The Ohio State football program is doing everything it can to prepare to take on Tennessee in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes will be hosting this game at home, which should give them an advantage. One of the biggest questions surrounding the game is Ohio State's offensive line.
With both Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin lost for the season, the Ohio State Buckeyes have had to shuffle the offensive line because of those injuries. They clearly have not gotten the results they wanted because they could not run the ball at all against Michigan.
Ryan Day didn't like what he saw from the offensive line either. Speaking during his press conference on Monday afternoon, he announced that there will be another change to the offensive line. It sounds like there will be a new starter at left guard for this game against the Vols.
Luke Montgomery will play for the Ohio State football team vs. Tennessee
Day announced that Luke Montgomery has been getting reps at left guard in preparation for this game. He specifically used the word "rotation" when speaking about Montgomery, but I have to imagine that he is actually going to start at left guard.
That would mean that Austin Siereveld is out and Tegra Tshabola will stay at right guard. It did sound like there is a chance that Siereveld rotates over to right guard instead, but it looks like he is the odd man out for this game. That means there will be another new starter along the offensive line.
It's never good when you have to have a brand-new starter on the offensive line before a playoff game. That's the situation that the Buckeyes find themselves in. You can bet that Tennessee is going to target the left side of the line early and often in this game.
Montgomery is a solid player, but to put him in an unfamiliar situation like this is in a win-or-go-home situation is not ideal. It'll be interesting to see how he is able to equip himself against a very solid Volunteers defensive line.