Ohio State football is a considerable favorite according to Nick Saban and the oddsmakers heading into Week 5's game at Iowa. The Buckeyes are high in the latest college football power rankings, but will be forced to face Iowa without one of their best offensive lineman according to On3's Pete Nakos.
Nakos gave an update on two Buckeyes players ahead of the game, and the first one was bad news.
“Ohio State starting OT Phillip Daniels has been ruled out for tomorrow at Iowa,” Nakos said. “Cornerback Jay Timmons remains questionable.”
Article Continues BelowDaniels started his career with the Minnesota Golden Gophers before heading to Columbus to join Ryan Day's program for the 2024 season. He has helped to pave the way for the Buckeyes' Bo Jackson led running game and has helped to protect star QB Julian Sayin, who got a Tom Brady comparison from Day in regards to his pocket presence.
The Buckeyes will miss Daniels' road-grading skills up front, especially against an Iowa defense ranked in the top ten of several different categories. The Hawkeyes' offense showed signs of being a whole lot better this season last week in a thrilling last second win over Michigan, giving them confidence to face the Big Ten giant Buckeyes at home.
Day and the Buckeyes know what Iowa is capable of, and missing Daniels could change the outcome of the game. Expect Ohio State to employ a slightly different scheme up front now that Daniels is out of the game, which could yield surprising results against a Hawkeyes front four with the physicality to make things interesting.