ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Ohio State has wanted to play with depth this season.
That’s not to suggest the Buckeyes haven’t been using the strength and depth of the roster to win games, but they certainly wanted to empty the bench and give young players more in-game reps in blowouts, which hasn’t happened. There was a time when they thought they could probably show off depth and have younger players take snaps on both sides of the ball when they were up 28 in the third quarter two weeks ago, for example, but a furious Indiana rally derailed that.
And now with little opportunity through four games, some of those backups — who haven’t played as much as Ohio State hoped — may just be have to step into starting roles as COVID-19 positive tests have sidelined some undisclosed Buckeyes.
“We’re just practicing a lot of depth,” defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs said. “We’re not playing a lot of depth. Some of that is a function of the way these second halves have gone. That’s something that we would like to be able to do. That leap of faith is a big one.”
The Buckeyes may be forced into that jump as positive tests came through the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and sidelined some players for 21 days. That’s the bad news.
The good news for the country’s No. 4 team? The Buckeyes may not have the experience they would like to have from their backups, but the talent is there. Ohio State has plenty of that. The Buckeyes have perennially recruited as well as any other program.
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