Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Ian Moore doesn't believe the most valuable, make-or-break snaps he's had in his College Football career came against the Miami Hurricanes during a 24-14 loss in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Moore famously stepped in for an injured Austin Siereveld in the second half and held his own against a vicious Canes pass-rush led by Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor.
When asked about that Miami game, Moore downplayed his 31 snaps as much as possible, touting the reps he receives in practice against his teammates at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center every day.
"I mean, I don't really look at any of that. I think that we have the best defense in college football, and I believe that down to every fiber in my body. So every time I go out against somebody else, I'm not worried about them. I'm worried about practice tomorrow because I'm about to go against (Kenyatta Jackson Jr.). I'm about to go against Beau (Atkinson). I mean, we've got coaches out here that are telling them to do stuff that I've never seen before. And you've just got to adjust every day," Moore said.
"So, in terms of like a confidence thing, I would say it helped. I had a lot of pats on the back and stuff, but it really doesn't matter that much when you've got to come out here and go against these guys."
Ian Moore likely to be Ohio State's starting left tackle
Moore is very likely to be the Buckeyes' starting left tackle this season. Siereveld will likely move to one of the guard spots, alongside Luke Montgomery at the other. Carson Hinzman will man the middle, and Phillip Daniels will be at the right tackle spot.
Moore is the key to all of this working. His versatility could cover for any injuries, with Sam Greer potentially ready to take snaps at the blindside tackle spot in a pinch. We'll see how he holds up during the regular season after battling so hard this offseason against Ohio State's defensive trenches.
Moore sounds confident he can handle external competition, which isn't even a bigger threat to penetrating the backfield than his own internal competition in the locker room.
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