Ohio State football: OSU’s Super Sub

When last season ended for the Ohio State football team, we thought we had the offensive line figured out for 2021. It all seemed pretty clear who the starters would be. We all believed one of those starters would be Matthew Jones at left guard. He figured that as well. As we all know, it didn’t happen that way. Jones is not a starter, but he has certainly turned into Ohio State’s offensive line’s Super Sub.

This role is not new to Jones. He started the Michigan State game last year when Harry Miller was unavailable and started again against Clemson when Miller was out again. Jones played so well against the Tigers he was kept in the starting lineup for the championship game against Alabama despite Miller being healthy.

This is what led us all to believe the junior from Brooklyn, New York was the clear frontrunner to be a full-time starter in 2021. Unfortunately for him, another Jones would change the complexion of the offensive line competition.

The consensus was Dawand Jones would battle Paris Johnson, Jr. to be the starter at right guard. They each performed so well, they forced OSU offensive line coach Greg Studrawa to figure out a way to get them both on the field. When the dust had settled from all of the reshuffling of linemen, Matthew was the odd-Jones out. He didn’t like it and was not happy, but a conversation with Ryan Day made him realize his shortcomings.

The Buckeye head coach pointed out Jones could look All-Big Ten on one play, but look far less than that on others. Instead of pouting, Jones took Day’s message about needing to be more consistent and went to work. The extra effort he put in has worked, because when Jones enters a game there is not a drop-off in performance.

When Thayer Munford was injured against Tulsa, Jones replaced him at left guard and played so well he was the only offensive lineman to be graded as a Champion by the coaching staff. With Munford sidelined still the next week against Akron, Jones again was named a Champion.

There is a lot of security in knowing you can plug in a guy and not miss a beat. He provides a lot of versatility as well, because he’s able to line up not just at guard, but can easily play center (he was the top recruit in the country at that position coming out of high school). His value to this football team is immeasurable.

Matthew Jones loves to work on and restore old cars. When things didn’t go his way he could have easily packed up his 1993 Nissan and transferred elsewhere. Jones said that thought never entered his mind.

He acknowledges the competition is very difficult at Ohio State and is more than willing to meet that challenge. That’s character, folks and that’s why he embraces his role as the Ohio State football team’s Super Sub.