Ohio State Football: The offensive line is as advertised
The Ohio State football team won 45-31 over the Minnesota Golden Gophers
on Thursday night. With just 10 points to show for in the first half, the Buckeye offense looked clumsy.
In the second half, Ohio State’s offense erupted for 28 points, all of which came on big plays. While the offense struggled in the first half,
the Buckeye offensive line remained a rock throughout the night.
Several weeks ago, it seemed like Ohio State’s offensive line was undergoing some intriguing changes.
Dawn Jones, the right tackle, essentially forced his way into the starting lineup. As a result, the Buckeyes had to switch some players about
with Nicholas Petit-Frere moving to left tackle and Thayer Munford to left guard.
Munford had been a reliable left tackle for a long time, so his switch to left guard was unexpected.
Petit-Frere, Munford, Harry Miller, Paris Johnson Jr., and Dawn Jones as starters, on the other hand, was a very intriguing prospect.
The coaching staff at Ohio State intended to field the best five offensive linemen possible, and if that meant shifting guys about, so be it.
The offensive line’s expected starters have built a line that is brimming with promise. Jim Lachey, a former Ohio State All-American offensive lineman who is now a radio commentator stated before the Minnesota game that this might be the greatest offensive line he’s ever seen at Ohio State.
Consider all of the outstanding offensive lines that have been through Ohio State in the past 30 years. After watching the line perform, Lachey’s statement doesn’t seem that daring anymore.
In Ohio State’s game against Minnesota
The Ohio State football team’s offensive line had a strong showing.
Before kickoff, the offensive line had to deal with adversity right away.
Miller, the expected starting center, was ruled out of the Minnesota game on Thursday afternoon due to COVID problems.
Luke Wypler, a redshirt freshman, took over as the starting quarterback and performed well.
Snaps versus Minnesota had several problems, with many being thrown to the ground. Apart from that, Wypler had a good game.
Even with a replacement center on the field Thursday night, Ohio State’s offensive line looked fantastic.
It was incredible what they accomplished with so many players moving into new roles.
They have the potential to become an unstoppable force as the year progresses. To be honest, they were already in command versus Minnesota.
Throughout the game, the offensive line created huge gaps for the running backs.
This resulted in 201 running yards, 7.7 yards per carrying, including Miyan Williams’ 71-yard explosive run.
Some of the openings were so large that a vehicle could drive through them, and there was plenty of push throughout the night.
Take a look at Williams’ incredible push on a rush.
Minnesota defenders were tossed all over the place, with two of them being pancaked. C.J. Stroud had a nice pocket for the most of the night, thanks to some outstanding run blocking. Minnesota only gained 1 TFL on a rush by Williams, while the offensive line did not allow a single sack.
The offensive line also put in a strong showing, enhancing their already impressive performance.
The Buckeye offensive line did not get a single penalty.
That’s correct, there will be no false starts, holds, or blocks at the rear. The line turned up an outstanding performance all around.
The only real criticism is some of Wypler’s erratic snapping, but he won’t be the starter moving forward. Miller, a former five-star center prospect, expects to make his first start at center versus Oregon.
The snaps may become more constant at that point, implying that the offensive line will only improve.
Because Minnesota’s defense isn’t very strong, some expectations should be moderated.
Despite this, the offensive line showed why they might be one of, if not the greatest, offensive lines in the nation this season.
