Ohio State left College Park with a win over Maryland, but Ryan Day spent plenty of time afterward talking about the guys who didn’t suit up.
The Buckeyes were missing five starters: linebacker Christian Alliegro, wide receivers Brandon Inniss and Devin McCuin, and offensive linemen Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels. Two reserves with situational roles, defensive end Khary Wilder and safety Leroy Roker, were also out.
Siereveld’s absence stood out the most. The starting tackle never showed up on any injury report before the final one Saturday, and a source with knowledge of the situation said the reason was illness rather than a physical injury. Day said Ohio State didn’t know he would be unavailable until shortly before kickoff.
“It was hours before the game,” Day said postgame when asked when team found out Siereveld wouldn’t play. “They did a test. That’ll be day-to-day right now.”
Ohio State adjusted up front by sliding right guard Gabe VanSickle out to tackle, while Jake Cook - who has been working as the Buckeyes’ sixth lineman - started at right guard.
Day also addressed Daniels, saying he “wasn’t quite ready,” which is why the Buckeyes kept him on the sideline.
Day: “I think we can get Phil back (at Indiana).”
The Buckeyes’ penalty issues came up again, too. Day said part of his responsibility is holding the coaching staff accountable when mistakes like that pile up, and he made it clear he wasn’t happy with Ohio State’s eight penalties.
Day: “You can’t accept that as a coach... We can’t let that happen. That’s where that came from.”
He also noted that the defensive line rotation was lighter than usual, something he said can vary from week to week, especially against a team like Maryland that likes to play with tempo.
Day: “It’s a little bit of a week-to-week thing, but we knew they liked to play with tempo.”
Looking ahead, Day said Ohio State will “for sure” get some injured players back next week.
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