Posted by ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg
Ohio State starting safety Kurt Coleman most likely will miss Saturday’s season opener against Youngstown State after injuring his ankle in practice this week.
Coleman, who ranked third on the team with 64 tackles last year, would be replaced by sophomore Jermale Hines, a converted linebacker.
Though Coleman’s absence shouldn’t hurt the Buckeyes on Saturday, it’s another loss for a secondary already playing without starting cornerback Donald Washington and reserve Jamario O’Neal, who are suspended for the first two games for an unspecified violation of team rules. Defensive back James Scott wasn’t invited to preseason camp for an unspecified reason.
So many absences could hurt the secondary’s ability to build on-field chemistry before a Week 3 trip to USC.
