The road to the College Football Playoff will have some notable stops over the next couple of weeks including the Big Ten showdown between a pair of top 10 teams in Ohio State and Michigan State. That’s a game that has been circled on the calendar since the start of the season. The Spartans have remained in the hunt as a one-loss team but they suffered a major injury scare this past weekend that could hurt their chances heading into their showdown with the undefeated Buckeyes. That along with a few other important injuries is weighing on Week 12 of the college football season.
Connor Cook, Michigan State Spartans
Quarterback
Michigan State’s chances at Ohio State will take a major hit if their senior quarterback is limited in any way or can’t play this weekend. There appears to be a legitimate concern that will be the case after he suffered a shoulder injury in Saturday’s 24-7 win over Maryland. Cook left the game favoring his right arm after taking a big hit and while he did return, there is some obvious concern about whether there will be any lingering effects from the hit this weekend. Cook has thrown for 2,482 yards and 21 touchdowns compared to just four interceptions this season. And remember, this is a guy that threw for 358 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio State last season. The Spartans will need him at his best in order to take down the Buckeyes.
Trevone Boykin, TCU Horned Frogs
Quarterback
TCU managed to scrape out a 23-17 win over Kansas to stay in the Big 12 hunt but it wasn’t without another blow to their roster. Senior quarterback Trevone Boykin injured his ankle in the opening quarter and did not return. Head coach Gary Patterson said after the game the decision not to play Boykin was more precautionary than anything else, so he should be ready for the Horned Frogs’ clash with Oklahoma this weekend. However, it’s definitely concerning that TCU was in a tough game against Kansas and Boykin was not able to return. It’s not as if the game was a blowout.
Boykin relies on his mobility as one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in the game right now, so even a minor injury to his ankle has to be a concern heading. Combined with the wrist injury to star receiver Josh Doctson (see below) and TCU has some serious concerns heading into this weekend’s clash with the Sooners.
Josh Doctson, TCU Horned Frogs
Wide Receiver
It won’t help that TCU’s star receiver Doctson could also be limited on Saturday against Oklahoma after suffering a wrist injury two weeks ago. The good news is that he played against Kansas but the bad news is that he had just a single catch for 12 yards before exiting the game. He is considered probable to play against the Sooners but he doesn’t look like he’ll be close to 100%. Doctson has been the nation’s most dominant receiver this year with 79 catches for 1,327 yards and 14 touchdowns, so not having him at full strength would be another major blow for the Horned Frogs.
[related_post_one]
Kenyan Drake, Alabama Crimson Tide
Running Back
Alabama has leaned on star running back Derrick Henry all season and it has paid off for them but it’s worth noting they will be without their senior backup Drake for the next three weeks after he suffered a fracture to his right arm against Mississippi State. Drake has helped spell Henry as a back that can both run and catch the football out of the backfield, so that will take some versatility away from this offense. It’s not as serious a concern as some of the other ones on this list as the Tide play Charleston Southern this week and a hampered Auburn team next week, but it is a blow to the Tide. Look for Bo Scarborough could see a little more action with Drake sidelined.
