After an offseason full of controversy and drama, Ohio State began its 2018 campaign in hopes of an undefeated regular season and berth in the College Football Playoff. All seems to be going well so far, but the Buckeyes' road to greatness hit a major speed bump and they will likely have to be without their best defensive player for the remainder of the season.
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Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa, a preseason All-American who suffered a core muscle injury against TCU on September 15, has decided to focus on the future and withdraw from school to begin training for the 2019 NFL Draft, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Arguably the best pass rusher and one of the best players in college football is officially moving on and ending his sensational Ohio State career.
Looks like @nbsmallerbear will focus on NFL instead of possible return to Buckeyes, sources told me and cohort @brdispatch today https://t.co/ACg1J6FTTi
— Tim May (@TIM_MAYsports) October 16, 2018
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This isn't overly surprising. After all, the type of injury Bosa suffered during third quarter of the national showdown victory in Arlington, Texas could have been difficult to return from this season and there was no timetable for any potential return to the gridiron following surgery, his father, John Bosa, told The Dispatch.
A reported meeting between Bosa and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer was likely the official end to a stellar college football career.
"I was hopeful that Nick would be able to return to play again for us. I know this was an extremely difficult and emotional decision for Nick and his family, and I wish him well as he moves on to get himself 100 percent healthy and ready for his next chapter." — Urban Meyer
So what does this really mean?
For Bosa, it means he can leave school, finish rehabbing his injury, and get healthy for the NFL Combine and NFL Draft, where he will almost assuredly be one of the top picks. This is definitely one of those moves that will make him a lot of money without the risk of getting injured again.
For the Ohio State Buckeyes, it means the team will be without a big-time star player on the opposite side of defensive end Chase Young for the remainder of the season.
People out here acting like a healthy Nick Bosa shut it down. Returning to the field anywhere near 100 percent this season wasn’t a given with that injury.
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) October 16, 2018
Nick Bosa had made the kind of decision that more guys in his situation should be making.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) October 16, 2018
Maybe the most interesting thing about Nick Bosa’s decision is how it could open the door for other players in their draft year to do this. Bet it makes some other college players battling injuries right now think about it.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 16, 2018
That's too bad, too, because Bosa, a 6-foot-4, 263-pound defensive end from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, had 14 tackles, including six tackles for loss and four sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one touchdown in less than three games. He was virtually unstoppable, much like his older brother, Joey Bosa, was for the Buckeyes.
We'd say @nbsmallerbear finished what big brother @jbbigbear started.
Congrats on the great @OhioStateFB career, and best of luck in your recovery and in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/KMyDcFVaDy
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) October 16, 2018
Ohio State hasn't had any issues without Bosa, starting the season 7-0 with wins over nationally ranked TCU and at Penn State, but could this decision to leave school make a difference in bigger games against Michigan, the Big Ten Championship Game, or even the CFP?
This was the best decision for Bosa, and nobody can blame him at all, but this definitely means Ohio State's defense could be vulnerable in big games without him and a national title could possibly slip away.
