Ohio State’s potential ‘fatal flaw’ is easy to see, and it could be the final straw in Ryan Day’s career in Columbus
At Ohio State, there is pressure to beat Michigan and compete for a National Championship every year. The Buckeyes have come up short of beating Michigan recently and have fallen short at the National Championship as well, despite reaching the game once under Ryan Day. Ryan Day’s seat is plenty warm after falling to Michigan […]
At Ohio State, there is pressure to beat Michigan and compete for a National Championship every year. The Buckeyes have come up short of beating Michigan recently and have fallen short at the National Championship as well, despite reaching the game once under Ryan Day.
Ryan Day’s seat is plenty warm after falling to Michigan a fourth straight time. A lot was invested into this roster that the Buckeyes have, and results should be expected with it.
If the Buckeyes were to flop in the College Football Playoff, it would not surprise anyone if Ohio State opted to move on from Day.
Ohio State’s potential biggest downfall in the College Football Playoff is easy to see
The Buckeyes had a strong offensive line the first few weeks of the season and then the injuries began. Ohio State has worked around the injuries as best as possible, but their lack of depth and strong recruiting is showing to some extent. A to Z Sports’ Ryan Roberts labeled the ‘fatal flaw’ for each team in the playoff and Ohio State’s was no other than the offensive trenches.
“Donovan Jackson has filled in admirably at left tackle, but there’s no questioning it’s a little out of his comfort zone. The same can be said for Carson Hinzman at center. Early in the season, this offensive line was playing at an incredibly high level. Unfortunately, those two injuries to Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin have really set that unit back.” – Ryan Roberts
Jackson moving to left tackle has been a chance for him to showcase his versatility, which has been a good opportunity for a player who is expected to be selected in the NFL draft come April. Jackson has done as well as you can ask of him at tackle, considering he did not have prior experience of playing it in Columbus. Still, the Buckeyes miss Josh Simmons, as was always going to be the case when the top tackle draft prospect went down with an injury.
Seth McLaughlin was a huge pickup for the Buckeyes, even if it didn’t look like it would be when he first transferred to Ohio State. His Achilles injury in practice was a very unfortunate happening. He has been a coach on the field, calls out protections on the line, and was an overall really good player up front for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State moving Carson Hinzman back to center and Austin Siereveld to guard has given both players an opportunity to make a name for themselves. Hinzman was playing well at guard before moving to center, but he had experience snapping the ball, so he was needed thereafter McLaughlin went down.
If the Buckeyes want to win it all, they are going to have to beat some very good defensive fronts that will put pressure on this offensive line. The offensive line crumbling could be the final straw for Day, especially if it happens early on in the playoff. We are less than two weeks away from Tennessee bringing a good defensive front to Columbus, led by James Pearce Jr., who will be a very high draft pick come April.
