Ohio State football: Questions on offensive line as Penn State prep begins

Oct. 29—COLUMBUS — The starting offensive line Ohio State takes into its next big game of the 2024 season remains to be seen.

Head coach Ryan Day said Tuesday that Zen Michalski (leg injury) has not been ruled out yet as the fourth-ranked Buckeyes begin preparations for a trip to Penn State, where they will take on the third-ranked Nittany Lions.

If Michalski is healthy, he will make his second straight start at left tackle, where he is replacing Josh Simmons, who suffered a season-ending knee injury at Oregon on Oct. 12.

If Michalski can’t go, left guard Donovan Jackson could move out to tackle. He would be replaced by sophomore Luke Montgomery or redshirt freshman Austin Siereveld.

Siereveld, a Lakota East grad, started at left guard when Jackson was injured the first two games of the season, and he has been sharing playing time at right guard with Lakota West grad Tegra Tshabola since Jackson’s return.

“You’ve got to put the best lineup out there and have enough to not only just win this game but be able to play the rest of the season,” Day said. “So you’ve got to think of a short-term plan and then you’ve got to come up with a long-term plan. So we’ll do everything we can to win this game and that’s what the focus is right now.”

Although Michalski appeared to struggle with Nebraska edge rushers before he was injured late in Ohio State’s 21-17 win Saturday, Day indicated the staff likes the prospect of plugging him in without disrupting the rest of the lineup.

“We’re not going to all of a sudden radically change what we do,” Day said. “We just have to move some things around if Zen can’t go and then continue to do what we’ve been doing.”

Whoever is in the lineup, the Buckeyes will look for a much better performance than they received last time out.

Quarterback Will Howard was hurried frequently, and the running game…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ohio-state-football-questions-offensive-010900425.html

Author : Dayton Daily News, Ohio

Publish date : 2024-10-30 01:09:00

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