Ohio State is 5-1, unbeaten in the Big Ten, but Ryan Day is running out of time to wait for his starters to get healthy. Six starters missed the Buckeyes’ 45-16 win over Maryland, and with Indiana up next, the mounting injuries are forcing Day to look beyond his usual rotation. Ohio State’s championship ambitions leave little room for the younger players to ease into bigger roles, but several freshmen and sophomores made a strong case for more playing time on Saturday.

Day said earlier in the week that with so much roster turnover, there is “no time” for slow development. Weeks ago he was holding young players like Legend Bey and Khary Wilder out until they earned it. Now with the injuries piled up, Day may have to trust them sooner than he planned.

“Chris Henry Jr., Jake Cook, TJ Alford and Cam Calhoun were among the Buckeyes who played expanded roles vs. Maryland as Ohio State was without six starters,” Eleven Warriors reported via an X post.

Freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. made his first career start at receiver against Maryland opposite Jeremiah Smith and played 30 snaps. He caught a 46-yard pass that set up a field goal. Freshman Brock Boyd played 28 snaps, and LSU transfer Kyle Parker made his Ohio State debut playing for 32 snaps, after missing the first five games.

Jake Cook, a sophomore, also made his first career start at right guard and played all 70 snaps. Gabe VanSickle moved from right guard to right tackle to cover. On defense, Alford started for Christian Alliegro and led the linebackers with 31 snaps and four tackles. Calhoun made his second straight start at corner and played 49 snaps, with Jermaine Mathews Jr. sliding to nickel. Bey, a freshman, also got five offensive snaps and returned kicks.

Receivers Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss did not play, and McCuin was listed as probable on Friday, but his status remained uncertain until game day. Ohio State was also without offensive tackles Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels, with Siereveld ruled out just hours before kickoff because of an illness, according to cleveland.com. Linebacker Alliegro and nickel back Jay Timmons were unavailable as well, while defensive end Khary Wilder and safety Leroy Roker also missed the game.

Some of the injury reports aren’t new, as Daniels hasn’t played since he got hurt at Texas in Week 2, so Maryland was his fourth straight missed game. Timmons left the Illinois game in the third quarter on September 26 and missed Iowa and Maryland. At Iowa, Inniss and Alliegro were both back, which makes his absence on Saturday a step backward.

Day said Daniels “wasn’t quite ready” and mentioned that he could return for the Indiana game. With nothing official on the other players, Ohio State has to wait until Wednesday night for the Big Ten availability reports. Left guard Luke Montgomery also appeared to be playing through a shoulder issue and left a drive before the other starter, according to Eleven Warriors, but the team hasn’t mentioned his health yet.

“I don’t think we’ll get all of those guys back that were on the list, but for sure we’re going to get a good portion of them back for next week,” Day said. “So that’ll be good. And then obviously got to have a good week of practice and stay healthy.”

The injuries are just part of what Ryan Day has to sort out before Bloomington, as the Buckeyes are expected to clean up the penalty issue that cost them during crucial moments.

What Ryan Day wants cleaned up before Indiana

Ohio State was flagged eight times for 65 yards against Maryland, seven of them in the first half. Four penalties on one defensive drive helped Maryland score its only offensive touchdown.

Julian Sayin also turned over the ball twice, including a pick-six. Day called the penalties a reflection of coaching, saying that “That’s not the sign of a good team.”

“Some good there, but we know what it’s going to take next week,” Day said. “We’ve got to keep working towards perfection.”

The Hoosiers are 6-0 after a 20-17 win at Nebraska, and they beat the Buckeyes 13-10 in last year’s Big Ten title game. Ohio State’s front line will be tested as Day relies on young players who aren’t proven starters yet.