Ohio State will head into Saturday’s top-five showdown at Indiana short-handed along the offensive line and in the backfield, with Austin Siereveld and Ja’Kobi Jackson both ruled out on the Buckeyes’ initial availability report.
Siereveld’s absence is the more familiar one. He’ll miss a second straight game after sitting out last week’s 45-16 win over Maryland because of a non-football illness.
Siereveld had been starting at right tackle after sliding over from right guard following Phillip Daniels’ injury against Texas. When Siereveld was unavailable against Maryland, Ohio State shifted Gabe VanSickle from right guard to right tackle and inserted Jake Cook at right guard.
Daniels is no longer on the injury report, which opens the door for Ohio State to get back to its preferred look on the right side. If Daniels is cleared to go, VanSickle can move back inside to right guard, giving the Buckeyes a chance to restore the alignment they used before the reshuffling. That matters against an Indiana defensive front that Ryan Day pointed to as one of the toughest challenges on Ohio State’s schedule.
Jackson’s absence is a surprise. He started Ohio State’s last two games at running back and finished the Maryland game with 76 yards on 14 carries.
With Jackson out and Isaiah West listed as questionable, Bo Jackson looks set for a bigger workload after posting 107 yards and two touchdowns against Maryland, his best outing of the season. Freshman Legend Bey could also see more touches if the Buckeyes are thin in the backfield.
Ohio State’s report also listed safety Leroy Roker, safety Khmari Bing, wide receiver Amari Valerio-Hudson and offensive lineman Jaxon Powell as out.
There is some good news for the Buckeyes, though. Five players who missed the Maryland game are no longer on the report: wide receivers Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin, linebacker Christian Alliegro, nickelback Jay Timmons and offensive tackle Phillip Daniels. Their status could give Ohio State a much healthier look than it had last Saturday.
Five Buckeyes are questionable: wide receiver Brock Boyd, running backs Anthony “Turbo” Rogers and Isaiah West, defensive end Khary Wilder and offensive lineman Deontae Armstrong. West, Rogers and the rest of that group will be worth watching closely as game day approaches.
Ohio State and Indiana kick off Saturday at noon at Memorial Stadium, with the game set for FOX.
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Ohio State Heads Into Indiana Showdown With Big Lineup Questions
Ohio State heads into its matchup with Indiana facing some early lineup uncertainty, with offensive lineman Austin Siereveld ruled out because of a non-football illness and running back JaKobi Jackson unavailable after suffering an ankle injury. Those absences alone would matter in a Big Ten game this size, but they are part of a larger injury picture for the Buckeyes, who have several other players still listed as questionable.
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Ohio State Freshman Legend Bey Suddenly Has A Real Chance To Earn Trust
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For Bey, this is the kind of moment that can change how a staff views a young player in a hurry. More snaps against Indiana would not just be about filling a need in the moment, but about showing he can be trusted if the Buckeyes have to keep adjusting on the fly. Ohio State has managed its backfield carefully so far, but the injury picture now gives Bey a real opening to make his case. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Just Gave Ohio State Fans A New Ranking Debate
ESPNs latest ranking stirred up a familiar kind of college football debate, and this one comes with a fresh Ohio State twist. The network put together a top-60 list of the best wide receivers in the past 50 years, blending talent and production, and it included some heavy company in Larry Fitzgerald, DeVonta Smith and Justin Blackmon.
Jeremiah Smith made the cut as the lone active college receiver on the list, which is already a notable honor for a player still early in his career. For Buckeyes fans, it is the kind of recognition that says plenty about how high Smiths ceiling already looks, even if the bigger conversation around where he fits historically is still very much ongoing. [Read more 🡒]