Ohio State expects star defensive end Chase Young to be handed a four-game suspension for accepting a loan from a family friend, sources told ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit on Saturday.
The Buckeyes are hopeful that an appeal of Young's case with the NCAA will yield a reduction in the number of games, sources said. Ohio State hopes to hear by next week the decision on Young's appeal.
The length of the suspension is tied to the monetary value of the loan Young said he took out in 2018, a loan he says he has since repaid.
After the Buckeyes' 73-14 win Saturday over Maryland, which Young sat out, Ohio State sports information director Jerry Emig said the school does not have an expectation for a possible number of games that Young could miss because the process is still ongoing.
Emig said the school would not comment further on Young's status. Coach Ryan Day would not comment on the situation directly other than to say that he and the team have Young's back and that the star defender has his full support.
"We went through a little adversity this week," Day said. "Adversity reveals character, and our character was at the forefront of this game. I felt we came out and showed we're made of something special here."
Sources confirmed to ESPN that money from Young's loan was used to help fly his girlfriend to attend the Rose Bowl.
The Athletic first reported the reason for Young's loan.
The top-ranked Buckeyes' final three regular-season games are against Rutgers, Penn State and Michigan.
Young leads the FBS with 13.5 sacks and is tied for second with 15.5 tackles for loss. He tied Ohio State's single-game records for sacks (four) and tackles for loss (five) in the Buckeyes' previous game, a 38-7 win over Wisconsin on Oct. 26. He needs a half-sack to tie Vernon Gholston's single-season team record set in 2007.
At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Young is considered a potential No. 1 pick in next spring's NFL draft if he decides to forgo his final season of eligibility with the Buckeyes. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Young as the No. 1 player available for the 2020 draft on his latest Big Board.
Against Maryland, the Buckeyes' defense, without Young, held the Terrapins to a single yard of offense in the first quarter and 139 yards for the game.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.