COLUMBUS, Ohio — The charge went down. So, too, did the chance that Bradley Roby might miss any action.
Urban Meyer still will have his chance to deliver a verdict on his star cornerback for his arrest last month in an Indiana bar, and the Ohio State Buckeyes coach may well opt to send a strong message to his team by tacking on a suspension for Roby ahead of the opener against Buffalo on Aug. 31.
But based on precedent Meyer established last summer with Jack Mewhort and Jake Stoneburner, a disorderly conduct charge like Roby has now instead of the battery charge he was initially facing might not be enough to keep him on the sideline. Those same charges weren’t enough to keep the two veterans off the field for any game action a year ago.
The Buckeyes may not need their secondary at full strength to beat Buffalo when the chase for a national title begins in two weeks, but if Roby faced discipline that spilled over into the following couple games, a defense that will lean heavily on the experience and talent of its defensive backs could be strained by a tough San Diego State team or during a long road trip west to play at California.
Continue reading this article at ESPN: Change in charge good for Roby, Buckeyes
