Adam Rittenberg of ESPN is reporting that wide receiver Duron Carter and defensive end Rob Rose of the Ohio State Buckeyes have been ruled ineligible to play in the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes are slated to play Oregon on January 1st, and are currently listed as 3.5 point underdogs with the latest bowl game odds. A team source confirmed that the two players are out due to academic issues.
Carter is the team’s fourth option at receiver, but he is third on the team with 176 yards and fifth in receptions with 13. He is a true freshman and the son of former Ohio State and Minnesota Vikings star Cris Carter. He appeared in all 12 regular season games.
Rose was a reserve and recorded 10 tackles, three for a loss, and two sacks in his 11 games.
Since these two players are not key components for the Buckeyes, I don’t expect this to change the college bowl picks of any of our experts. They will continue to study the matchup though and will release their selections closer to game time.