The Ohio State Buckeyes took care of business in Week 6 of the college football season with a 45-16 blowout win over the Maryland Terrapins. Ohio State moved to 5-1, and much of the talk after the game doesn’t have to do with what went down on the field.

Coming away from the game, the Buckeyes have some worry going forward. Ohio State played without several starters against Maryland. Next up is the biggest game of the year to date, a top-10 Big Ten matchup with Indiana on the road. There’s some concern those absences could carry over to that game.

Ohio State’s offensive line had to shuffle without Austin Siereveld

The biggest absence came up front. Ohio State played without starting offensive lineman Austin Siereveld against the Terrapins. He was not on the availability report all week, and he’s dealing with a non-football injury.

That raises a fair question about whether Siereveld is going to be able to return against Indiana or whether this is a longer-term issue. His absence came out of nowhere, and there isn’t a whole lot of clarity on what’s going on with him. That makes Siereveld the biggest mystery on the roster heading into the week.

Without Siereveld, the Buckeyes moved Gabe VanSickle from right guard to right tackle. Ohio State then inserted sophomore Jake Cook at right guard. The shuffle held up fine against Maryland. Still, a road game against a top-10 Indiana team is a much different test for a reworked right side of the line.

Several more Buckeyes starters sat out against Maryland

Siereveld wasn’t the only regular missing. Ohio State also played without starting wide receivers Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss. On the defensive side, linebacker Christian Alliegro did not suit up either. The Buckeyes were also without freshman quarterback Jay Timmons. 

Missing two starting receivers in the same game is the kind of thing that can slow down an offense. Ohio State still put up 52 points without them, which speaks to the depth the Buckeyes have at the position. However, Indiana is going to present a far tougher challenge than Maryland did, and having a full receiver room will matter on the road.

Questions need answers before the Indiana game

Several of these names should return for the Buckeyes next week, but it’s not a lock that all of them will. The status of Siereveld, Inniss, and Alliegro will be worth watching as the week goes on. Each one plays a significant role, and Ohio State would like to have all three back for a game of this magnitude. With McCuin and Timmons being game-time decisions against Maryland, you would think they will play against Indiana. 

Ohio State is 5-1 and rolling after a dominant showing against the Terrapins. The game against Indiana on Saturday is where the Buckeyes find out where they stand, and several questions have to be answered before kickoff. The coming days will tell how close to full strength Ohio State will be.