Ohio State Eyes Right Guard Shakeup Ahead of Cotton Bowl Clash with Miami
DALLAS - If there’s one thing Ohio State knows heading into the College Football Playoff, it’s how to navigate change along the offensive line. And once again, the Buckeyes are making a key adjustment up front as they prepare for their Cotton Bowl quarterfinal showdown with Miami on Wednesday night.
After 13 starts from Tegra Tshabola at right guard, Ohio State is turning the page. The Buckeyes are set to roll with either Gabe VanSickle or Josh Padilla at that spot - a significant move considering the caliber of Miami’s defensive front, one of the most disruptive units left in the playoff field.
“We’ve seen it throughout the year, we’ve had a little bit of a rotation at different times,” offensive line coach Tyler Bowen said. “Josh has had spots.
I think he’s back healthy, excited to get him back going. And then Gabe has really progressed as a redshirt freshman.”
Bowen didn’t tip his hand on who will get the start, nor did he commit to a rotation. But what’s clear is that both VanSickle and Padilla are being prepped for one of the biggest stages in college football - and they’ll need to be ready for a Miami front that brings heat from all angles.
“You have to do a good job of dispersing the reps, to make sure they’re getting the speed that they need going against this front,” Bowen added. “We’ve got a lot of respect for the front we’re going to play. The message to both of them is, ‘Focus on your preparation, focus on what you can control.’”
That preparation has been ongoing for weeks, and the Buckeyes are hoping it pays off. When Tshabola left the Big Ten Championship Game against Indiana earlier this month, it was VanSickle who stepped in. That could be a hint at what’s to come.
VanSickle has logged 136 snaps this season, per Pro Football Focus, including 29 in the conference title game. At 6-foot-5 and 316 pounds, he brings a physical edge in the run game and has slowly worked his way into more meaningful reps.
“I think the UCLA game was when my confidence started to grow,” VanSickle said. “Because I didn’t really play like 40 snaps up until then. Once you start playing more and more snaps, you’re like, ‘I can do this.’”
His 89 combined snaps in the UCLA, Rutgers and Indiana games gave him a chance to settle in - and maybe even earn the job outright. It’s the kind of late-season development that can quietly make a difference in a playoff run.
VanSickle’s growth hasn’t happened in a vacuum, either. He credits fellow lineman Luke Montgomery as a key mentor.
“Luke Montgomery’s been a big guy for me,” VanSickle said. “I’m hanging out with Luke all the time and he’s always telling me tips and tricks, like how to be better in the pass game. It’s really good to have.”
But if VanSickle doesn’t go the distance - or if the Buckeyes need a change mid-game - Padilla stands ready. The sophomore’s been in the mix before and understands the mental grind of staying locked in even when the reps aren’t coming your way.
“Staying mentally engaged is a big thing, just staying in the game,” Padilla said. “When you’re not in, you’re trying to mentally stay in the game, too.
So just acting like you’re out there when you’re not. And when you’re out there, you take advantage of your opportunity.”
And that’s the theme for Ohio State’s offensive line right now: opportunity. The Buckeyes haven’t had true stability at right guard all season, and now they’re heading into the most important game of the year still looking for answers.
But whether it’s VanSickle, Padilla, or a combination of both, the Buckeyes are betting on internal development - not just to hold the line, but to push them one step closer to a national title.