TreVeyon Henderson Return Critical For Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Penn State Nittany Lions

The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes dominated on Saturday despite being without their top-three running backs, but that won't be the case against No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions.

The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes had no problem dismantling the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday, winning 41-7 on the road at Ross-Ade Stadium.

The Buckeyes' victory came despite Ohio State being without their top-three running backs against the Boilermakers: TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams, and Chip Trayanum.

Williams had been ruled out well before kickoff, and Henderson was listed as a game-time decision on Ohio State's inactives report. Trayanum was the premiere back for a majority of the first half, before being taken out of the game with an injury toward the end of the second quarter.

Sophomore rusher Dallan Hayden did the rest of the work on the ground for the Buckeyes even after Trayanum returned to the sidelines wearing all of his gear. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Hayden finished the game with 11 carries, 76 yards and a touchdown.

the Boilermakers got more than he asked for against Ohio State and coach Ryan Day, with the Buckeyes securing a 34-point victory on the road against a Big Ten Conference team without three of his main-four running backs. However, should the availability of the Buckeyes rushers remain the same next week, Ohio State may find itself in trouble.

The Buckeyes host the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions this coming Saturday at Ohio Stadium. Each of Ohio State's position groups will already be asked to play their best game of the season against their highest-ranked opponent yet, even without the running back-room being nearly depleted.

Day has said previously that Henderson's absence with an ankle injury is simply a precaution so he doesn't take the field too early and risk worsening the ailment. According to Day, Henderson could have seen action last weekend against Maryland, but the coaching staff elected to play it safe.

Ohio State's chances of winning this coming Saturday's contest against No. 6 Penn State could end up revolving solely around the availability of Henderson and the rest of the Buckeyes running backs.

One thing is certain, however: Hayden being the only healthy back on the roster will not be enough for the Buckeyes to tame the Nittany Lions.