Ohio State had a few goals heading into the game against Kent State. They wanted to fix some of the issues that they had against Texas, including not being aggressive enough on defense. Offensively, they wanted to clean up the run game and execute it better, as well.
Another key thing they wanted to do was make sure that they got out of the game healthy. Playing a MAC team, the Ohio State Buckeyes could have won this game with their third-string guys. Unfortunately for them, they lost James Smith to an injury in the second half.
Ohio State defensive tackle James Smith carted to the locker room with an injury
Smith went down with what appeared to be a right arm injury. He left the field, holding his right hand. He did not return to the game, and then he was carted to the locker room. Smith is a transfer from Alabama who is one of the rotational pieces along the defensive line.
Losing Smith for an extended period of time would be a big problem. They don't have top-end talent up front as they did a year ago, so they have to rely on their depth this year. Quite frankly, it was surprising to see Smith still in the game after it had clearly been decided.
So far this season, Smith has three tackles in three games. He's done a good job of eating up space in the middle, even if he hasn't been able to finish that off with tackles or sacks. If he can't play in the next few Big Ten games, that would be an issue.
However, Ohio State has some guys behind Smith who can step up and play. This is a deep rotation of guys, so an injury won't kill them. In fact, it might open up an opportunity for some of the younger guys to show that they deserve to get more snaps in the rotation.
A James Smith injury might give opportunities for younger defensive linemen
If Smith is out for an extended period of time, that could open up opportunities for players like Khary Wilder. Wilder has shown an immense amount of potential in the three games that he has played so far. Fans have been clamoring for him to see the field more.
Wilder is someone who needs to be seeing the field as much as possible. Even though he's just a true freshman, he was a five-star recruit for a reason. He put some pressure on Arch Manning in Week 2 against the Longhorns and had a pressure that led to a pick against Ball State.
It's unclear what Smith's injury is, but he is now the second defensive lineman to be dealing with an injury. Zion Grady got hurt against the Longhorns, and he was on the sidelines against the Golden Flashes with a brace on his knee. That doesn't seem like a good thing.
Having two defensive linemen get hurt this early in the year is not what Ryan Day was hoping for.
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