Ohio State RB Miyan Williams lost for the season due to injury. WR Emeka Egbuka (ankle) practicing

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An injury requiring surgery has put an end to the season for Ohio State running back Miyan Williams, coach Ryan Day said Tuesday.

Day declined to discuss specifics of Williams’ injury.

The fourth-year back was unavailable for the third-ranked Buckeyes (8-0) last Saturday at Wisconsin with no explanation. The previous week he rushed for a season-high 62 yards and a touchdown in the win over Penn State.

“Miyan’s done a lot of great things for us,” Day said. “It’s a big hit for the team.”

Williams and No. 1 back TreVeyon Henderson have battled injuries in their Ohio State careers, including this season.

Henderson returned after missing three games and was terrific against Wisconsin, rushing for 162 yards and a touchdown and adding four pass receptions for 45 yards.

He and Williams were expected to be a combo this season, but they have rarely been available at the same time.

The Buckeyes are nursing some other key injuries.

Ohio State offers most complete résumé for CFP selection committee: ‘They deserved the No. 1 ranking’

The committee liked what it saw in the Buckeyes.

There is a perception regarding Ohio State’s 2023 team that the Buckeyes aren’t as good because the offense has not reached elite levels. This is not a view shared by the College Football Playoff selection committee.

“Ohio State was ranked No. 1, due in part to their big wins against Penn State and at Notre Dame,” Corrigan explained. “They’ve proven they can do it at home, they’ve proven they can do it on the road.”

Ultimately, the Playoff selection committee felt Ohio State made the best case. Corrigan admitted that the top four teams were in a group separate from the other 26 teams, but the Buckeyes brought the most complete résumé to the party.

“We still viewed Ohio State as the top team in the country based on their wins, based on their defense,” Corrigan said. “And again, their offense is doing well enough to win games and be 8-0.”

The initial Playoff rankings for this season were released on Tuesday night and the Scarlet and Gray are the country’s No. 1 team in the eyes of the committee. And this isn’t a top-ranked team in the sport despite their offense, according to committee selection chairman Boo Corrigan.

“They have explosive plays,” he said. “Down a receiver, Marvin Harrison, Jr., who’s clearly one of the top players in the country… The offense is really, really good.”

Ohio State ranks No. 40 in the country, averaging 428.8 yards per game through the first eight contests. The Buckeyes have scored 32.5 points per game, No. 38 nationally.

The other five unbeaten Power Five teams, which make up the rest of the top-five teams in the Playoff rankings, all are in the top 10 in scoring offense, averaging at least 40 points per game. The Scarlet and Gray have only scored 40 points twice this season, while No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Florida State and No. 5 Washington have all done so at least four times.

Yet, in determining these first rankings, that was not enough for the committee to put any of those four teams ahead of Ohio State.

Of course, the selection committee doesn’t just look at offensive firepower to determine its rankings, and the Buckeyes have other factors working in their favor.

This started with one of the country’s top defensive units, a significant factor in the Scarlet and Gray’s undefeated record. Fans of Ohio State have praised defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who has taken a top-25 defense that was exposed in the biggest games last year and turned it into a top-five unit in the country.

Through eight games this season, the Buckeyes have allowed 260 yards and 10 points conceded per game. The only unbeaten team to have a better statistical defense than the Scarlet and Gray is Michigan, who ranks first in both categories. The difference is Ohio State has played two top-15 scoring offenses, while the Wolverines have faced zero, with multiple of their opponents sitting outside the top 100.

Additionally, the Buckeyes lead the country, allowing just 3.85 yards per play and 4.8 passing yards per attempt. The Scarlet and Gray have only allowed one 100-yard rusher and are one of two teams nationally that is yet to give up a 40-yard play.

“To pick completely on one side when the other side is so dominant, and the offense is really, really good,” Corrigan said, “so we’ve got to take all that into account as we’re looking at it, and we came to the conclusion as a committee that they deserved the No. 1 ranking.”