Ohio State Offensive Line Impresses in Win Over Penn State

© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State offensive line responded to incredible adversity as the Buckeyes beat No. 6 Penn State (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten Conference) 20-13 at Beaver Stadium on Nov. 2. The Buckeyes (7-1, 4-1 B1G) had to shuffle multiple linemen prior to the matchup as they are dealing with multiple injuries. The unit passed the test against the Nittany Lions' impressive defensive front with flying colors.

Ohio State Offensive Line Injuries

The offensive line was falling behind before the season even began. The unit had an illness gut them early in fall camp, leading to a large amount of players at the position missing significant time. This caused the battle for the starting right guard position to move well into the regular season. Tegra Tshabola and Austin Siereveld split snaps through multiple games early on before Tshabola cemented himself as the starter. Siereveld even saw time at left guard against Akron to open the year as Donovan Jackson was out with an injury.

Once the offensive line finally seemed to be rounding into form, star left tackle Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending injury against No. 1 Oregon (9-0, 6-0 B1G). Backup Zen Michalski took his spot in the game and held his own for the most part. Michalski then got the start in the following game against Nebraska. This time out, he did not perform well. He struggled consistently before also suffering an injury that is now keeping him out indefinitely.

Being down two left tackles, the Buckeyes would call upon Jackson to move from left guard to play tackle for the first time in his lengthy career. Last season's starting center Carson Hinzman would then be brought in to start at left guard in the adjusted lineup against the Nittany Lions.

The Performance Against Penn State

The Buckeyes' new offensive line faced its first test together on the road against one of the Big Ten's best teams in a hostile environment. The unit was talked about all week in the lead up to the game. Jackson's first career start at tackle saw him facing star edge rusher Abdul Carter. On top of that, the line struggled heavily against Nebraska in the previous game. They only gained 64 rushing yards on 31 attempts, giving them a lackluster 2.1 yards per carry. There was a legitimate reason for concern heading into Happy Valley. Those concerns were quieted by the end of the game.

Ohio State's offensive line had an amazing performance against the Nittany Lions. Running back Quinshon Judkins averaged 6.8 yards per carry, while TreyVeon Henderson averaged 5.4 yards per attempt himself. The two RBs combined for 149 yards on just 24 rushes. Quarterback Will Howard was also productive on the ground. They were able to run the ball with success all afternoon.

Jackson and Carter battled on the left side for most of the game. Jackson held his own and did a tremendous job of keeping Carter away from Howard. Carter had two huge sacks, both coming on third downs. He was left one-on-one with Jackson both times and was able to get the better of him. However, for a first game at the position against one of the top pass rushers in the conference, Jackson more than held his own.

The Buckeyes only gave up three total sacks on the day. The most impressive stats of the day were the zero false starts and zero holding calls for the unit. Going on the road with a record-breaking Penn State crowd in a top-5 matchup and not being penalized is almost unbelievable. Offensive line coach Justin Frye did a tremendous job preparing his players for the task at hand.

The Game-Sealing Drive

Ohio State's offense got the ball back with 5:13 left after its defense completed their second goal-line stand of the game. They got the ball on their own 1-yard line and needed to kill time and flip the field position at the very least. They started the possession with a huge push for a 4-yard QB sneak. That set the tone for the drive.

The Buckeyes ran the ball an additional 9 straight times before taking the final knee to end the game. Judkins ran for two first downs himself as he seemed to almost take the game into his own hands. The Ohio State players were suddenly showing more emotion than they have all year until this point. There was a clear attitude shift and a decision by the unit that they were going to finish the game themselves.

Each lineman was seen pushing each other to fight for the win. Jackson was making the "feed me" motion to the sideline. Center Seth McLaughlin was helmet-tapping each member of his position group after plays. Hinzman was fist-pumping after first downs. Even defensive players were getting in on the action during timeouts. Despite being injured earlier in the game, defensive lineman Tyleik Willaims was with the offense during timeouts, hyping up his teammates. Cornerback Davison Igbinosun was seen yelling in Judkins' ear when he went to the sideline for a break. Howard was in full control of the huddle and making sure his linemen knew what was at stake. Howard himself also had two key conversions on the drive.

Howard converted a huge third-and-2 to keep the drive alive on a QB power sweep. Judkins laid a huge block to open the gap for the run. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly put the game in their QB's hands on a third-and-3. With 1:11 left in the game, Howard called his own number on a read option. He beat the edge defender to the chains and slid down, sealing the game and an Ohio State victory.

Moving Forward

Day stated that he will stick with this lineup as of now in his press conference on Nov. 5. He expressed his confidence in the group as it is now and said Michalski will provide depth when he is able to return this year.

The new combination up front had the ultimate confidence builder. The game's outcome was dependent upon this unit putting the game on their shoulders. They delivered. Everyone in the stadium knew they were going to run the ball and it didn't matter. The Buckeyes played a clean game and finished strong. They will now have four games to continue building chemistry together as they prepare for a postseason run.