Ryan Day spent weeks making it clear that Ohio State’s younger players had to earn their opportunities. Now, injuries are threatening to make that decision for him. The Buckeyes are 5-1 and unbeaten in the Big Ten, but six starters missed their 45-16 win over Maryland. And with undefeated Indiana waiting in Bloomington, Day can no longer afford the luxury of patience. Several freshmen and sophomores stepped up against Maryland, raising an uncomfortable question: Why weren’t they getting more opportunities sooner?

Earlier in the week, Day insisted there was “no time” for slow development amid Ohio State’s roster turnover. Yet players like Legend Bey and Khary Wilder had struggled to crack his rotation. Now, with injuries piling up and championship hopes on the line, Day may have no choice but to trust the same young talent he was reluctant to use. The timing couldn’t be worse, especially with the team that denied Ohio State last year’s Big Ten title up next.

“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. didn’t waste his opportunity against Maryland. Making his first career start opposite Jeremiah Smith, he played 30 snaps and caught a 46-yard pass that set up a field goal. And he wasn’t the only youngster making a case for more playing time. Freshman Brock Boyd logged 28 snaps, while LSU transfer Kyle Parker finally made his Ohio State debut, playing 32 snaps after missing the first five games.

The reshuffling didn’t stop at wide receiver. Sophomore Jake Cook made his first career start at right guard and played all 70 snaps, forcing Gabe VanSickle to shift from right guard to right tackle. On defense, TJ Alford replaced Christian Alliegro and led the linebackers with 31 snaps and four tackles. Cam Calhoun made his second straight start at cornerback, playing 49 snaps while Jermaine Mathews Jr. moved to nickel.

Even freshman Legend Bey, who had struggled to earn opportunities, finally got five offensive snaps and returned kicks.

But Ohio State wasn’t experimenting with its lineup for fun. The injury list was getting difficult to ignore. Receivers Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss were both sidelined, despite McCuin being listed as probable on Friday.

Offensive tackles Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels were also unavailable, with Siereveld ruled out just hours before kickoff because of an illness, according to cleveland.com. Linebacker Alliegro, nickel back Jay Timmons, defensive end Khary Wilder, and safety Leroy Roker also missed the game.

And it’s not as though these injuries just appeared overnight. Daniels hasn’t played since getting hurt against Texas in Week 2, making Maryland his fourth consecutive missed game. Timmons exited the Illinois game in the third quarter on September 26 and subsequently missed Iowa and Maryland. Meanwhile, Inniss and Alliegro had returned against Iowa, only to miss Maryland. That’s hardly the kind of progress Day wants to see before facing an undefeated Indiana team.

There is some hope that Ohio State won’t have to face Indiana with the same depleted lineup. Day admitted Daniels “wasn’t quite ready” against Maryland but suggested he could return for the Hoosiers. As for the others, the Buckeyes will have to wait until Wednesday night’s Big Ten availability reports for more clarity. Left guard Luke Montgomery also appeared to be dealing with a shoulder issue and briefly left the game, according to Eleven Warriors, although Ohio State hasn’t publicly addressed his condition.

“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.”

But injuries aren’t Day’s only headache heading into Bloomington. Even if several starters return, Ohio State still has to fix the sloppy penalties and discipline issues that nearly overshadowed its comfortable win over Maryland. And against Indiana, those mistakes could prove far more expensive.

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.