The Ohio State Buckeyes backed into the College Football Playoff and will play Georgia in the Peach Bowl, but they’ll do so without a big-name weapon.
Despite not playing in the Big Ten Championship tournament thanks to a 22-point loss at the hands of rival Michigan, the Ohio State Buckeyes still made their way to the 2022-23 College Football Playoff Finals. They were ranked fourth, and will now have the difficult task of heading to Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and history with the Georgia Bulldogs.
And one of the biggest weapons in Ohio State’s offense won’t be making the trip — though he hasn’t been on the field much this season.
Star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, widely considered the best incoming position player this season, has revealed that he will not be playing against Georgia and will now turn his attention to the 2023 NFL Draft.
Ohio State will be without Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the College Football Playoff
After suffering an injury in the Buckeyes’ season-opener against Notre Dame, Smith-Njigba was limited to just three games this season as OSU finished 11-1 in the regular season.
In Smith-Njigba’s absence, the fully loaded Ohio State receivers have risen and become stars in their own right, most notably with Marvin Harrison Jr.’s monster years. and Emeka Egbuka. Given the shape of the Buckeyes offense with CJ Stroud throwing these guys even with JSN out, this is something fans can feel confident in.
At the same time, though, there was some hope that Smith-Njigba would return to the College Football Playoff and create a nightmare game for Georgia or any other team they might face. But it appears the wide receiver is continuing to take precautions with his stockpile and not risk injury, even with the possibility of a national championship at stake.
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