Ohio State Buckeyes Receive Major Reinforcements vs. Western Michigan

The Ohio State Buckeyes will have major reinforcements for Week 2 against Western Michigan.

Nov 18, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Cody Simon (30) celebrates a defensive stop on what was nearly an interception with safety Sonny Styles (6) during the NCAA football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ohio Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to take on the Western Michigan Broncos this evening in their Week 2 game. Once again, they are expected to dominate and put together a strong performance on both sides of the football.

Coming into tonight's game, Ohio State will receive two major reinforcements.

Both linebacker Cody Simon and offensive lineman Donovan Jackson will be avallabe to play. Both players were forced to miss Week 1 action amid recovering from injuries.

Having both players back will give the Buckeyes a better look at what they have as a whole. Simon is a key leader and playmaker for the defense, while Jackson is a huge part of the offensive line.

Last week, the Ohio State offensive line was suspect at best. They struggled to provide protection or get a push in the running game. In a matchup with Akron, the line should have dominated all game long.

Simon, the team's 2024 "Block O" recipient, is the vocal leader of the defensive unit. Having him back on the field should help the team in a big way as well.

Despite going up against a much weaker opponent, the Buckeyes will need to focus and take care of business. The Broncos are fresh off of a hard-fought game that they almost won against the Wisconsin Badgers last week. Ohio State may be heavily favored, but Western Michigan isn't going to go down without a fight.

Ryan Day and company need to start much stronger than they did last week. The offense came out extremely sluggish to begin the season. They need to make sure that they fix those early-game issues.

Against the elite teams in the nation, those slow starts could end up being the difference between a national championship and a disappointing season.

All of that being said, the Buckeyes are healthy and will happily welcome both Simon and Jackson back to the field. It will be interesting to see how the team looks after the seaosn opener and a full week of practice.