The last time we saw Ohio State, the then-No. 2 Buckeyes were engaged in a thriller with No. 3 Oregon in Eugene, a 32-31 loss that ended abruptly when Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard errantly took a knee with no time left on the clock and Ohio State in striking field goal range.
The loss dropped Ohio State a few spots in the polls and made every remaining game a must-win for the Buckeyes, but they did have a well-timed bye week to lick their wounds and hit the tape. Speaking of wounds: Coach Ryan Day announced this week that left tackle Josh Simmons' injury suffered vs. Oregon was indeed season-ending.
We begin a Q&A with Bucknuts247's Patrick Murphy on the subject of Simmons, before hitting two other burning questions regarding the play of Howard (contrasted with former Ohio Stater Kyle McCord at Syracuse) and prized safety transfer Caleb Downs, a True Freshman All-American last season at Alabama. The Buckeyes host Nebraska on Saturday (Noon ET, FOX).
1. How costly is the Josh Simmons injury?
There's no sugarcoating it. Losing Josh Simmons is a blow. After a slow start when moving from San Diego State to Ohio State and from right to left tackle last year, Simmons improved throughout the season and put in a lot of work this offseason. He was playing at a high level before his injury against Oregon and, since the return of left guard Donovan Jackson after the first two games, the Buckeyes have leaned on the left side of the offensive line, particularly in the run game.
The Scarlet and Gray are going to turn to fourth-year tackle Zen Michalski, who replaced Simmons at left tackle against the Ducks. Michalski has played in all 32 games over the last two and a half seasons, but most of those snaps came on special teams or in clean-up duty late in games. Michalski performed admirably when thrust into a difficult game against Oregon and now will have two weeks to prepare as the starter, which should help. But he was Simmons' backup for a reason.
2. Where are Ohio State fans with Will Howard midway through the season -- and are they tired hearing about Kyle McCord's success at Syracuse?
Will Howard has delivered as expected, maybe even exceeding expectations this season. It seems to me fans are happy with what Howard has delivered, which is 1,574 yards and 14 touchdown passes. He's also used his legs to the tune of five additional endzone trips. He played his best game against Oregon, completing 80% of his passes, but did make a few costly mistakes, including a fumbled snap and failing to slide on time on the final play. Still, I don't believe anyone views the loss as Howard's fault.
As far as Kyle McCord, I'm not sure many Buckeye fans are paying attention to what he's doing. I think they recognize the difference between playing for Ohio State -- where mistakes are costly -- versus Syracuse, where McCord is encouraged to let it rip, taking the pros and cons that come with that.
3. What are your thoughts on the play of the secondary, specifically with how Caleb Downs has fit in so far?
Other than a few plays against Oregon, the Buckeye secondary has been good. Dillon Gabriel and the Ducks' receivers were the best passing attack the Scarlet and Gray had faced. While Gabriel threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns, 117 of those yards and one touchdown occurred on two throws. Cornerback Denzel Burke did not play a good first half -- giving up both of those big catches -- but looked more comfortable in the second half.
While Caleb Downs' stats aren't what they were last season, his impact has been felt. Jim Knowles said the Buckeyes "unleashed" Downs against Michigan State and he had his best statistical game. But even when he's not "unleashed," Downs is able to line up all over the field and make plays, even if they don't show up on the stat sheet. He's also quickly become an important leader in the secondary.
Read more from Murphy on the Buckeyes over at Bucknuts. Latest articles include:
- Upon further review: Ohio State's defense, Will Howard vs. Oregon
- How Ohio State plans on learning from from Oregon loss
- Ohio State's play to replace Simmons
