At the end of last season, the Ohio State football team struggled to protect the passer. The offensive line was not doing a good job of keeping Julian Sayin clean. Not only that, but they weren't opening up holes for running backs to get through. Both flaws were evident in the final two games in the year.
Against both Indiana and Miami, the Buckeyes had issues giving Sayin enough time to find receivers deep down the field. There were several times in both games that he had receivers open, but he wasn't able to scan the field fast enough to find them because of the pressure he was feeling.
This season, the Ohio State Buckeyes have four returning offensive line starters. They were able to get rid of their worst one in the offseason. If this line doesn't perform well in the biggest games this season, Tyler Bowen is going to start to face some questions from the fan base.
Tyler Bowen needs his unit to have a strong season for Ohio State
The on-field performance is one thing. That is obviously the most important aspect of what the Buckeyes are looking for. Recruiting up front is another issue. Bowen has added a ton of recruits up front over the last couple of years, but none of them have been blue-chip recruits.
Prior to taking the job with the Buckeyes, Bowen hadn't been an offensive line coach since 2017. That lack of experience coaching guys up front could end up making fans uneasy if the offensive line struggles to keep Sayin clean once again.
Perhaps Arthur Smith's new offensive system will help the offensive line block more cleanly in all facets. That is going to be something that Ohio State fans are watching throughout the entire 2026 season. Quite frankly, it's the most important unit that Ohio State has next year.
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