In what is expected to be one of the biggest games of the season for Ohio State, the defense — who is already expected to be tested against Michigan State QB Brian Lewerke — will now be without Jerome Baker and Dante Booker, according to Patrick Murphy of 247Sports.
The Buckeyes are expected to release a statement closer to kick-off about the sudden personnel decision.
Last week’s loss to Iowa spotlighted some of the problem areas for the linebacker corp, which came as a bit of a surprise as Baker has been a leader on the defense in his second-year as a starter.