Ohio State's Injury Crisis Tests Ryan Day's Young Buckeyes Before Indiana Showdown

Ohio State remains unbeaten in Big Ten play at 5-1, but head coach Ryan Day faces a growing injury crisis that is forcing him to accelerate the development of his youngest players. With six starters sidelined during Saturday's 45-16 win over Maryland and a critical matchup against undefeated Indiana looming, the Buckeyes have no choice but to trust freshmen and sophomores in expanded roles.

Day acknowledged earlier in the week that with so much roster turnover, there is no time for slow development. Weeks ago, he was holding young players like Legend Bey and Khary Wilder out until they earned playing time. Now, with injuries piling up, Day may have to rely on them sooner than planned.

Which young Buckeyes stepped up against Maryland?

Several underclassmen made strong cases for more playing time on Saturday. According to Eleven Warriors, Chris Henry Jr., Jake Cook, TJ Alford, and Cam Calhoun were among the Buckeyes who played expanded roles as Ohio State was without six starters.

Freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. made his first career start opposite Jeremiah Smith and played 30 snaps. He caught a 46-yard pass that set up a field goal. Freshman Brock Boyd played 28 snaps, and LSU transfer Kyle Parker made his Ohio State debut with 32 snaps after missing the first five games.

Sophomore Jake Cook also made his first career start at right guard and played all 70 snaps, with Gabe VanSickle shifting from right guard to right tackle to cover. On defense, Alford started for Christian Alliegro and led the linebackers with 31 snaps and four tackles. Calhoun made his second straight start at corner and played 49 snaps, with Jermaine Mathews Jr. sliding to nickel. Bey, a freshman, also got five offensive snaps and returned kicks.

Who is missing for the Buckeyes?

Receivers Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss did not play against Maryland. McCuin was listed as probable on Friday, but his status remained uncertain until game day. Ohio State was also without offensive tackles Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels, with Siereveld ruled out just hours before kickoff due to illness, according to cleveland.com.

Linebacker Alliegro and nickel back Jay Timmons were unavailable as well, while defensive end Khary Wilder and safety Leroy Roker also missed the game. Some of these injury reports are not new. Daniels has not played since getting hurt at Texas in Week 2, making Maryland his fourth straight missed game. Timmons left the Illinois game in the third quarter on September 26 and missed Iowa and Maryland.

Day said Daniels wasn't quite ready and mentioned he could return for the Indiana game. With no official updates on the other players, Ohio State must wait until Wednesday night for the Big Ten availability reports. Left guard Luke Montgomery also appeared to be playing through a shoulder issue, though the team has not commented on his health.

What does Ryan Day need to fix before Indiana?

Ohio State was flagged eight times for 65 yards against Maryland, seven of them in the first half. Four penalties on one defensive drive helped Maryland score its only offensive touchdown. Quarterback Julian Sayin also turned the ball over twice, including a pick-six.

Day called the penalties a reflection of coaching, saying that's not the sign of a good team.

Some good there, but we know what it's going to take next week. We've got to keep working towards perfection.

The Hoosiers are 6-0 after a 20-17 win at Nebraska and beat the Buckeyes 13-10 in last year's Big Ten title game. Ohio State's front line will be tested as Day relies on young players who are not proven starters yet.

What is at stake for Ohio State against Indiana?

With Big Ten championship aspirations on the line, Saturday's game in Bloomington carries significant weight. Day expressed cautious optimism about player availability, stating he expects a good portion of the injured starters to return.

I don't think we'll get all of those guys back that were on the list, but for sure we're going to get a good portion of them back for next week. So that'll be good. And then obviously got to have a good week of practice and stay healthy.

The Buckeyes will need to clean up their penalty issues and protect the football if they hope to leave Indiana with a win. The young players who stepped up against Maryland may be called upon again as Ohio State pushes toward a conference title.

Frequently asked questions about Ohio State's injuries

When will Ohio State's injured starters return?

Ryan Day expects a good portion of the injured players to return for the Indiana game, though not all of them. The team will receive official availability reports from the Big Ten on Wednesday night.

Which freshmen are getting more playing time?

Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd, and Legend Bey are among the freshmen seeing expanded roles. Henry Jr. made his first career start against Maryland, and Boyd played 28 snaps.

How many penalties did Ohio State commit against Maryland?

The Buckeyes were flagged eight times for 65 yards, with seven penalties coming in the first half. Four penalties on one defensive drive helped Maryland score its only offensive touchdown.