Ohio State left its season opener with a blowout win and a familiar headache.
The Buckeyes rolled past Ball State by 53 points Saturday, but the offensive line still gave plenty of reason for concern after a second look. Buckeye Talk’s Stephen Means and Stefan Krajisnik both came away from the rewatch thinking the same thing: the pass protection issues that helped sink Ohio State last season are still hanging around.
Krajisnik didn’t soften it. “Wasn’t great in real time. It wasn’t great on on rewatch either.”
What stood out wasn’t just the pressure, but the way it came. Ohio State had passing plays that took too long to develop, and Ball State’s simulated pressures and stunts exposed communication problems up front.
The Cardinals arrived in Columbus with nearly 60 new players, but they still found ways to make the Buckeyes uncomfortable. On one sack, running back Ja’Kobi Jackson completely missed a blitzing defender in protection.
On another, an unblocked rusher came straight through the middle while center Carson Hinzman appeared to be blocking air. At one point, coach Ryan Day was on the sideline with a tablet, giving his linemen a clear message.
Means tied it directly to what went wrong a year ago: “If you had to say what cost Ohio State a game last year, what cost them a national championship last season, it would be the offensive line and the way they performed and Julian Sayin’s inability or unwillingness to run consistently.”
Sayin looked better in that one area against Ball State. The line, though, did not look like it had solved its bigger problem.
That’s what makes the simulated pressure issue so unsettling. Ohio State knew for months that stunts and manufactured blitzes were part of the formula that ended its season, and Ball State still used that look to create trouble in Week 1. The obvious question now is what happens when Texas brings similar concepts this weekend.
Right tackle Phillip Daniels had a rough day. He was beaten on the opening play, beaten again on the second series, and then lost his assignment late when a delayed blitz broke down the communication. Backup guard Gabe Van Sickle played two series, and the unit didn’t seem to fall apart with him on the field - which only adds more doubt about whether the right tackle job is truly settled.
Austin Siereveld’s role only adds another layer of uncertainty. He entered the offseason expecting to play left tackle, then moved to right guard, a switch he said he initially hated.
In theory, he could wind up at right tackle too if Daniels can’t hold onto the spot. Any more shuffling there would come with real costs in chemistry and communication, and those issues were already visible against Ball State.
The timing couldn’t be more uncomfortable. Ohio State heads to Texas this weekend, and Colin Simmons, one of college football’s premier edge rushers, will be lined up across from Daniels and the Buckeyes’ front.
“Saturday might be as big for Phillip Daniels as anyone on this Ohio State roster,” Krajisnik said.
He also pointed out the obvious counterpoint: Daniels did hold Simmons in check in last year’s matchup, and that will be part of the defense of his play.
Still, if Simmons wins the rematch decisively, the pressure on Daniels is going to spike fast. And with it comes a louder, harder question for Ohio State: what, exactly, changed on this offensive line?
In Other News...
Ohio State Faces A More Dangerous Texas Test Than Last Year
The rematch on the schedule already carries enough weight, but this one comes with a different feel for Ohio State. The Buckeyes and Texas are meeting for the third straight year, only this time it is in Austin at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, with ESPNs College GameDay on hand and the Longhorns carrying a 1.5-point edge. After the last two seasons gave both programs a fresh look at each other, the matchup now arrives with even more attention and a bigger stage.
For Ohio State, the challenge is not just the venue or the buildup, but the version of Texas waiting on the other side. Arch Manning gives the Longhorns a new layer at quarterback, while new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp adds a familiar edge to that side of the ball. For a Buckeye team used to measuring itself against the nations best, this one feels less like another early heavyweight game and more like a true test of how much has changed since the last time these teams lined up. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Kienholz Just Sparked An Ohio State QB Debate
Lincoln Kienholz spent enough time around Ohio State to know how unforgiving the quarterback conversation can be there, and his latest outing at Louisville gave the discussion a fresh jolt. In his debut against Ole Miss, the former Buckeye showed the kind of production that turns heads quickly, topping 300 yards and throwing three touchdowns while looking comfortable as both a passer and a runner.
For Ohio State fans, the appeal is obvious because it feeds into the never-ending question of what might have been and what the Buckeyes missed when Kienholz moved on. His path also says something about the fit in college football: sometimes a player needs a different setup, a cleaner runway and a coach like Jeff Brohm to let the full skill set show up on game day, even as the foundation built in Columbus still shapes how he leads and handles the position. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's QB Uncertainty Just Added Intrigue To The Game
Ohio State opened its season with a comfortable win over Ball State, while Michigan had a far less reassuring afternoon in a narrow escape against Western Michigan. That alone would have been enough to keep Buckeyes fans watching closely, but the storyline got more interesting when Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham left the door open on Bryce Underwoods status at quarterback, a notable twist for a position that usually settles the tone for the rest of the rivalry week chatter.
Underwoods uneven play has only deepened the questions around Michigans offense, and it carries extra weight because of what this game means beyond one Saturday in September. For Ohio State, any uncertainty on the other sideline only adds to the intrigue heading into a meeting where the Buckeyes will be paying attention to whether Michigan can steady itself, or whether the Wolverines are heading toward a bigger change than anyone expected. [Read more 🡒]