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Ohio State suspends Bosa, Marshall, 2 others for opener

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CHICAGO – Ohio State suspended All-America defensive end Joey Bosa, receiver Corey Smith and H-backs Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson for its opening game at Virginia Tech.

“Violation of team policies,” Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said Thursday at Big Ten media days. “That’s as far as I’ll go.”

Meyer did say the violations had nothing to do with players breaking any laws.

Meyer said he has known for a while the suspensions were coming and he is “100 percent supportive” of the policies.

The defending national champions open the season Labor Day night in Blacksburg, Va., against the only team to beat them last season.

“We’re pushing forward,” Meyer said. “We’re playing an extremely talented team, on the road in a tough environment.”

Bosa had 13.5 sacks as a sophomore and enters his junior year as one of the top NFL prospects in college football.

Meyer said the Buckeyes will look toward sophomore Jalyn Holmes and redshirt freshmen Sam Hubbard and Darius Slade to help pick up the slack for Bosa.

Marshall was second on the team in receptions as a freshman with 38 and was also the team’s best punt returner.

Wilson and Smith combined for 41 catches for 555 yards.

The Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 in the preseason coaches’ poll released Thursday and are likely to be top-ranked in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 when it is released Aug. 23.

Ohio State brings back most of its key players from last year’s team, which bounced back from a September loss to the Hokies in Columbus to win the first College Football Playoff. Bosa might be the best of the Buckeyes. He had 21 tackles for loss last season, including a game-ending sack in overtime against Penn State.

Marshall was a versatile playmaker the Buckeyes lined up all over the field, including at quarterback at times. Wilson, a junior, plays a similar role for Ohio State. A foot injury against Michigan State in November cut his season short and kept him out of spring practice.

Smith, a senior, is in his second season with Ohio State after transferring from junior college.

The Buckeyes will likely have a new addition at H-Back when preseason practice starts in August. Braxton Miller said he will switch from quarterback to receiver, which could help make up for the losses there.

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