COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Buckeyes are starting to get healthier as the season moves into the second half and that is a scary proposition for Big Ten foes.

The Buckeyes are looking to get linebacker Dante Booker back soon after being questionable for several weeks. Booker was injured in the first game of the season and has been dealing with a sprained MCL and PCL in his knee.

It appears the long wait is over for Booker as he should find his way back to the field, very soon.

"He is good, he is going to play this week," head coach Urban Meyer said on Wednesday evening.

Fellow linebacker Jerome Baker has played very well in Booker's absence as he slid over to fill in the void left by Dante. Baker is Ohio State's leading tackler with 39 on the season to go with five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a 68-yard INT return for a touchdown and a fumble recovery.

"He is great, he is a guy that we saw that talent last year and that is why we decided to play him," Meyer said. "He missed the first five games and then you start thinking of, I hate that word around here, redshirt, then play him. He is too good of a player. We saw the talent. He is really doing a nice job."

The challenge will be finding ways to get the best 11 players on the field and if that means a rotation, so be it. It has worked so far for the Buckeyes on the defensive line. Meyer has faith that the position coaches will manage the situation properly.

"I don't micromanage how (Luke Fickell) manages his personnel, we need them all. This is a long season," Meyer added. "We have a rotation at defensive end now with Jalyn Holmes, (Sam) Hubbard and (Nick) Bosa and Tyquan (Lewis)."

The Buckeyes have listed more than two starters at two positions on the defensive front. Could something like that be coming at linebacker as well joining Chris Worley and Raekwon McMillan?

"So Dante when he comes back will be a starting linebacker at Ohio State, does that mean he will be on the first team?" Meyer said. "I don't know. But he will play, when he is 100-percent."