Your (almost) daily dose of good-natured, Ohio State banter.
Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
Today’s Question: Which Ohio State position group are you most concerned about?
Jami’s Take: Defensive Tackle
With Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton both heading to the NFL this fall, the Buckeyes will have big shoes to fill at defensive tackle.
Williams and Hamilton, who each started for both the 2023 and 2024 seasons—and the National Championship victory, take with them a wealth of talent and experience, leaving the Buckeyes big shoes to fill come the start of the season.
In the grand scheme of “Big Concerns,” I don’t think this is one to lose sleep over so much as it’s one to simply keep an eye on, but when most position groups have either returners, additional depth or both, this one sort of becomes the “concern” by default.
It’s expected that Eddrick Houston and Kayden McDonald will step into the starting roles this fall, and despite their lack of experience (which is always something to keep an eye on), Houston in particular looks poised for a breakout season.
Still, Houston and McDonald combined for just 390 defensive snaps, so there’s always the possibility that shift will come with a bit of a learning curve. With the Buckeyes opening against Texas on August 30, the team won’t have the same kind of grace period to work out the kinks against an easier opponent. While I think both McDonald and Houston are well-equipped to get the job done, the learning curve then becomes a logistical concern simply because there’s no opportunity to get their sea legs in real-time scenarios.
Both are talented, hardworking guys, so again, this isn’t a four-alarm fire. It’s simply a relatively bigger concern than, say, running backs.
Perhaps the biggest cause for concern for the Buckeyes, where their defensive tackles are concerned, is a lack of depth. We saw Williams miss a few games last season with an injury, and Houston was able to step in, but despite having three additional options at defensive tackle (Tywone Malone, Jason Moore, and Will Smith Jr.), none of these options has substantial experience.
If things go according to plan, likely there’s not a ton to worry about here, but should Houston or McDonald get injured or miss games for any reason, it could leave the Buckeyes exposed at DT. Ultimately, even with the high hopes I have for Houston and McDonald, the lack of experience and depth makes this the position group I’m the least certain about.
Matt’s Take: Running back
I think in terms of returning experience and production, Jami’s argument for the defensive tackle position makes a ton of sense, and if everything were in a vacuum, I might even be willing to simply agree with her. However, I am going to flip to the other side of the field and pick the running backs, because not only do they have similar experience and depth concerns, but they will also have the added responsibility of helping to relieve the pressure that will undoubtedly be bearing down on a first-year starting quarterback.
In some order or another — or perhaps no particular order at all — the Buckeyes will likely rely on true sophomore James Peoples and veteran West Virginia transfer C.J. Donaldson to carry the ball. Ohio State’s passing game has been elite for the entire duration of Ryan Day’s tenure in Columbus as both an assistant and head coach. But the years in which the Buckeyes have truly been elite have been those when they had not only a complementary running game, but a game-changing running game.
Look no further than last season’s dynamic duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. Throughout the course of the season, each player had moments of excellence, in which they looked like they could be one of the top handful of backs in the country. And —thanks to a lessened workload — as the season went on, Henderson looked fresher than he ever had before in the homestretch of the season, leading to a historic performance throughout the playoffs.
While I am not going to claim that Peoples and Donaldson are at the same level of Henderson and Judkins (although, I would love to put them in the same conversation come season’s end), the importance of having reliable running backs to not only move the chains, but to require attention from the defense, will be invaluable.
Whichever Buckeye ends up starting at quarterback — Julian Sayin or Lincoln Kienholz — will be starting for the first time in their collegiate career. There is a ton of pressure involved with that wherever you play, but to be a first-time starting QB at a place like Ohio State, coming off of a national championship season, opening the year against the potential No. 1 Texas Longhorns, the stress and pressure will be at potentially all-time highs.
One way to alleviate that, at least a little, is if the QB can turn and hand the ball off to a back who can pick up four to six yards per carry. But not having to rely on the passing game to pick up every first down, Sayin or Kienholz will be able to relax and grow into his new position.
Ohio State is a football program that has a long and storied history of running backs like Hopalong Cassady, Archie Griffin, Keith Byars, Eddie George, Ezekiel Elliott, and many more. That in an of itself carries with it a tremendous amount of expectations, but given how important having a balanced attack in Day’s offense has proven to be, and the added responsibility of easing the way for a first-year quarterback, I think that there is plenty of reason to be concerned about the Bukeyes’ running game this season.
Now, do not take this as concern for Peoples or Donaldson specifically. The former has looked good in limited regular-season duty, and the latter has been productive during his three seasons at WVU. I am more just concerned about the fact that we are going into the season with very little knowledge about how these two backs will be able to handle the very specific duties that the Ohio State offense requires of them.
That being said, given the glimpses we’ve seen and Donaldson’s physical transformation, since arriving in Columbus, I do feel pretty good about their ability to not lessen the weight on the quarterback’s shoulders, but to also thrive and contribute to the team’s success in their own rights.
Let us know who you are agreeing with: