Ohio State is expected to have its leading rusher, Miyan Williams, available when it faces Georgia in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Saturday.
Williams returned to practice on Thursday after missing previous sessions this week because of a stomach bug. However, he did not attend the team’s press conference at the College Football Hall of Fame.
In a year when Buckeyes running backs have been plagued by injuries, coach Ryan Day told reporters he expects Williams to play against the Bulldogs. Williams, who rushed for 817 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, injured his ankle against Indiana on Nov. 12, which prevented him from playing the following week against Maryland.
The injury also limited his production against Michigan on Nov. 26, when he finished with 34 rushing yards on just eight carries. When Williams was limited against the Wolverines, tailback Chip Trayanum stepped up, rushing for 83 yards on 14 carries. Dallan Hayden, the Buckeyes’ third-leading rusher, has recorded 510 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
TreVeyon Henderson, the team’s leading rusher from last season, injured his foot in September an elected to undergo season-ending surgery earlier this month. The sophomore, who rushed for 571 yards and six touchdowns on 107 carries this season, missed three of the Buckeyes’ last four games of the regular season.
No. 1 Georgia (13-0) leads the nation in rushing defense, allowing a mere 77 yards per game this season. The No. 4 Buckeyes (11-1) square off against the Bulldogs at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.
