BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Defensive end Stephen Daley is expected to miss the College Football Playoff after getting injured during No. 1 Indiana's Big Ten championship celebration.
Coach Curt Cignetti made the announcement Wednesday.
“I can confirm that he did sustain an injury, a serious injury that will probably make him not available for the remainder of the season,” said Cignetti, who was unaware Daley had been hurt until long after the game's conclusion.
A social media video showed Daley appearing to land awkwardly on his right leg while high-fiving fans moments after the Hoosiers completed a 13-10 victory over Ohio State to capture their first Big Ten title since 1967, their first outright crown since 1945 and reaching 13-0 for the first time in school history. The victory also secured a second straight playoff berth for Indiana.
The top-seeded Hoosiers have a first-round bye and will face either No. 8 Oklahoma (10-2) or No. 9 Alabama (10-3) in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
Daley was a lightly recruited player in his home state of Virginia but played a key role for Cignetti after transferring from Kent State to Indiana this season. He had 38 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 5 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup this season, earning all-Big Ten honorable mention honors.
“I was still processing the whole thing because it was sort of unbelievable when I heard about it,” Cignetti said, referring to what he told reporters Sunday. "I think that is why I said we had nobody hurt in the game, during the game.”
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