Injury season has a way of arriving all at once in college football, and Week 7 threw a handful of the sport’s biggest names onto the shelf. Some of these situations sound manageable.
Others are already sounding like real problems. And one is done for the year.
Florida State took the hardest hit. Running back Ousmane Kromah was carted off late in the second quarter of the loss to Miami after his leg was placed in an air cast, and the Seminoles’ sideline reacted like it knew the news was bad.
Florida State later announced that Kromah suffered a lower leg injury, stayed in Miami on Saturday for surgery and returned to Tallahassee on Sunday. He is out for the rest of the season.
Kromah had entered the year as the feature back and produced 100 carries for 565 yards and five rushing touchdowns before the injury. As a freshman last season, he ran for 408 yards on 72 carries.
Ohio State’s situation carries a much different kind of weight, because quarterback Julian Sayin’s right throwing arm injury was described by Ryan Day as lasting “several weeks.” That’s enough to put the Buckeyes on alert, especially with freshman backup Luke Fahey now in line to have to handle real responsibility if Sayin can’t get back quickly.
Ohio State does at least have a bye this week, which gives the staff time to shape the offense around Fahey. If the Buckeyes have to lean into the passing game without Sayin, Jeremiah Smith could see even more work.
After the bye, Ohio State heads to USC.
Texas is also sweating a major defensive injury after edge rusher Colin Simmons went down against Florida. Steve Sarkisian said he didn’t know the full extent of the issue, and Simmons was helped off the field without much weight on his leg before later leaving in a cart.
On Texas’ side, there was enough concern in the moment that it looked far worse than a routine exit. Late Saturday, OnTexasFootball.com reported the initial diagnosis as an ankle sprain, though the severity remains unknown.
With Texas’ offense already under plenty of scrutiny, the defense may have to keep carrying the load when the Longhorns face Ole Miss and Trinidad Chambliss.
Alabama’s running game took a hit, too, when EJ Crowell left the Tennessee game with a lower leg injury and didn’t return. Kalen DeBoer didn’t have much to offer afterward, saying, "We'll just work through it here this week.
I don't have much more than that," when asked about Crowell and corner Zabien Brown. Crowell came back to the sideline during the game, but The Tuscaloosa News reported he left Neyland Stadium late in the fourth quarter with a brace on his left knee.
Alabama has already struggled to run the ball conventionally, and the Tide didn’t get much from the backs behind Crowell once Tennessee pushed the game off script.
LSU’s Princewill Umanmielen is dealing with a head injury that kept him out for the final three quarters of the Mississippi State blowout. Kiffin said, "Our doctors held him, which obviously is the right thing to do."
Fellow Tigers defender TJ Dottery said Umanmielen told him he was fine, but Kiffin had nothing to add on Sunday when asked about the edge rusher’s status. That matters because Umanmielen is tied for No. 2 in the nation with eight sacks.
LSU goes to Auburn this weekend and then has a bye.
Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover’s situation looked worse on camera than it apparently felt in reality. He was clearly uncomfortable late in the loss to Ohio State and said he got banged up on a scramble, but described it as "nothing really too bad," then told reporters "I'm feeling good" after the game.
He missed only one play and didn’t seem to have his performance derailed by the issue. Indiana will still want him sharp next week against Michigan, especially with the way the Wolverines can get after the passer.
In Other News...
Jalen Hurts Facing A Much More Serious Absence Than Fans Expected
Jalen Hurts latest setback is far more serious than the usual soft-tissue injury update fans were bracing for. According to his agent, Nicole Lynn, the quarterback has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his injured calf and bilateral pulmonary emboli, a condition that has taken him out of football activities while he undergoes treatment with blood thinners.
Hurts is clinically stable and expected to make a full recovery, but the timeline alone changes the conversation around Alabamas quarterback room and the months ahead. With an absence projected at about three months, the focus now shifts from when he might return to whether the Tide can navigate the early part of the season without one of the most important players on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Rookies Finally Broke Through On A Huge NFL Sunday
Week 6 turned into a notable Sunday for a handful of former Alabama standouts, with Josh Cuevas and Germie Bernard both reaching the end zone for the first time in the NFL. The rookie breakout came on a day when Alabamas pro pipeline was especially visible, and it was part of a broader slate that also included Jerry Jeudy helping the Cleveland Browns in a win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Henry TooToo was back on the field for Houston after injury and contributed on defense as the Texans beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, adding another familiar name to the mix. Bernards day stood out even more because of the way it landed in Pittsburgh, where he also set a Steelers rookie receiving mark, leaving a reminder that this group of former Crimson Tide players is still finding new ways to make noise at the next level. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Faces A Bigger Question Than Just The Tennessee Loss
Alabamas loss to Tennessee was frustrating enough on its own, but the bigger concern coming out of the weekend was the health of a roster already stretched thin. The Crimson Tide played the 26-10 defeat without several key contributors, and the postgame conversation quickly shifted from the scoreboard to who might be available the next time Alabama takes the field.
Kalen DeBoer spent part of his update sorting through the injury picture for Zabien Brown, EJ Crowell, Ryan Coleman-Williams, Racin Delgatty and Terrance Green, with each player being handled on a week-to-week basis. Some are expected back in practice soon, which at least gives Alabama some hope of getting healthier, but the uncertainty around that group makes the Tides immediate future feel just as important as the loss itself. [Read more 🡒]