Ohio State Football: 5 Burning Questions On Kickoff Eve

How Good Is the offensive line?

The biggest football news from the secretive offseason was All Big Ten guard Michael Jordan following the tradition of Pat Elflein and Billy Price and sliding to center.

Senior Brady Taylor and redshirt freshman Josh Myers were expected to compete for the job, but with the depth at the guard position and Malcolm Pridgeon’s apparent emergence this summer, the coaches opted to put their best 5 players on the field.

While Elflein and Price were installed at center at the beginning of spring ball in their senior seasons, the Jordan move comes much later in the offseason. He’s only had a few weeks to learn the position that Urban Meyer and others have called the most critical on the offensive line. From learning the calls and schemes to changing footwork, to merely snapping the ball, a lot is different for Jordan at this spot.

Then there’s Pridgeon, once a highly touted Juco transfer who never seemed to put it all together. This will be his first opportunity to start, and it will come next to newly minted left tackle Thayer Munford, a second year player who was the lowest rated recruit in OSU’s 2017 class.

Demetrius Knox and Isaiah Prince performed well last season, but both have had their struggles in the past. Which version of them will we see?

Offensive lines are more than a collection of talent; they’re a group that needs to work seamlessly and with great chemistry to dominate the line of scrimmage. Can this unit gel into a Slobs-worthy mauler?

Will Pridgeon and Munford be able to handle the spotlight? Can Jordan adjust to the change in position? Will last year’s starting right guard Brandon Bowen push for playing time, or will one of the youngsters like Myers, OG Wyatt Davis, or freshman phenom Nicholas Petit-Frere see the field?

Some of those questions will be answered on Saturday.