Ohio State head coach Ryan Day offered some much-needed relief on Tuesday, confirming that key starters Zion Grady and Phillip Daniels avoided long-term injuries during the Buckeyes’ painful 24-23 loss at Texas.

During a conversation with the media, Ryan Day added that he does not expect starting defensive end Zion Grady or right tackle Phillip Daniels to miss significant time, according to Ohio State beat writer Dan Hope. However, will they be available for Saturday’s matchup against Kent State? Well, it is quite uncertain for now.

On paper, facing a heavy underdog like Kent State gives Ohio State the perfect cushion to rest both starters. But with one loss already on their record, the Buckeyes have zero room for another stumble if they want a top seed in the College Football Playoff. Taking care of business early on Saturday will be crucial so Ryan Day can pull his key guys and avoid further damage.

Grady was injured in the second quarter immediately after a first-down run by the Texas Longhorns. The defensive end remained on the turf, favoring his right leg, and had to be helped off the field by Buckeyes trainers. He was later diagnosed with a right knee sprain and spent the rest of the game wearing a leg brace and riding the stationary bike.

Speaking of Daniels, he was injured midway through the fourth quarter on Ohio State’s second-to-last offensive drive. Trainers attended to his right leg on the field after the play before helping him exit. After the game, it was reported that he had suffered a lower-body injury.

Neither player has a history of major structural injuries, though Daniels did miss time during spring camp for a minor cleanup procedure. Still, losing two core starters on both sides of the line at once tests Ohio State’s depth big time. Day has historically been cautious with nicked-up starters early in the season, meaning backup reps will be critical this week to keep the rotation steady.

Both are important parts of the team, and without them, Ohio State’s weaknesses in the pass rush were exposed early. The Buckeyes shuffled several defensive linemen into unfamiliar roles but struggled to replace the impact of the injured players, giving Arch Manning enough room to take advantage of the situation.

Ohio State managed just 13 pressures on 46 dropbacks after that, while Manning averaged 3.58 seconds to throw.

Now 1-1 and ranked No. 6, the Buckeyes are heading into Week 3 looking to identify what went wrong in their heartbreaking loss last Saturday. Even head coach Ryan Day admitted that the defeat was disappointing.

Ryan Day Admits Ohio State’s Brutal Loss Was “Maddening”

Texas Longhorns finally avenged last year’s loss on Saturday, stunning the Buckeyes 24-23 and leaving Ohio State head coach Ryan Day facing some uncomfortable questions. With the Buckeyes looking to fix their mistakes before tougher opponents arrive, Day addressed the media Tuesday and offered his take on the collapse.

“It’s extremely frustrating, it’s maddening, and we’re excited to get back on the field and get going because the last couple of days haven’t been fun around here,” Day said. “Had some really good conversations with the guys. I think they’re going to be in a good mindset moving forward. We understand we have a lot of football ahead of us. So this highlighted some things that we got to get fixed.”

This was the first time in program history that they had lost after leading by 17 or more points at halftime. The collapse came after Texas scored on its final three drives. Ryan Day also acknowledged that his aggressive decisions, including a failed fourth-down attempt, contributed to the meltdown.

“When it’s time to go win the game, we all have to be on the same page, and we have to live with the result. Just like we throw the ball on third-and-4 to Jeremiah (Smith) on a fade to go win the game (in the fourth quarter). Yeah, I absolutely own that. We didn’t have enough answers in the fourth quarter to go win the game, but we will moving forward.”

Now the question is: Have Ryan Day, and the Buckeyes done enough to change their fate in the coming weeks?