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Notre Dame’s Anthonie Knapp has been ruled out of the college football championship game against Ohio State with an ankle injury, but coach Marcus Freeman said Rocco Spindler is on track to play.
Buckeyes’ Denzel Burke, who has been battling what coach Ryan Day called an “upper extremity issue,” will be available against the Irish in Atlanta on Jan. 20.
The Irish battled numerous injuries all season and a flu virus last week as they won 13 straight games to advance to their first national championship since 1988.
Day said his team, which is going for its first national title since 2014, has planned for the possibility of playing an extended season and tried to put some safeguards in place should that happen. They deliberately built their roster and managed the pace of the game, he said.
“We looked at a lot of different things and metrics about playing this many games, playing our 16th game, what it’s going to look like,” Day said. “We knew it was going to be a bit of a battle of attrition at times. So, depth was certainly a critical part of managing the roster and acquiring talent, but also the way we practice, how we play. So we took all those things into account so we’re still really, really fresh at the end of the season.”
Notre Dame’s Knapp and Spindler were injured in the second quarter of the semifinal win over Penn State in the Orange Bowl. Freeman said Jeremiah 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 is dealing with a calf strain, is working to be ready.
The Irish’s problems began in preseason practice when offensive lineman Charles Jagusah went out with a chest injury. Offensive line Jordan Botelho and defensive line Jordan Botelho were lost to season-ending injuries against Purdue in September.
Cornerback Benjamin Morrison, a projected first-round pick in the NFL draft, was lost to a hip injury against Stanford in October. Defensive lineman Rylie Mills suffered 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 has not been determined how the Irish will 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’s 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 fullback or fullback against the Buckeyes. Freeman said Jagusah made the most of his return from what was once considered a season-ending injury.
“He went out there and did an amazing job, did a great job just like we thought he would,” Freeman said. Credit to him and coach (Joe) Rudolph for being ready when his number was called and then coming out and performing at a high level, so that speaks volumes for him and his preparation.”
Ohio’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. in the second half. Day said the decision to remove Burke from the game was based on feedback from players and doctors.
Day said Mathews has earned the trust of his teammates and coaches.
“He declared the champion,” Day said. “He is a very competitive player. He loves competition. He loves his teammates. He’s a gritty guy who loves being a Buckeye, loves his teammates, loves, again, to compete.”
