Ohio State head coach Ryan Day announced on Tuesday that the Buckeyes are expecting to get Phillip Daniels back from injury heading into their game on Saturday against the Indiana Hoosiers.
Daniels has missed the last four games for the Buckeyes, and his coming back on Saturday might not be a good thing for the Buckeyes right now. Now, in the long run, having their starter back is great news for the Buckeyes as they look to make a run to the College Football Playoffs.
For Saturday, I don't know if Ryan Day and Arthur Smith will even make the call to put Big Phil out there on Saturday.
Chemistry on the offensive line is the number one thing, regardless of who is playing up front. Furthermore, coming back after a month off is a really significant hill to climb and a challenge to overcome for any player.
All of that would be true if Ohio State were playing Kent State, given that the opponent is the reigning National Champions, a major, major challenge.
Up front, the Buckeyes have actually handled his absence fairly well. It's been a slew of different combinations up front for the Buckeyes, but the best group has been Ian Moore, Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman, Gabe Vansickle, and Austin Siereveld.
Instant Analysis: Ohio State Rolls to Solid Victory on the Back of Jeremiah SmithOhio State rolled to a smoother victory over the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday afternoon. The mission was very clear: try to get the run game going, get mor...This group didn't start all that clean, and that is to be expected. However, they showed steady improvements, and then against Iowa and Maryland, they really did a nice job in both the run game and in front of quarterback Julian Sayin.
Indiana's defensive line is the best one that the Buckeyes have faced this year and might be the best one that they see all season long. They are led by Stephen Daley, who lines up on the left side, in front of where Phillip Daniels would be.
Not only is Daley a really good player, but he is one of those Curt Cignetti specials. He is an older player who was granted the ability to come back for another year after his freak accident following the Big Ten Championship game last year. He was literally running around the stadium, high-fiving fans and jumping up to slap hands, and he tore his entire leg. It was really unfortunate, and now he is back for another season.
One thing about the Hoosiers is that no matter what, they are going to be a really tough team to play. They will have the Curt Cignetti attitude and will be hard to beat.
The Buckeyes need to be at their best on Saturday without question, and while it is good news for the big picture of Ohio State's season, it might be a rush to get him back out there too soon this week.