Ohio State’s defensive line in general and one player in particular can’t buy a health break.
On the weekly status report released late Friday morning, OSU listed three prominent linemen as unavailable for this weekend’s game against Miami (Ohio) -- ends Jonathon Cooper and Tyreke Smith as well as tackle Robert Landers.
This will mark the fourth straight game Cooper has missed to start the 2019 campaign. An unspecified injury, believed to be a high-ankle sprain, sidelined the senior for the season-opening win over Florida Atlantic as well as the Week 2 romp over Cincinnati and Week 3 throttling of Indiana.
As a true junior last season, Cooper started all 13 games for the Buckeyes and was credited with 25 tackles, 6½ tackles for loss, 2½ sacks and two quarterback hits. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors for his play in 2018.
Landers has served as the Buckeyes’ No. 2 nose tackle for the first quarter of the season. Smith missed the opener because of injury but had played in the last two games, getting the start in last Saturday’s conference opener.
With both Cooper and Smith sidelined, true freshman Zach Harrison will get the start opposite preseason All-American Chase Young.