In a press conference earlier this afternoon, Fickell spoke to the media about a couple different topics, but the big news was that he said Jake Stoneburner was coming off of a recent surgery ( arthroscopic knee surgery earlier this month) and recently has not been practicing very much at all since then.
Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer also says that even if Stoneburner were to play in the Gator Bow, he would see very limited action. This severely wounds the Buckeyes passing attack, as Braxton Miller will be playing in his first bowl game.
Stoneburner was a set of sure hands, and an outstanding blocker. He also runs very crisp routes, and knows how to get behind defenders for some big plays.
This is a big loss for Ohio State, and now Reid Fragel must step up to the challenge of filling in full time for Stoneburner. Jeff Heuerman is also another option at tight end, but Stoneburner's talents will surely be missed against Florida in the Gator Bowl.
Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news and updates on the Gator Bowl, and Ohio State athletics.
