This Saturday's matchup between Indiana and Ohio State has the potential to be college football's Game of the Year. The Hoosiers are 6-0 and ranked No. 5 in the country, while the Buckeyes are 5-1 and ranked No. 4. Given the intense battles that these teams have had on the gridiron over the past few seasons, the anticipation is already reaching a fever pitch heading into this Week 7 clash.
Kick-off between the Hoosiers and Buckeyes is still over five days away, but Indiana already has one clear advantage heading into this highly-anticipated contest.
Ohio State's injury concerns could be a game-changer against Indiana
Indiana has battled some injuries this season, but for the most part, has stayed relatively healthy. The Hoosiers had a fairly clean Week 6 injury report for the Nebraska game, and should enter Week 7 against Ohio State at nearly full strength.
The same cannot be said for Ohio State.
Several key playmakers were unavailable for the Buckeyes this past weekend against Maryland, and OSU suffered further injuries against the Terps. By the time Ohio State's emphatic 45-16 win had concluded, the Buckeyes were down five starters, including three on the offensive line.
Among the Buckeye starters to miss the Maryland game were star RG Austin Siereveld, WR Brandon Inniss, WR Devin McCuin, LB Christian Alliegro, and backup S Leroy Roker III. To make matters worse for the Buckeyes, starting left guard Luke Montgomery went down with a lower body injury in the contest. Furthermore, staring RT Phillip Daniels hasn't played since the Texas game on Sept. 12.
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With so many injuries up front, the Buckeyes had to seriously shuffle around their pieces in the trenches. Most notably, Gabe VanSickle played tackle for the first time in his collegiate career, while Jake Cook moved from tight end to right guard.
Indiana's health is a big advantage heading into Ohio State matchup
The offensive line has been a cause for concern for Ohio State in recent seasons, and right now, it seems to be another area of weakness. With so much uncertainty for the Buckeye offensive line, Indiana's defensive front needs to bring plenty of physicality in an effort to win the battles in the trenches. The Hoosiers have the talent and experience to make it happen, and have been playing better and better as the season has gone on.
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Overall, Indiana's team health seems to be a major advantage over Ohio State right now. Zero regular starters missed the Nebraska game, and no further significant injuries were suffered during the game.
The first Big Ten availability reports for Week 7 are slated to be released on Wednesday and updated each day after that. Given the injury disparity between these two teams, Wednesday's reports will give us a better idea of who is in/out for Saturday's huge matchup.
After winning each of the last two National Championships, both OSU and IU are firmly in the national title chase once again. The Big Ten title race and College Football Playoff picture could look at lot different once this contest wraps up.
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