Oregon will be without one of leading receivers against Ohio State.
CSNNW.com reported Friday that wide receiver Darren Carrington did not make the trip with the team to Texas for the game after failing a drug test. The drug test was administered by the NCAA, and according to the report Carrington tested positive for marijuana.
Oregon appealed the suspension, and it was reportedly denied immediately.
An Oregon spokesperson confirmed Carrington did not make the trip with the team but would not state the reason for his absence. Mark Helfrich only confirmed that a violation of NCAA policy was the reason Carrington was ineligible for the game.
"It will not be a distraction," Helfrich said Saturday. "It's a great, great thing to talk about and the only thing that I'll talk about from that standpoint is confirm that it's an NCAA policy that is in play here, and he's ineligible for the game, and we'll ride."
Losing Carrington is a big deal for the Oregon offense. The big-play threat caught 37 passes for 704 yards and four touchdowns. Carrington had a big performance in the Rose Bowl against Florida State, grabbing seven passes for 165 yards and two scores.
Oregon will also be without receiver Devon Allen for the game. Allen, who caught 41 passes for 684 yards and seven touchdowns this season, suffered a knee injury against Florida State and isn't available for the game. So the Ducks will be flying without two of their biggest weapons against the Buckeyes.
Helfrich announced Saturday that senior running back Ayele Ford also failed the NCAA's drug test and will not play in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Ford is a deep reserve for Oregon with three carries for 17 yards on the season.
