Ohio State football: Kicking game could be a concern

The Ohio State football program has rarely struggled in the kicking game for the last decade or so. That could change in 2021.

Blake Haubeil was perhaps the player that was taken most for granted on the Ohio State football roster in 2020. His ability to make field goals and extra points was almost automatic no matter where the try was from. He almost guaranteed points when he stepped on the field.

Haubeil wasn’t on the field in the National Championship Game due to an injury. Jake Seibert had to come in and kick. While he did make all of the extra points he attempted in the three games he played in 2020, he did miss one of the two field goals he attempted.

The Spring Game didn’t instill much confidence in his abilities either, as he missed both field goals he tried then too. Neither of those attempts were very long either. He is a kicker that doesn’t have a lot of experience and hasn’t looked great so far.

Is this something that should concern Buckeye fans once the season starts? Maybe. The kicking game is a very underrated part of a successful team. Ohio State hasn’t had to worry about that part of the game in the last decade or so because of solid kickers.

Seibert still has time to figure it out though. He has all summer to practice his consistency. His power isn’t really a concern. He has plenty of legs to make long kicks. He just has to work on the accuracy part of his kicking from all parts of the field.