Ohio State Injury Update: Massive setback for Ryan Day and Co before Nebraska clash

The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes (5-1) lost to the now No. 1 Oregon Ducks (7-0) 32-31 in a competitive matchup on Oct. 12 before having an open week last week. After the loss, the Buckeyes were nursing injuries to several players, so having a week to rest and recover was valuable for the team.

Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, there was an injury to safety Lathan Ransom at practice during the week. He sustained a foot injury, but the severity is not known because the Big Ten does not force teams to release injury reports during the week like some other conferences. Coach Ryan Day spoke about the injury on Tuesday but did not reveal any information.

"We're not going to talk about any other injury situations," he said.

Day did not reveal whether Ransom would be available on Saturday when the team hosts Nebraska. The availability report will be released a few hours before the game, and it is unlikely we get answers before then.

What kind of impact did Lathan Ransom have for Ohio State?

Ransom has been one of the best safeties in the country this season with 29 tackles and five tackles for a loss. He has also forced two fumbles and has a fumble recovery. Along with sophomore Caleb Downs, Ohio State has one of the best safety duos in the nation.

Unfortunately for fifth-year senior Ransom, this is not the first time he has dealt with a setback in his career. He was limited to only nine games last season because of an injury. However, before that, he had a mostly healthy college career, appearing in 47 games for the Buckeyes over five seasons.

How would Ransom's absence affect the Ohio State defense?

If Ransom is unable to suit up for the Buckeyes' game against Nebraska, it would be a big hit to their defense. Ransom is consistently excellent, and without him, the team will need to rely nearly exclusively on Caleb Downs. Downs is a star in his own right, but as a sophomore, he has not had to be relied on as the No. 1 guy yet in his career.

The Buckeyes can likely escape with a win against Nebraska without Ransom, but the game after will be more challenging. After playing the Cornhuskers, Ohio State has a matchup against No. 3-ranked Penn State, which will have huge implications in the Big Ten championship race.