Last offseason, the Ohio State Buckeyes made the decision not to pursue any offensive linemen from the Transfer Portal. The Buckeyes brought back four starting offensive linemen from last year's team this season. The only one who didn't return is Tegra Tshabola.
Tshabola was by far the worst offensive lineman the Buckeyes had in the starting lineup last season. His play at right guard was actually pitiful, and Julian Sayin had issues with the right side of the line. Now, Tshabola is sticking it to Ohio State by playing the best football of his career.
Tegra Tshabola is playing the best football of his career with Kentucky
In the offseason, Tshabola decided to transfer to Kentucky. Since making that move, he has been playing the best football of his career. The first three games of the season have been the highest PFF grades for Tshabola between his time at Ohio State and Kentucky.
With that being the case, fans are starting to turn on Tyler Bowen. When he was hired by Day, he was seen as a strong recruiter. Yet, he hasn't landed a single five-star recruit yet. Bowen also hasn't proven that he can coach up the offensive linemen to improve year after year.
Ohio State has struggled to open up holes in the running game because of the offensive line. If Tshabola is going to play this well, perhaps they should have tried to keep him. It seemed pretty obvious they weren't torn up about the fact that he was going to transfer.
Having the offensive line open more holes and protect Sayin better is something that should be a focal point on Saturday. This is the time that Bowen can use to silence the haters and show that he can actually coach his guys up. From my perspective, it's time this guy starts showing something.
Ohio State was still right to let Tegra Tshabola go
Despite the fact that Tshabola is playing his best football at the moment, it was still the right move to let him go. He was a big problem in the Big Ten Championship, as well as the Cotton Bowl against Miami. In fact, he was replaced against the Hurricanes for his poor play.
Perhaps Tshabola just needed to go to a place with less pressure on him in order for him to thrive. Perhaps he just wasn't built to be on a team with a fanbase that can be...difficult. There's nothing wrong with that, but you can't help but wonder what would have happened had he stayed one more year in Columbus.
The offensive line remains a massive concern heading into the tougher portion of the schedule. Ohio State still has the talent to win a national championship. However, they have to get some better coaching to make that happen. That comes down to Ryan Day and his entire staff.
Ohio State still has offensive issues with the current roster construction, especially with Phillip Daniels still being injured. Even when he's healthy, he might not be the correct right tackle.
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