Ohio State senior running back Jordan Hall has a partial tear of the PCL ligament in his right knee and is doubtful for this week's home game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, coach Urban Meyer said Monday.
Hall, who missed the Buckeyes' first two games this season with an offseason foot injury, left Saturday's 17-16 win against Michigan State after hurting the knee.
"You just hate to see that because it's a kid who has worked his tail off, one of the hardest-working guys we had in the offseason," Meyer said. "We'll just evaluate that. I'd say doubtful, unless something happens."
Hall is the team's second-leading rusher with 218 yards and a touchdown on 40 carries this season.
Hall opened the year on the shelf after a freak accident in June led to surgery to repair a torn tendon in his foot.
Carlos Hyde, who returned last week from a knee sprain, will likely start at tailback in Hall's absence.
Hyde was productive in Hall's place in the season opener, but he left the second game of the season after tweaking his knee and was knocked out for the next two weeks.
Hall returned just in time to replace him and led the Buckeyes with 34 carries in consecutive wins to close out the nonconference schedule, but Meyer was eagerly awaiting a chance to expand his offense with both players healthy and had even entertained the option of using them simultaneously in his spread offense.
The Buckeyes never got around to doing it against the Spartans, and those plans now appear to be on hold again until they can both get healthy.
"I mean, there's not frustration, it's football and things happen and you have to move on and prepare for the next game," Hyde said. "It sucks to have a guy get injured, but you just have to move on and keep preparing for the next game.
"It's just running back, the running back position. We get hit every play, we have the toughest position on the team."
Meyer also announced that sophomore receiver Tyrone Williams has been dismissed for violating team rules. Williams caught five passes for 74 yards last season.
BuckeyeNation writer Austin Ward contributed to this report.