who entered ranked 15th and finished the season 8-3-1. “It was a good chance to show what our league’s about.”
Herbstreit’s 45-yard screen pass to Robert Smith had the Buckeyes in position to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but they fumbled the ball away at the Georgia 16 when Herbstreit and OSU fullback Jeff Cothran collided in the backfield following a miscommunication.
Georgia took the ball with 8:38 to play and drove 80 yards for the winning touchdown, a 1-yard run by Frank Harvey.