Ohio State's biggest issue late last season was the offensive line. They were not able to give Julian Sayin enough time for him to survey the field. That cost the Buckeyes any chance of winning either the Big Ten Championship or the Cotton Bowl. They thought that issue was fixed this season.
Ryan Day made the decision to start Ian Moore at left tackle. He looked overmatched several times during the Texas game, a game that the Ohio State Buckeyes ultimately lost. However, it was the right side of the line that had problems last season. That includes Phillip Daniels, who likely won't play in Week 3.
Ohio State will not have Phillip Daniels against Kent State
Daniels was injured against the Longhorns and did not return. Now, he has been ruled out for Week 3 against the Golden Flashes. That means they will likely kick Austin Siereveld to right tackle and put Gave VanSickle at right guard, just as they did against Texas.
Losing Daniels for this game might not be a bad thing. Daniels struggled in the opener against Ball State, just as he did in the final two games of the 2025 season. Trying out another option for an entire game might not be a bad thing before the tough portion of the schedule gets going.
Ohio State has failed to get the running game going. They ran the ball for just 94 yards against a Texas team that gave up 161 yards on the ground to Texas State. They clearly can't get enough movement up front to open up running lanes. Perhaps a reconfiguration of the line can produce better results.
If that isn't the case, getting Daniels healthy for the Big Ten portion of the schedule is paramount. Ohio State will easily be able to dispatch of Kent State without him in the lineup, so getting him 100 percent for the other hard games they face is key.
Tyler Bowen needs to start stepping up as Ohio State's offensive line coach
This is where Tyler Bowen needs to start stepping up as the offensive line coach. Bowen's predecessor, Justin Frye, was criticized for his poor recruiting. Frye wasn't able to land blue-chip recruits up front, and he didn't have a stellar offensive line until his final season in 2024.
Bowen is known as a solid recruiter, but he also hasn't landed a five-star recruit up front. If elite talent cannot be brought in, that means Bowen needs to be able to develop the players he does have. So far, he has shown little ability to make the offensive line grow into a dominant force.
The next two games are important for the offensive line to show some growth. Taking on Kent State and Illinois should result in wins. However, Ohio State then travels to Iowa. That game will not be easy for the Buckeyes, and they need all hands on deck to emerge victorious.
Perhaps one game without Daniels will reveal something that can help Ohio State build out a better offensive line game plan that will allow the team to have more success in the future.
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