Scarlet Sunrise: Cade Stover's MRI came back negative, revealed back spasms

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Cade Stover’s MRI came back negative, revealed back spasms

Both Ohio State and Georgia lost a starting tight end to injury early in the Peach Bowl. Ohio State’s Cade Stover appeared to suffer a lower back injury, and Georgia’s Darnell Washington went down with an ankle injury. While Washington was able to return to the sideline with a walking boot and crutches for the second half, Stover — along with his parents — made the trip to an Atlanta-area hospital for “precautionary reasons.”

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Sunday that Stover’s MRI came back negative and revealed that the fourth-year Mansfield, Ohio, native was dealing with back spasms.

Stover’s lone reception went for seven yards, but, notably, he tried to extend the play with a hurdle, which appeared to be the source of his injury.

This season, Stover became the first Buckeyes tight end to record at least 30 catches since Ben Hartsock in 2003.

LS Mason Arnold becomes fourth Buckeyes player to enter transfer portal this cycle

Ohio State long snapper Mason Arnold has entered the transfer portal. The news came less than one day after Arnold started his sixth straight game at the position, this one the biggest of them all: the Buckeyes’ CFP semifinal.

Arnold, a former preferred walk-on, first saw action this year when seventh-year veteran Bradley Robinson went down with a season-ending injury against Iowa. Arnold recorded his first career tackle at Penn State and shed his black stripe the following week.

Arnold is the fourth Ohio State player to put his name in the portal this cycle. So have second-year defensive backs Jantzen Dunn and Jaylen Johnson as well as fifth-year linebacker Teradjia Mitchell.

Arnold’s stint came with some ups and downs, most notably him being part of a called fake punt in the third quarter of the Michigan game that never happened. But Arnold stepped in when Ohio State needed help, and now he has three years of eligibility remaining to continue his college career elsewhere.

For more about Arnold and what the Buckeyes could do at the special teams position next, go here.

Peach Bowl reads…

READ: Marvin Harrison Jr. wanted to return for fourth quarter but respects trainers’ decision

READ: Ryan Day delivers impressive game plan for Buckeyes despite tough defeat

READ: Buckeye Leafs: C.J. Stroud did things people said he couldn’t in Peach Bowl

READ: COLUMN: Defensive play continues to hold Buckeyes back from national title

READ: Four missed opportunities that could have swung Peach Bowl for Buckeyes

Ohio State shuts down Northwestern on the road

Ohio State hoops resumed Big Ten play Sunday night at Northwestern, and the Buckeyes moved to 2-0 in league competition with a 73-57 win that was even more dominant than the score suggests.

At one point up 34-8, Ohio State turned in its best defensive effort of the season. The Buckeyes held Northwestern to 28.4% shooting. The Wildcats struggled to work the ball inside, and, when they did, they had issues finishing. In fact, they were 4-of-18 on layups for the night.

Northwestern — which came in scoring 35.2% of its points from beyond the arc, according to KenPom — shot only 3-of-14 from deep in the first half. Although the Wildcats’ guards got going in the second period, and Northwestern piled up six triples in final 20 minutes, it was far too little, too late.

Four Buckeyes finished in double figures, namely freshman Brice Sensabaugh. He led the team with 18 points in his fifth consecutive start.

For the full game story, go here.

Counting down

Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 243 days

Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 327 days

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