BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Ohio State’s offensive line is forced to make a change yet again ahead of Saturday’s game against Indiana.
The Buckeyes lost starting left tackle Josh Simmons to a season-ending knee injury in their 32-31 loss at Oregon on Oct. 12. And while preparing for the Hoosiers, starting center Seth McLaughlin suffered a season-ending torn achilles during practice.
As a result, Donovan Jackson is in line to make his fourth straight start at left tackle. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Carson Hinzman will replace McLaughlin at center against Indiana.
That continues a string of rotations throughout the season. Out of the five offensive linemen set to start Saturday’s game, three have played at least two different positions this year, save for right guard Tegra Tshabola and right tackle Josh Fryar.
Jackson shifted from left guard to left tackle. Austin Siereveld started the season at left guard, then flipped to right guard. He’ll move back to left guard against Indiana. Hinzman has rotated more than any Buckeye, going from right guard to center, then to left guard, and now back to center.
Across 10 games, Ohio State ranks 79th in the nation with a 67.8 pass blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), and 21st in run blocking, with a 71.3 grade A position group that relies heavily on chemistry and communication built over time, Ohio State’s offensive line will have to adjust on the fly against perhaps the toughest defense they’ve faced.
Indiana enters Saturday’s game allowing just 13.8 points per game, seventh fewest in the nation. The Hoosiers are tied for 10th nationally with 31 sacks and tied for 12th with 73 tackles for loss, both of which lead the Big Ten.
Indiana has the nation’s second-highest overall grade for defense at 94.0, per PFF, behind only Ohio State. The Hoosiers also rank third in run defense grade, 93.5, and fourth in pass rush grade, 88.6
Leading that charge for the Hoosiers is defensive end Mikail Kamara, who’s tied for fourth in the nation with 14.5 tackles for loss and tied for seventh with 9.5 sacks. Among all edge rushers in the country, Kamara ranks sixth with a 90.1 grade for defense.