Ohio State’s offense is about to lean harder on Carson Hinzman than ever.
With star quarterback Julian Sayin out and possibly done for the season, the Buckeyes are turning to true freshman Luke Fahey, and that puts a premium on the people around him. At the top of that list is Hinzman, Ohio State’s center and a first-team All-American in 2025, who now becomes an even more important part of the operation as the Buckeyes prepare to start Fahey next Saturday against USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
That matchup comes with an odd wrinkle: USC is unranked, but it also has six wins, the same total Ohio State owns as the No. 2 team in the country.
For Ryan Day’s offense, Hinzman is more than just another veteran body in the line. He handles the communication up front, and that job only gets more demanding with a freshman quarterback taking over. His protection calls and line adjustments will have a bigger impact now, because every pre-snap decision matters more when the passer under center is still learning on the fly.
The Buckeyes also have a real strength in the middle of the offensive line. Hinzman is surrounded by Luke Montgomery on the left side, where he has been strong in pass protection, and Austin Siereveld on the right, who can kick out to tackle when needed. Together, that group will be tasked with keeping Fahey upright while also helping the run game shoulder more of the load.
Hinzman may not carry the same profile as the linemen next to him, but his experience is hard to miss. He has more than 40 starts for Ohio State, and that kind of seasoning matters even more now that the Buckeyes are handing the offense over to a freshman.
The first hurdle is simple enough to say and harder to manage: getting everyone synced up on cadence. Fahey won’t sound the same as Sayin at the line, and Hinzman acknowledged how important that process is.
“For us to get on the same page is really important, and that takes a little bit of time”, said Hinzman recently.
From there, the offense is expected to change shape. The playbook will be trimmed down, with longer-developing concepts giving way to easier rhythm throws.
Downfield shots likely won’t be a regular feature right away, with Ohio State expected to ask Fahey to stay patient in the pocket and let routes develop only when the timing is there. In the short game, slants and hooks figure to become the foundation.
That adjustment changes life for the offensive line too. Hinzman and the rest of the front shouldn’t have to hold blocks as long as they did with Sayin. But they’ll also have to be ready to move, because the screen game should become a bigger part of Ohio State’s answer on offense.
And then there’s the run game, which suddenly carries more weight. Hinzman will be central there as well, whether the Buckeyes are trying to create lanes between the tackles or open things up on the edges.
With Fahey stepping in, Hinzman is the steadying force Ohio State will count on most. The Buckeyes need that kind of presence if they’re going to get in rhythm quickly and keep their championship hopes alive through the second half of the season.
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