Ohio State senior offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) and graduate offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin (56) enter the field for practice Monday preparing for the Rose Bowl Game Wednesday. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
LOS ANGELES — Ohio State’s offensive line has been tested all season, not only by opposing defensive fronts but also by the injuries it has sustained.
The injury curse that came over the offensive line started against Oregon in Ohio State’s heartbreaking 32-31 loss to the Ducks Oct. 12.
In the second quarter, standout left tackle Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury, leaving the Buckeyes in need of a consistent player to protect quarterback Will Howard’s blindside.
The answer, at the time, was Zen Michalski. However, after he was injured in the fourth quarter of his first career start against Nebraska Oct. 26, Ohio State’s All-American left guard Donovan Jackson slid to unfamiliar territory at left tackle.
“It didn’t go as I imagined. I imagined I’d be playing guard the entire year, but stuff happens,” Jackson said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything, I love this group of guys. We’re a very tight-knit group and we’re just fighting to wear the uniform again, one more time.”
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, the season-ending injuries didn’t stop there. Starting center Seth McLaughlin — who later won the Rimington Trophy, an award given to the best center in the country — tore his Achilles tendon Nov. 19 during practice leading up to a top-five clash with Indiana.
Ahead of their matchup against Tennessee, the Buckeyes chose to shake up their interior offensive line, inserting guards Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld into the lineup to allow them to see the field on a more consistent basis.
Leading up to Ohio State’s first-round game against the Volunteers, it was evident that whichever team was able to control the line of scrimmage, both offensively and defensively, was going to be in a prime position to win the game.
And the Buckeyes did that, in a dominating way.
But now, as the team prepares to face Oregon for the second time, a new challenge lies ahead for Ohio State’s makeshift and rotational offensive line — something it didn’t see the first time around in Eugene, Oregon.
That challenge is Ducks defensive end Jordan Burch, who was out due to an injury he suffered in practice days before Ohio State’s first game against Oregon. In only nine games this season, Burch has tallied 8.5 sacks and 11 tackles for a loss.
“He’s a very powerful defensive end,” Jackson said. “The power is there, but just when you think about power, he’ll hit you with finesse and move right past you. We’ll have our hands full. He’s a very talented guy.”
Ohio State right tackle Josh Fryar said the offensive line has to prepare differently because of Burch’s physicality.
“He’s super fast, super agile, super athletic, just all the things you want in a really good defensive end,” Fryar said. “It’s gonna be a really good matchup with me and [ Jackson], and I’m excited to see that.”
The Buckeyes have seen a premier edge rusher before, containing Penn State’s unanimous 2024 All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year edge rusher Abdul Carter en route to a top-five road win at Beaver Stadium.
But the 6-foot-6, 295-pound Burch provides a new challenge for the Buckeyes — one they must limit to win the game and advance to the College Football Playoff Semifinals.
Fryar said the process of getting ready to play a premier edge rusher — whether that’s Carter or Burch — is comparable, despite the players’ differences.
“I think they prepare similarly,” Fryar said. “They’re two different types of players, so I think your gameplan is different for them, but to be honest, I think you compare them as game-wreckers, so you have to prepare for them very intently.”
Though Ohio State’s offensive line faces immense pressure to perform in the Rose Bowl, the Buckeyes’ defensive front four is just as imperative to a win.
When Ohio State fell to Oregon in Eugene, the Buckeyes’ defense played their worst game of the season, failing to record a sack on Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel and allowing him to feel comfortable in the pocket for the entirety of the game.
If Ohio State wants to beat the Ducks in Pasadena, California, the team must put Gabriel under pressure in the pocket, especially with just a four-man rush.
“You gotta make him move, make him beat you with his feet,” defensive tackle Tyleik Williams said. “He’s a great passer, you can’t just let him sit in the pocket or he’s gonna dial you up.”
The good news for the Buckeyes? That defensive unit is playing the best football it has all season. Against Tennessee, edge rushers JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer combined for 3.5 sacks to help lead Ohio State to a convincing 42-17 win.
Tuimoloau said he wants to carry that momentum into the Rose Bowl.
“We just need to continue off that last game, continue to build off each other and continue to stay grounded,” Tuimoloau said. “[We need to] stay disciplined and just stay within our gameplan and understand what we have to do.”
The Buckeyes must win the line of scrimmage, both by slowing down Oregon’s explosive offensive and containing its defensive line, if they want to secure a spot in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl Jan. 10.
Whether or not they can remains to be seen.
