Buckeyes near full strength for top-three matchup against Texas

COLUMBUS — Ohio State didn’t fully tailor the entire month of August around the season-opening matchup against Texas.

But the Buckeyes certainly went through the last month of work with this game in mind. That’s the deal when opening against the No. 1 team in the country in an epic top-three showdown.

Now on the other side of camp, Ohio State is at full strength — with a few exceptions to depth pieces and walk-on players — for the most anticipated opening game in years — maybe ever for Ohio State.

That’s a result of planning ahead for how camp needed to look. Mission accomplished.

“It’s a great way to start the year — it’s just different,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said this week. “It’s different. And there are positives and negatives to everything. But what a great game to kick off the season with against a great opponent and our guys. But this is why you come to Ohio State. You come to Ohio State to play in games like this. 

“I would say that if it wasn’t the opponent it was, you’d probably see more rotating in this game, and we’ll see more rotating moving forward. But we also have to win this game, and that’s the No. 1 goal here coming out of it. … No disrespect to other teams, but this is what it’s all about.”

No Buckeyes players are questionable, so pregame warmups won’t feature many mysteries aside from a few notable depth chart decisions and starting lineups.

Texas vs. Ohio State is finally here. The entire month of work has led to this.

Questionable for Ohio State

No players are out for the Buckeyes.

Out

SAF Brenton ‘Inky’ Jones
TE Max Leblanc
DT Jason Moore
RB Anthony ‘Turbo’ Rogers
QB/RB Mason Maggs
DT Maxwell Roy
SAF DeShawn Stewart
DT Ahmen Tounkara
WR Preston Wolfe