Ohio State football running back Master Teague to miss second straight game
Joey KaufmanOhio State’s backfield depth will remain a little thin against Penn State on Saturday night.
Running back Master Teague, who was out last week at Indiana, is missing his second consecutive game with an undisclosed injury, listed among 15 unavailable players on the Buckeyes’ pregame status report.
Teague had earlier seemed close to a return against the Nittany Lions as coach Ryan Day had throughout the week expressed optimism about his status.
Following a practice on Wednesday night, Teague was seen in uniform and stretching with teammates.
Ohio State vs. Penn State:Buckeyes are rolling and Nittany Lions reeling, but Ohio State expect
How can the Buckeyes beat Penn State?:Three keys for Ohio State football's game against the Nittany Lions
Ohio State football:Buckeyes are rolling and Nittany Lions reeling, but Ohio State expect
As a backup behind star freshman TreVeyon Henderson, he has logged the second-most carries on the team, rushing 43 times for 245 yards and three touchdowns.
Only three scholarship running backs will be available for the Buckeyes, who are also without Marcus Crowley after he suffered a long-term injury during an off week earlier this month.
Meet the Buckeyes:Ohio State football depth chart against Penn State
Meet the Nittany Lions:Penn State football depth chart against Ohio State
Penn State’s run defense has been vulnerable, ranking 10th in the Big Ten and giving up 146.4 yards per game. Three running backs have totaled at least 100 yards against them, including Illinois’ Chase Brown who ran for 223 yards in last week’s nine-overtime upset.
Other notable absences include tight end Gee Scott Jr. and offensive linemen Harry Miller and Enokk Vimahi who all remain out for another week.
Defensive tackle Darrion Henry-Young is also out unavailable for the second time in the last four games.
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.