Injuries are piling up at the exact wrong time for some of college football’s biggest names, and Week 7 turned into one of those Saturdays where a handful of stars left the field and set off alarms everywhere.
The most urgent situation belongs to Florida State running back Ousmane Kromah. His afternoon in the loss to Miami ended late in the second quarter, and the scene told the story: he was carted off after his leg was placed in an air cast, while Florida State’s bench emptied and players took knees on the field.
The Seminoles later said Kromah suffered a lower leg injury, stayed in Miami on Saturday for surgery, and returned to Tallahassee on Sunday. He’s done for the season.
Kromah had opened the year as Florida State’s feature back and backed that up with 100 carries for 565 yards and five rushing touchdowns. As a freshman last season, he totaled 408 yards on 72 carries.
Ohio State’s situation also carries serious weight, even if the timeline is less clear. Ryan Day described Julian Sayin’s right throwing-arm injury after the Indiana game as something that would cost him “several weeks,” and that leaves the Buckeyes leaning on freshman backup Luke Fahey.
That’s not a small pivot for a team with championship ambitions. Ohio State does at least have a bye this week, which gives the staff time to build around Fahey before the Buckeyes head to USC.
If there’s a silver lining, it may be that the offense could funnel even more toward Jeremiah Smith, because when in doubt, throwing to No. 4 is never a bad option.
Texas is watching a different kind of game-changing defender, and the early signs there are less catastrophic but still unsettling. Colin Simmons left the Florida game after being helped off without putting much weight on his leg, then departed in a cart.
Steve Sarkisian said he didn’t know the extent of the injury, and late Saturday OnTexasFootball.com reported the initial diagnosis was an ankle sprain with unknown severity. Simmons has been one of the nation’s most disruptive pass rushers, and Texas will need every bit of that defense to stay sharp with Ole Miss and Trinidad Chambliss coming next.
LSU’s Princewill Umanmielen is another name to monitor closely. After the Mississippi State blowout, Kiffin said, “Our doctors held him, which obviously is the right thing to do.”
Umanmielen missed the final three quarters, and fellow Tigers defender TJ Dottery said Umanmielen told him he was fine. Kiffin did not have an update Sunday.
LSU can at least catch a small break in the schedule, with Auburn up next and then a bye. Umanmielen has been one of the nation’s top edge threats, tied for No. 2 nationally with eight sacks.
Alabama’s EJ Crowell falls into a more encouraging category, though there’s still enough uncertainty to keep the Tide uneasy. After the loss to Tennessee, Kalen DeBoer kept details close to the vest, saying, “We'll just work through it here this week.
I don't have much more than that,” when asked about Crowell and Zabien Brown. Crowell exited in the second quarter and did not return, though he did get back to the sideline.
According to The Tuscaloosa News, he left Neyland Stadium late in the fourth quarter with a brace on his left knee. Alabama’s run game has been shaky, and if the Tide are going to realize their College Football Playoff hopes, they need more out of their conventional ground attack.
Indiana’s Josh Hoover doesn’t sound like he’s headed for a long absence. He was clearly uncomfortable late in the loss to Ohio State, and it looked like the pain showed up after nearly every throw.
Still, Hoover said he got banged up on a scramble, called it “nothing really too bad,” and told reporters “I'm feeling good” after the game. He missed only one play and didn’t appear to be significantly limited.
Indiana will need him at full strength next week against Michigan, especially with what the Wolverines can do rushing the passer.
In Other News...
Florida State Faces Real Pressure In A Clemson Game It Can Win
Florida State heads into its Clemson matchup with a rare kind of opportunity, one that comes wrapped in pressure. The Tigers are not the defensive force they used to be, and their season has been marked by uneven quarterback play and a defense that has been solid but not imposing. For the Seminoles, that makes this more than just another ACC test. It is the kind of road game that can help change the tone around a program still searching for traction under Mike Norvell.
Ashton Daniels gave Florida State a lift in the recent game, and the Seminoles will need that kind of steadiness again if they are going to take advantage of a matchup that looks there for the taking. The problem is the setting, because Florida State has not handled true road games well and is carrying a long losing streak away from home. Even so, this is the kind of opponent the Seminoles can realistically beat, which is what makes the stakes feel so much sharper than a typical midseason trip. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Heads Into Clemson With One Huge Problem To Solve
Florida State goes into its bye week still trying to steady itself after a double-overtime loss to Miami, and the timing is both a break and a warning. At 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the ACC, the Seminoles have little margin for error left, and the next opponent on the schedule brings a very different kind of challenge. Clemson has not been sharp through the air, with inconsistent quarterback play dragging down the offense, but it has leaned on its run game and found traction there with Gideon Davidson.
The bigger issue for Florida State may be how it handles the matchup on the other side of the ball. Clemsons defense has been solid, allowing 21.5 points per game, and that puts added pressure on Ashton Daniels and an offense that may already be dealing with key absences. For a Seminoles team that needs something to stabilize the season, the trip to Clemson looks like the kind of game where one weak spot could decide the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Faces A Bigger Second-Half Question About Its Young Talent
Florida States second half has a different kind of urgency now, with the Seminoles trying to steady a season defined by uneven play and too many defensive leaks against both the run and the pass. One place to look is the rosters younger, homegrown talent, where defensive tackle Kevin Wynn, defensive back Charles Lester III and tight end Landen Thomas have all emerged as names worth watching as the workload begins to shift.
Wynn has already seen his snap count rise and has flashed the kind of run-stopping potential the defense has lacked at times. Lesters role is also growing even after some early struggles, and Thomas remains another player who could factor more prominently as Florida State searches for answers now while also trying to build something more dependable for later. [Read more 🡒]