Ohio State defeated Maryland 45-16 in a rainy Ohio Stadium on Saturday. The final score was probably indicative of how dominant the Buckeyes were, but if you didn't watch the game, you wouldn't know that it was an absolute slopfest that most would quickly like to forget.
The biggest news from this game was the health of the Ohio State offense. By the end of the game, the Buckeyes were down five starters, including three on the offensive line. Phillip Daniels hasn't played since the Texas game on September 12.
It was revealed hours before the game that star lineman Austin Siereveld would miss this game as well. Reports say he was out with an illness. To make matters even worse, Luke Montgomery left the game with what appeared to be a leg injury, but he did return.
The offensive line had to be shuffled on short notice for this game against Maryland. Gabe VanSickle played tackle for the first time in his college career. Jake Cook, who had been lining up at tight end for Ohio State, was lined up at right guard.
Ohio State has to figure out the injury issues
Moving VanSickle to tackle and playing Jake Cook at guard was an interesting choice. They have young talent in that room with guys like Sam Greer, Carter Lowe, and Deontae Armstrong. They also have veteran Josh Padilla, who has experience playing guard in the past.
Ohio State was also down two starting wide receivers on Saturday. Brandon Innis and Devin McCuin both missed the game due to injury. Chris Henry Jr. got his first college start and caught a 46-yard pass from Julian Sayin. Other than Jeremiah Smith, no other wide receiver for the Buckeyes had more than one catch on Saturday. Defensive starters Christian Alliegro and Jay Timmons were also out.
Ohio State might have the best roster in college football. They lost to Texas, but the Longhorns just lost in Red River to an Oklahoma team that looked lifeless over the past few weeks. Miami and Notre Dame have been dominant, but neither team has really played any great competition.
Every other contender has a loss except for Georgia. That all said, depth is a premium in today's college football. Ohio State needs to be as healthy as possible with games coming up against Indiana, USC, and Oregon. Hopefully some of the injuries from Saturday were just precautionary, or Ohio State will have no chance to get through a 16-game season.
The Buckeyes still feel confident they can win vs, IU
Even with the injury problems they had against the Terrapins, the Buckeyes still feel good about their chances of beating the Hoosiers. This is a revenge game for Ohio State after IU beat the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship a year ago.
Eddrick Houston has already sent a warning to the Hoosiers a week in advance of this matchup. The Buckeyes have played like one of the best teams in the country since their inexplicable collapse against Texas. A victory over the Hoosiers would solidify that.
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