The line of scrimmage became a critical factor in Ohio State’s losses against Indiana and Miami. While the Canes dominated on both sides of the ball, their defensive line particularly dominated Ohio State’s offensive line. Days removed from the game, former OSU head coach Urban Meyer highlighted the issue and got Jeremiah Smith’s backing.

“Here’s the issue: You got your a– kicked at the line of scrimmage the last two games,” Urban Meyer said on his ‘Triple option podcast. The sophomore wide receiver quickly liked Urban Meyer’s statement on X, relaying the O-line flaws. It’s a sentiment now echoed by many as Ohio State has ended its 2025 season.

Ohio State lost to Miami 14-24, and Julian Sayin visibly struggled due to poor pass protection. Before coming into the Indiana game, Sayin was sacked just six times in the regular season. Indiana sacked him five times. The woes continued against Miami as well. The redshirt freshman was stopped behind the line of scrimmage five times, signaling no improvement despite a long break between the two games.

Miami’s elite D-line, consisting of All-Americans Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, didn’t give even slight breathing room to Sayin. The unit disrupted timings and forced hurried throws from Sayin. As a result, the OSU QB’s performance dipped massively. Sayin managed to complete just 62.9% of the passes as opposed to his stellar 77% efficiency throughout the season. Talk about dominance, Miami quickly sacked Sayin on third-and-7 in OSU’s third offensive play. The play eventually set the tone of relentless edge rushing for Miami.

“Not at all did we underestimate the matchup. We knew we were playing against a good front,” OSU’s O-line coach, Tyler Bowen, said after the Miami game. “We prepared, planned for that front. And we just did not execute well early. Overall, as a group, we didn’t play well enough to win the game,” Bowen added. As a consequence, Miami’s D-line dominance continued throughout the game.

Ohio State swiftly responded to the Canes’ first touchdown with a 59-yard screamer to Jeremiah Smith. However, just after two plays, Miami’s Keionte Scott anticipated a screen pass and returned it for a 72-yard touchdown. Throughout the game, OSU displayed poor hand placement, footwork delays, and failure to contain edges. Run blocking remained abysmal, and OSU showed no snap variations against blitzes. But can all of it be explained by OSU’s injury issues in the O-line?

Ohio State’s O-line coach refuses to blame injuries on loss against Miami

Ohio State went into the Miami game with several injury issues in its O-line. Right guard Tegra Tshabola was ruled out before the game, and Gabe Vansickle showed persistent problems against Indiana. This led to Josh Padilla being deployed in the position. Plus, left tackle Austin Siereveld played through a visible leg issue, and Ian Moore replaced him in the second half. Despite that, OSU’s offensive line coach didn’t use the injuries as an excuse and promised to come back stronger in the 2026 season.

“We have a next-man-up mentality, and I think a couple of guys stepped in and did some good things,” Bowen said. “Certainly, we want to have Austin out there, and Austin’s a warrior, battled through it as long as he could, and I’m proud of Austin for that.” Ohio State undoubtedly has an exciting future ahead in 2026.

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The unit potentially returns with eight players from the 2025 season, who have at least one year of eligibility remaining. All things considered, the Buckeyes’ search for a second national title for Ryan Day in 2026 might just end if OSU shows the dominant performance it did in 2024. As for the late-season woes of the 2025 season, it might also have to do with Bowen’s inexperience in coaching the O-line.

Bowen replaced O-line coach Justin Frye in the 2025 offseason and had coached the O-line for just three years before arriving in Columbus. It’s highly unlikely that Ryan Day would get rid of him in just one season. Subsequently, we can see a more mature and tactically astute O-line coach in Bowen’s second season with the team. The future sure looks bright for Ryan Day’s squad.