Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin (56) makes his pre-snap calls as Austin Siereveld (67) and Josh Simmons (71) survey the defensive line in a game against Western Michigan on Sept. 7 in Ohio Stadium.
Joshua Keeran | The Gazette
One of the oldest adages in football is that teams should see the biggest improvements from week one to week two.
In the case of the Ohio State offensive line, that adage appeared rooted in truth as they shook off an uneven performance in a season-opening win over Akron to thoroughly dominate the line of scrimmage in a blowout win over Western Michigan in week two. The Buckeyes wracked up 683 yards of offense, including 273 yards on the ground in their best statistical performance since 2022.
With starting left guard and All-American candidate Donovan Jackson missing the first two games due to injury, Ohio State’s offensive line has featured three new starters on the interior in guards Tegra Tshabola and Austin Siereveld, and transfer center Seth McLaughlin. Both Tshabola and Siereveld were making the first starts of their college careers, while McLaughlin was making his first starts at Ohio State.
Such newness naturally has led to a period of growth as a unit, particularly in terms of communication along the line, but both head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly believe the offensive line was far better aligned in week two compared to the opener.
And with Jackson, a three-year starter, set to return on Saturday when Ohio State takes on Marshall, that communication figures to take another step forward with a proven leader back on the field.
“I think they made pretty good strides from game on to game two, and more from a communication standpoint and being on the same page,” Kelly said on Tuesday. “And now adding Donnie back this week adds a little more depth to the position. Because Austin played really well himself. I think Austin took full advantage of the reps that he got in the two games he was in there. We’ll continue to monitor that situation, but I was really impressed with how they went from game one to game two.”
Day was particularly complimentary of McLaughlin, who made 24 starts at Alabama before transferring this past winter, for his ability to communicate on the field and get everyone aligned. Add in Jackson, who’s made 26 starts in his own right, and Day believes the level of communication will ramp up even more beginning on Saturday.
“I just think he solidifies everything up front,” Day said of Jackson’s return. “Seth has done a very, very good job of communicating across the board. He brings a certain level of experience and stability in there with the communication. And now you add Donovan to it —that’s two guys with a lot of experience. They’re good communicators and very sharp. I just think overall, everyone is going to be on the same page even more and allow guys to communicate well because that’s important. Everything up front is about communication, so the more these guys can communicate and get everybody on the same page, the better we can execute.”
While Jackson and McLaughlin may be the catalysts for how well the offensive line communicates, the onus falls on everyone on the offensive line. That fact was a point of emphasis for offensive line coach Justin Frye and his players during the bye week, and senior right tackle Josh Fryar believes there will be natural progression as they share more time on the field.
“Communication is key,” Fryar said on Wednesday. “I think it progresses (week by week), but at the same time with Austin stepping in and then Donnie is coming back, we’re going to have those pieces together to communicate even more than we did in week two. And then having the bye week and understanding what communication is all about on the line, getting the calls, saying everything, and talking to Tegra or Austin, Donnie or Seth, or even (left tackle) Josh (Simmons).”
Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on X @DillonDavis56.
