Ohio State starting DT Tracy Sprinkle out for the season with a knee injury

In early season games, you hope for two things. You want young players to step up and get important experience, and you hope everybody stays healthy. Basically, you want to avoid a scene like the Buckeyes experienced late in the first quarter against Bowling Green.

Defensive lineman Tracy Sprinkle injured his knee, and had to be helped off of the field, where he was immediately taken to the locker room. The Big Ten Network's Lisa Byington said that it took "maybe a minute" to rule him out.

A junior, Sprinkle figured to play an important part in Ohio State’s deep defensive tackle rotation, providing leadership and experience in a unit that will boast several young players. After coming back from some youthful indiscretions during the beginning of his tenure in Columbus, Sprinkle also looked to be a real good turn around story having been close to being dismissed for good from OSU.

According to ESPN's Austin Ward, Sprinkle could face surgery as soon as Sunday. And later, after the game, the Ohio State radio network's Paul Keels and Jim Lachey learned from Urban Meyer himself that Sprinkle won't play again this season.

Brutally unfair ending to a season that had started so promisingly for Sprinkle. Here's hoping for a swift and speedy recovery.