The Ohio State football program is coming off a bye week, and the first game off that is a date with Washington in what will be their first game on the road this season. Ohio State is undefeated, and so are the Huskies. They have to make sure that they handle this West Coast trip differently than they did a year ago.
That trip ended with a loss to Oregon, although they got revenge for that. Still, the Buckeyes are hoping for a smoother trip this time. Ahead of this game, Ohio State is going to be mostly healthy after having a week off to rest. They haven't really had any injuries yet, thankfully.
Washington, on the other hand, has a few key guys who could end up missing this game. They have a lot of guys banged up, especially on the defensive end of the field. That's a big problem as Ohio State's explosive offense comes to town with the best player in college football.
Washington could have multiple guys out against the Ohio State Buckeyes
The Huskies will be without linebacker Buddah Al-Uqdah. He was hurt last week in the Apple Cup, injuring his knee. He is going to be out at least a few weeks, so the Huskies will have a backup linebacker taking his spot. That's not good news for them as they try to stop Ohio State's run game.
There is also uncertainty around starting cornerback Tacario Davis. He was not available for the game against Washington State, and he likely would have been the guy tasked with covering Jeremiah Smith all game. Now, that duty will go to someone else.
Washington is still without Jayvon Parker, their best defensive lineman. He tore his Achilles tendon last September, although he is practicing with the team now. It might not be too long before he's back out on the field. Hopefully, it's not against the Buckeyes.
Nickelback Dyson McCutcheon is out after having shoulder surgery, leaving the Huskies even thinner at the cornerback spot. They are also missing wide receiver Rashid Williams, so that gives them yet another injury to deal with. To put it lightly, Washington is pretty banged up going into this one.
Ohio State should feel good about its health compared to its opponent. That should leave them feeling great about their chances of winning this game and walking out with their undefeated record still intact.