Irish OL Anthonie Knapp won't play in CFP championship game; Buckeyes CB Denzel Burke good to go
Notre Dame's Anthonie Knapp has been ruled out of the College Football Playoff championship game against Ohio State with an ankle injury, but coach Marcus Freeman said Sunday Rocco Spindler is on track to play.
The Buckeyes' Denzel Burke, who has been dealing with what coach Ryan Day called an “upper extremity issue,” will be available against the Irish in Atlanta on Jan. 20.
The Irish have battled numerous injuries all season and a flu bug last week as they've won 13 straight games to position themselves to play for their first national championship since 1988.
Day said his team, going for its first national title since 2014, planned for the possibility of playing an extended season and attempted to put in some safeguards in place if it happened. They were intentional in building their roster and managing pace of play, he said.
“We looked at a lot of different things and metrics about playing this many games, playing our 16th game, what that was going to be like,” Day said. “We knew it was going to be a little bit of a battle of attrition at times. So depth was certainly a critical part of roster management and talent acquisition, but also how we practice, how we play. So we’ve taken all those things into consideration so that we’re still really, really fresh going into the end of the season.”
Notre Dame's Knapp and Spindler were hurt in the second quarter of the semifinal win over Penn State in the Orange Bowl on Thursday. Freeman said Jeremiyah Love, the 1,000-yard rusher who played on a sore knee and scored a touchdown against Penn State, is expected to be at full strength. Wide receiver Beaux Collins, who's dealing with a calf strain, is working toward being ready.
The Irish's problems began in preseason practice when offensive lineman Charles Jagusah went out with a pectoral injury. Offensive lineman Jordan Botelho and defensive lineman Jordan Botelho were lost to season-ending injuries against Purdue in September.
Cornerback Benjamin Morrison, a projected first-round NFL draft pick, was lost to a hip injury against Stanford in October. Defensive lineman Rylie Mills sustained a season-ending knee injury in the first-round playoff game against Indiana.
Knapp suffered a high ankle sprain against Penn State, and Freeman said it hadn't been determined how the Irish would adjust their offensive line for the championship game.
“We have a week of preparation to make sure we have the right guys to start this game,” he said, “and we'll see what that is here in the next couple of days.”
Jagusah got his first snaps of the season when he took over for Spindler against Penn State. He could play either guard or tackle against the Buckeyes. Freeman said Jagusah has made the most of his return from what once was thought to be a season-ending injury.
“He went out there and did an unbelievable job, did a great job just like we thought he would,” Freeman said. “Credit to him and coach (Joe) Rudolph for being ready for when his number was called, and then he went out and executed at a high level, so it speaks volumes to him and his preparation.”
Ohio State's Burke, a four-year starter at cornerback, was limited to 28 snaps in the Cotton Bowl win against Texas and gave way to Jermaine Mathews Jr. for the second half. Day said the decision to remove Burke from the game was based on feedback from the player and doctors.
Day said Mathews has earned the trust of his teammates and coaches.
“He graded out a champion,” Day said. “He’s a very competitive player. He loves the competition. He loves his teammates. He’s a gritty type of guy that loves being a Buckeye, loves his teammates, loves, again, to compete.”
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