A couple of weeks ago, the Ohio State Buckeyes were able to take down a top-five opponent in the Indiana Hoosiers. It is the best win on the team's resume to this point. However, that win came at a massive price. The Buckeyes suffered several injuries in the 19-15 victory.
None were bigger than the loss of Julian Sayin. He is likely done for the year, and that means Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair will be the starter moving forward. However, Ohio State also lost a couple of defensive players in that game, too. Ryan Day gave an update on them recently.
Ryan Day gives an update on two key Ohio State defenders
During his weekly press conference, Day was specifically asked about Jay Timmons and Kenyatta Jackson. His answer didn't reveal much about their conditions.
"We'll see how this week goes. I think we'll get a good portion of them back, but probably not all of them. Most of the ones you're talking about, we'll probably go to the end of the week, and as we get closer to the game, we'll get an idea."
Day indicated that they don't know whether or not they will have Timmons or Jackson ready to go Saturday night in Los Angeles. Jackson had to be helped off the field at the end of the game. Meanwhile, Timmons was not available for the last few snaps of the fourth quarter.
Losing Timmons would be a much bigger deal for the Buckeyes. The true freshman cornerback has shown the ability to be a true game-wrecker. He has now forced turnovers in both ranked games he has appeared in. He did not play in the game against Iowa due to an injury.
Jackson has had a bit of an underwhelming senior season. To this point, he has just 22 tackles and three sacks. However, he did have a sack-fumble against Iowa. He hasn't been the consistent pass-rushing demon that Ohio State had hoped he would be. Still, it would be nice to have him for this game.
Ohio State's once rough schedule looks much easier
This was supposed to be the toughest three-game stretch of Ohio State's schedule. Instead, it has turned out to be much easier. USC is coming off an embarrassing loss to Wisconsin, and they have already lost two games. Defensively, they look like a lost team.
Next week, Ohio State takes on Oregon, which has already lost three games. They will also have a backup quarterback facing them, with Dante Moore officially out for the year. Of course, Ohio State already beat IU. Suddenly, this murderer's row is looking a lot easier.
The Buckeyes are only focused on one of those games right now, though. Beating USC would give Ohio State a ton of confidence heading into the final part of the year. It would also give the fanbase confidence that this team can still win a national championship with a backup quarterback leading the way.
Having both Timmons and Jackson on the field would certainly help the Buckeyes a lot in that endeavor.
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