Luke Montgomery isn’t buying the grade sheet.
After Ohio State’s 31-14 win over Iowa at Kinnick Stadium this past Saturday, the Buckeyes’ left guard was named PFF’s Big Ten left guard of the week. Gabe VanSickle and Jeremiah Smith also earned honors from the analytics service. Montgomery, though, made it clear he doesn’t put much stock in any of it.
“I really don’t look at those things. I think it’s really dumb,” Montgomery said. "They don’t really know what they are talking about when it comes to the offensive line."
He even has a nickname for PFF: “pfft.”
That skepticism gets at the larger argument around offensive line evaluation. PFF grades players one by one, but the job up front rarely works that way.
The line is built on timing, trust and shared responsibility, and the interior especially lives in that space. A guard can do everything right and still be tied to what happens next to him.
That’s the same reason the Joe Moore Award exists as a unit honor rather than a collection of individual prizes. As Aaron Taylor has explained, offensive line play is rooted in teamwork, not isolated snapshots.
"We're playing against players that are equally as strong as us, but oftentimes more athletic. So our technique has to be refined, and we are also the only position where every single play is dependent on somebody else playing adjacent to us and in combination with them," Taylor said.
"Walk-on or All-American alike, it doesn't matter. There is equity in the room, and all that is required. If you sacrifice yourself and your ego for the greater good and give everything you have."
That tension between individual grades and collective reality is especially relevant for Ohio State right now because of the injury situation on the right side. Ryan Day said he’s pleased with how the offensive line has handled Phillip Daniels’ ongoing lower-leg injury, even as the Buckeyes wait for Daniels to come back.
Austin Siereveld has moved from right guard to right tackle, and VanSickle has stepped into the guard spot. Day said the staff will have to sort out what Daniels’ return looks like once he’s ready.
“I’ve always felt like you know you don’t lose a position just because you get injured. That being said, I think there’s a little bit of rhythm going on right there, so we’ll have to identify that as it goes," Day said.
Day also said the team expected Daniels back sooner than he has been able to return. This week, Daniels has been limited in practice and may be eased back into the rotation.
The coach said Ohio State is “anxious” to get Daniels back. For now, though, the Buckeyes’ depth and experience up front have helped keep things steady while he’s out.
In Other News...
Jeremiah Smith Is Giving Ohio State Fans New Rivalry Ammo
Jeremiah Smith has done more than look like Ohio States most dangerous pass-catcher. Through five games, the sophomore wideout has piled up 823 receiving yards, 44 catches and nine touchdowns, production that has made him the national leader among wide receivers and given Buckeyes fans plenty of ammunition in a rivalry that rarely needs extra fuel. With Ohio State humming near the top of the sport in scoring, passing and total offense, Smith has been a centerpiece of an attack that looks every bit as imposing as advertised.
Across the border, Michigans offense has had a harder time finding that kind of rhythm. Bryce Underwoods passing numbers have been modest by comparison, and the Wolverines have lingered near the bottom of the national rankings in several offensive categories, a sharp contrast to Ohio States efficiency. For Buckeyes fans, Smiths emergence adds another layer to the annual debate over which side has the better firepower, even if the most important chapter in that argument still waits to be written. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Growing Devin Sanchez Problem To Fix Fast
Devin Sanchez has been drawing too much attention for the wrong reasons over the last two games, with the sophomore cornerback flagged multiple times for pass interference and now sitting at five penalties on the season. It has become a real issue for Ohio States secondary, because the Buckeyes can live with aggressive coverage, but not the kind that repeatedly hands opponents free yardage and extends drives.
Ryan Day has already made clear the answer starts with better composure and cleaner technique, and secondary coach Tim Walton is working on a plan to address it in practice. The timing matters with Maryland coming next and a passing offense that will put Sanchez back in the spotlight, giving him a chance to show the kind of correction Ohio State needs fast. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio Prospect Brydon Feister Is Stuck In A Fight Fans Need To Watch
The eligibility case involving Brydon Feister has become one more offseason subplot worth watching in northeast Ohio, where high school football and basketball families know how much can ride on a ruling like this. Brydon and his brother Brayton, both from Massillon, were ruled ineligible by the Ohio High School Athletic Association after a transfer dispute centered on whether the familys move was made for athletic reasons, a judgment that can reshape a players immediate future even before any college talk gets louder.
For Ohio State fans, the interest goes beyond one local prospect and into the broader question of how quickly this can be settled. The Feisters maintain the move was about residence, while the OHSAA has taken the opposite view, and now the matter is in Stark County Common Pleas Court, where a judge is expected to rule Friday on whether the associations decision will stand. The next step could determine how long Brydon stays stuck in limbo. [Read more 🡒]