Ohio State’s shut name in opposition to Nebraska revealed a weak spot that might derail title hopes

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Simply three weeks in the past, Ohio State dominated Iowa with a bodily efficiency in opposition to one of many nation’s premier run defenses. The Buckeyes appeared like they had been hitting their stride up entrance and will win video games within the trenches.

Issues can change quick in school soccer. Now, after a 21-17 win over Nebraska, an incapacity to dominate within the trenches may show to be the Buckeyes’ undoing.

Ohio State ran for simply 64 yards and averaged a season-low 2.1 yards per carry in opposition to the Huskers. In keeping with TruMedia, it averaged simply 0.79 yards per rush earlier than contact, its fourth-worst mark since 2019. It gave up two sacks and 6 pressures on quarterback Will Howard because the offense struggled to seek out its rhythm and went your complete third quarter with no first down.

There have been some modifications up entrance with left deal with Josh Simmons out for the season because of a knee harm. Zen Michalski stepped in for him Saturday, however he struggled mightily till he went down with an harm within the fourth quarter. Michalski, who was on crutches on the sideline, wasn’t the reply, and Ohio State doesn’t have a solution but as to who will begin at left deal with in a possible top-five matchup subsequent Saturday at Penn State, which entered this week ranked third within the FBS in stress charge.

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Who will change Michalski? Can that particular person be adequate to keep away from a drop-off elsewhere on the road? Due to its recruiting struggles on the offensive line, Ohio State shouldn’t be actually outfitted to even face these questions. Now Ryan Day, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and offensive line coach Justin Frye have to seek out solutions quick as a result of their Large Ten and nationwide championship hopes depend upon it.

Throughout preseason camp, Ohio State’s offensive linemen bought hit with an sickness that went by way of your complete place group. Coaches spent weeks switching gamers out and in of the lineup, protecting others at residence sick and giving a few of the bench gamers reps in opposition to the defensive starters.

Day, as any coach would do, spun that right into a optimistic, saying that it provides the Buckeyes extra depth than they initially anticipated.

“Guys had been compelled into an early camp and needed to reply,” Day stated Tuesday.

Ohio State is 6-1, however Nebraska pushed it to the restrict. (Joseph Maiorana / Imagn Photographs)

Halfway by way of the season, that depth is being examined in a approach no one may’ve anticipated.

Beginning left guard Donovan Jackson missed the primary two video games of the season, forcing Austin Siereveld into the lineup. He’s now rotating with proper guard Tegra Tshabola. Ohio State lastly bought wholesome earlier than the Oregon recreation, then watched as Simmons went down with a season-ending knee harm.

That thrust the redshirt junior Michalski into his first profession begin. Regardless of his struggles, which included permitting a sack on the primary drive and a sack that led to a fumble later within the recreation, Day didn’t take into consideration pulling him.

“I felt like for his first begin he needed to play by way of it,” Day stated. “We didn’t need to panic and simply pull him out. It’s your first begin, so there’s some stuff you’re going by way of. … We needed him to play by way of that and see how that went.”

That’s an comprehensible response from a coach, although there additionally wasn’t one other reply at deal with except Ohio State moved gamers round. It didn’t need to do this mid-game except Michalski bought damage, which he in the end did. That compelled Jackson to maneuver out to deal with.

The following-man-up mentality is a training cliche that sounds good till you run by way of so many gamers that the subsequent man up isn’t able to play. The wholesome scholarship offensive tackles left on the roster are redshirt sophomore George Fitzpatrick, freshman Ian Moore and freshman Deontae Armstrong. They don’t seem to be prepared.

The following-best situation is to maneuver Jackson to deal with and Luke Montgomery to protect, just like the Buckeyes did in opposition to Nebraska. Ohio State will mull different choices this week.

Ohio State has no one guilty however itself for the depth points on the road getting this unhealthy. Its recruiting failures alongside the offensive line made one thing like this a worst-case situation all offseason.

On the highschool entrance, it did not recruit gifted tackles for years. Ohio State hit on Jackson, a five-star, and Tshabola, a four-star, however they each moved inside since arriving in Columbus. After them, the highest two tackles since 2021 had been Fitzpatrick and Michalski, who didn’t look able to play regardless of being in his fourth season. That’s not adequate.

Then there’s the switch portal. Ohio State did a pleasant job including Simmons from San Diego State earlier than the 2023 season, creating him into a possible first-round decide. It additionally did a pleasant job of getting Seth McLaughlin from Alabama to play heart this 12 months. And but depth remains to be missing.

All of it has put Ohio State within the state of affairs it’s in now, coming off an abysmal efficiency through which neither TreVeyon Henderson nor Quinshon Judkins — two of the nation’s most gifted operating backs — had greater than 30 yards dashing in opposition to a Nebraska workforce that gave up 215 yards and 5 touchdowns on the bottom to Indiana per week earlier.

Day stated he thought it was an execution downside, together with Nebraska performing some new issues.

“It’s not adequate,” Day stated. “We have now to have the ability to run the soccer and we didn’t do this in the present day.”

Whatever the reasoning, Ohio State has to get this fastened.

Ohio State is 6-1 general and 3-1 within the Large Ten, dropping solely by a degree to Oregon. It nonetheless has all of its objectives on the desk: the Large Ten title, the Faculty Soccer Playoff and the nationwide title. However the query stays: Does Ohio State have the our bodies up entrance to achieve these objectives by beating Penn State, Indiana, Michigan — and maybe Oregon within the Large Ten title recreation — and anyone else it could play within the Playoff?

The Buckeyes appeared like they had been erasing these considerations not too way back, however abruptly Day is below stress once more to seek out solutions.