The Ohio State offensive line attempts to move past the line of scrimmage during the second half of the game against Michigan on Nov. 24. Ohio State won 62-39. Credit: Amal Saeed | Assistant Photo Editor
Ohio State is breaking the conventions of football in 2019, albeit in a subtle way.
After he named the five starting offensive linemen at press conferences Tuesday, head coach Ryan Day gave a separate set of names.
“I think when you play to a certain level, you deserve to play,” Day said.
Day said that redshirt senior tackle Joshua Alabi, redshirt freshman tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and freshman center Harry Miller will rotate with the starters on Saturday.
Many fans recall then-junior receiver Binjimen Victor’s critical 47-yard touchdown catch-and-run that catalyzed a 12-point fourth-quarter comeback victory against Penn State in 2019. Few noted the work required by the offensive line to give then-redshirt sophomore quarterback Dwayne Haskins time to throw the ball.
The Nittany Lions brought seven pass rushers on that play. Then-senior right tackle Isaiah Prince took one defensive end, and then-junior Michael Jordan took a defensive tackle, which allowed then-redshirt senior right guard Demetrious Knox to pull and take a linebacker blitzing off the left edge.
However, that blitzing linebacker twisted around then-redshirt junior tight end Rashod Berry’s man, meaning he had to fan out so Knox could pick up the blitzer. Junior left tackle Thayer Munford completed the pass protection scheme by blocking down on a defensive tackle and sliding off to stall another blitzing linebacker.
It sounds complicated because it is –– and it was all communicated in mere seconds, mostly in unspoken terms.
Depth is important in football. But there are two position groups that traditionally aren’t rotated: quarterback and offensive line, and it’s because of situations like the one against Penn State. Chemistry is essential to blocking success, and chemistry is developed best when the five men up front are always the same.
However, Day believes the Buckeyes have too much depth not to utilize it.
“The calls are the calls. They know each other,” Day said. “They’re in meetings every day. They’re around each other every day. They communicate.”
One starter who could get subbed out frequently is redshirt senior tackle Branden Bowen.
Bowen is starting for the first time since a season-ending injury in 2017, beating out Petit-Frere for the right tackle spot.
Bowen values the depth of his fellow offensive linemen, however, and believes that the room is close enough that rotation won’t negatively affect their chemistry.
“We have people like [senior guard] Jonah Jackson, who’s just gotten into this program, yet he still has the knowledge and ability to help the younger players,” Bowen said. “It’s just really [about] bringing along those guys and getting them up to our level, and our level of play so that they can go in the game and not miss a beat.”
Asked later on Tuesday what the best attribute of the offensive line room is, Bowen gave an answer that is a strong indicator that Ohio State could rotate up front and still perform well.
“Our chemistry,” Bowen said. “The room this year has a really different feel that I haven’t been around [before]. We’re all really good friends. We all hang out.”
Rotating players at any position does provide clear advantages. Stars are fresher at the end of games, and it can spread wear to help prevent injuries.
As for when and how much the Buckeyes will rotate, offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said it depends on a number of factors.
“That’ll be a feel on the sideline that [offensive line] coach [Greg] Studrawa will have,” Wilson said. “Does a guy need a blow? Does a guy need to sit down and calm down? Does a guy need some motivation? Has the other guy practiced and played well enough that he’s gonna help us?”
Wilson said it won’t be a revolving door. An entire second unit won’t come on for the Buckeyes, rather, occasional substitutions at individual positions will be made based on the questions above.
Ohio State gets a few weeks to toy with the rotation before it faces a high-caliber pass rush. Saturday, it faces Florida Atlantic, which finished tied for No. 91 out of 129 Division I college football teams in sacks this past season. The team’s week two opponent, Cincinnati, finished tied for No. 45, but lost its sack leader in defensive tackle Cortez Broughton.
