Quarterback Will Howard and the Ohio State offensive line get set before a play against Nebraska on Saturday in Ohio Stadium.
Joshua Keeran | The Gazette
While Ohio State’s loss to Oregon on Oct. 12 was a setback in the team’s path to winning the conference and making the College Football Playoff, the nature of the expanded 12-team postseason meant the Buckeyes were still in full control of their destiny as they left the field that night.
Instead, the biggest loss suffered that night was the loss of starting left tackle Josh Simmons, who suffered a leg injury that abruptly ended the season for arguably Ohio State’s best offensive lineman. And at a position the program has failed to recruit for years at a level equal to other areas of the roster, it was the last thing Ohio State could afford to endure.
That reality was on full display on Saturday as senior Zen Michalski made his first start in place of Simmons and struggled badly to hold his own against a middling Nebraska defense torched by Indiana a week ago for 56 points and nearly 500 yards. The loss of Simmons, and Michalski’s inability to be a serviceable replacement, created a ripple effect that was felt throughout the entire offense as Ohio State managed just 285 total yards and its lowest rushing output of the season with 64 yards.
Ohio State was also 1-10 on third down and 1-2 on fourth down due in large part to the lack of a reliable running game, further underscoring the glaring issues the Buckeyes now face upfront with plenty of high-stakes matchups still to come beginning next week with a top-five showdown at Penn State.
“It’s not good enough,” Day said of the offensive line play. “We have to be able to run the football, and we didn’t do that today. That’s why we put the defense in bad spots. That’s why we were 1-10 on third downs and 1-2 on fourth downs.”
Day later added, “We’re averaging under three yards per carry with Quinshon (Judkins) and TreVeyon (Henderson). That’s not getting it done. We gotta do better than that.”
Ohio State’s issues along the offensive line weren’t isolated to the play of Michalski, but the spotlight was firmly on the senior as he made the first start of his career coming out of two weeks of preparation during the Buckeyes’ second of two bye weeks this season. Rarely did it look like Michalski belonged on the field for a team with national championship aspirations, but Day suggested neither he nor offensive line coach Justin Frye ever considered pulling Michalski from the game at any point throughout the lackluster performance, even as the Ohio State offense sputtered for much of the game to the point of nearly losing a game it simply couldn’t afford to drop.
“We felt like for his first start, he had to play through it,” Day said of the decision not to pull Michalski. “We didn’t want to panic and just pull him out because it’s his first start and there are some things he’s going through, whether it’s first-time jitters or whatever. You’re pressing, so we wanted him to play through that and see how that went.”
Such a decision was taken out of the coaching staff’s hands late in the fourth quarter as Michalski had to be helped off the field and carted to the locker room after suffering a lower-body injury, once again testing Ohio State’s razor-thin depth at tackle.
Following Michalski’s injury, Donovan Jackson, a three-year starter at guard, slid out to tackle, and sophomore Luke Montgomery came into the game at guard for Ohio State’s final two drives that came up empty in opportunities to put the game away. With Michalski’s status uncertain heading into preparation for Penn State, Day and Frye will once again have to scramble to find an answer at left tackle as Penn State defensive end and future first-round draft pick Abdul Carter awaits the Buckeyes on Saturday.
Every option Ohio State will have on the table to address the void at left tackle is unlikely to strike much fear in a talented Penn State defensive front. The Buckeyes could turn to junior George Fitzpatrick to make the first start of his career, on the road at Penn State, or reshuffle their remaining four starters and perhaps slide Jackson or starting right guard Tegra Tshabola to tackle while inserting Austin Siereveld back into the starting lineup after he made two starts to begin the season in Jackson’s absence.
However it ultimately plays out, Day didn’t have an answer on Saturday following the game, which likely speaks volumes about how Ohio State feels about its options even if Michalski is somehow able to play next week.
“We’re gonna have to talk about it and figure it out,” Day said of the plan at tackle moving forward. “We knew if that happened in the game, (moving Jackson) was our answer and solution to get out of the game. Now we’re going to have to go back and figure out what’s next.”
Reach Dillon Davis at 740-413-0904. Follow him on X @DillonDavis56.
