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Ohio State football: Assessing the offensive line after FAU win

Jim Tomlin

By Jim Tomlin

Published:

Ryan Day was a known quantity even as he entered his first full season as Ohio State Buckeyes football coach. He had been around the program for a couple of years and did well when he deputized for the first three games of the 2018 season as head coach in place of the suspended Urban Meyer.

Justin Fields was a slightly less known quantity but he was so hyped coming our of high school and from his brief time at Georgia that the assumption was he’d slide right into the starting quarterback spot and produce right away. Based on the evidence in Saturday’s 45-21 victory over Florida Atlantic, that assumption looks to be correct.

For a real unknown quantity regarding the Ohio State Buckeyes? Look no further than the big dudes up front asked to protect Fields.

OSU’s offensive line returned some experience in the 2019 season, but only one returning stater: Thayer Munford at left tackle.

Right guard Branden Bowen, named a starter just days before the FAU game, provided some inspiration. He returned to play after missing nearly two years with a severe leg injury, which required three surgeries.

Bowen was part of an offensive line that was a big question mark coming into Saturday. Actually, with 11 games left in the regular season, the unit probably is still a question mark.

On the other hand, the line that started against the Owls, though returning just one starter, is not an inexperienced unit. Bowen and left guard Jonah Jackson are seniors (in fact both have graduated), Munford is a junior. Sophomores Wyatt Davis (right tackle) and Josh Myers (center) were the only underclassmen to start.

Even some of the backups who played (Joshua Alabi, Gavin Cupp, Kevin Woidke) are upperclassmen, though several younger lineman were rotated in, including redshirt freshman Nicolas Petit-Frere and true freshman Harry Miller.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Buckeyes used quite a few two-tight end sets — not exactly a new wrinkle but something that featured more often on Saturday than usual, as Day said in his postgame press conference.

“We’re lucky enough to have some tight ends with some experience,” Day said. “And we can put those guys in there and do some things with them as well. I think it brings a different level of preparation for the defense and it’s something we really haven’t done a bunch of here.”

OSU’s offense did just fine, though that might get lost in the 70-plus point explosions from Penn State and Maryland (both against FCS opposition, mind you) on Saturday.

J.K. Dobbins gained 91 yards on 21 carries, with a good chunk of that yardage coming up the middle. But Day pointed out that the execution on the line will be something OSU needs to work on going forward.

“There were a couple things in the zone (running) game where we didn’t fit it quite right up front,” Day said. “A couple guys coming free on that. We’ve got to get that fixed.”

Myers, making his first start in Scarlet and Gray, expressed confidence going forward for the offensive line.

“We definitely have some things we have to clean up,” Myers said. “…I got some guys that can play next to me, that’s for sure.”

If nothing else, the line put a real highlight on tape with Fields’ 51-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The line gave Fields a huge hole and the sophomore speedster burst through it untouched for his first score at The Horseshoe.

Fields can do that kind of thing often, and his passing game looked strong on Saturday. Dobbins, as he has proven in the past, can put up bigger rushing numbers than he did against FAU.

It’s up to a developing offensive line to get them there.

Jim Tomlin

Longtime newspaper veteran Jim Tomlin is a writer and editor for saturdaytradition.com and saturdaydownsouth.com.