Ryan Day all but admits the Ohio State Buckeyes are debating on pulling a starter following the win over Purdue
Either he’s going to pick it up or someone else will for the Buckeyes.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are now 9-0 and will surely remain at No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings with their 34-10 win over the Purdue Boilermakers in Week 11.
Ohio State used a dominant second quarter to take control and power its way to another victory. After trailing 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Buckeyes scored 24 unanswered points in the second to seize momentum. Purdue has spoiled things for Ohio State a couple of times over the past couple of decades, but that wasn’t happening this time.
Ryan Day addresses RG Tegra Tshabola’s performance against Purdue
Ohio State was without backup offensive lineman Josh Padilla, who had been splitting snaps with Tshabola, as the Buckeyes continued to evaluate their best option at right guard. Tshabola struggled again against Purdue, and head coach Ryan Day acknowledged after the game that improvement is needed at that spot.
“It’s kind of one of those things, we’re going to continue to look at it,” Day said after the game. “I agree [that the play was inconsistent] because I watched it and saw it, but there were also some things that were good. But we need to grade out a champion here. That’s for everybody. That’s what the expectation is. We’re going to make sure, in the end, we’ve got the best guys on the field.”
Padilla’s injury isn’t expected to be a long-term issue, so there’s a good chance the Buckeyes get him back next weekend for their home night game against UCLA in Columbus. If Padilla returns, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him split snaps with Tshabola at right guard following Tshabola’s uneven outing versus the Boilermakers. Padilla has logged 87 total snaps at right guard this season — the only position along the offensive line where the Buckeyes haven’t found full consistency.
Quarterback Julian Sayin faced plenty of pressure against Purdue and was sacked twice — notable, considering he had been sacked only three times all season entering the game. Despite that, Sayin still completed 27 of 33 passes for 303 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. His top target was Jeremiah Smith, who finished with 10 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown, stepping up in the absence of Carnell Tate.
Tshabola started for the Buckeyes last season and played a key role in their national championship run. However, his play this year hasn’t met expectations, and Ohio State knows it needs its best five linemen on the field to defend that title. Don’t be surprised if the Buckeyes make a change at right guard as they enter the stretch run of the season.
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