Why has Ohio State been struggling so mightily in the Red Zone? The answer, as with most issues in football, can be found in the trenches. Ohio State has been celebrating the versatility of this group of talented offensive linemen. We can move them all around, depending on injuries, and still have five competent linemen ready for any game, or situation. This sounds great in theory, and it does make the line ALMOST immune, to the normal injuries that plague most other team’s offensive lines. However, there is a hidden cost to this strategy, no player on the line is a second year player, at his specific position. Each position on the line requires a very specific skill set, they are not interchangeable pieces, even if it is convenient for Ohio State to treat them that way, this season. This is a very good group of athletes, but none are actually very experienced at what they are being specifically asked to do. This shows up in the Red Zone.
Have you noticed that in the competitive games, when it is third or fourth, and short, that this line can’t look each other in the eye, and get the “push” (move the defensive line backwards), needed to force the issue, and get the first down? These are large, strong, big guys - it isn’t because they are weak, they have trouble coordinating, since everyone is new at the position they are actually playing. There are other issues contributing to Ohio State’s Red Zone troubles, like the natural adjustment of defenses to spread offenses (teams drop eight into coverage). I think the answer is to play these guys where they are now, and understand the real cost of moving them around (they can’t be an experts at their positions, with no experience).
