Ohio State worries that should be eased entering the College Football Playoff

Running through the six worries about the Buckeyes from a few weeks ago and how to feel now

Ohio State takes on Miami in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal on New Year’s Eve. What still has you worried about the Buckeyes? (Photo courtesy of Ohio State)

COLUMBUS — Earlier this month we surveyed you on your biggest worries for Ohio State in the playoff. Bill and I had the discussion on a Substack show, but with the Buckeyes flying to Texas on Sunday to begin their on-site preparations for the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve, I thought we’d revisit those issues and whether anything has changed with them over the last several weeks.

We asked you then to rank these six areas on a Worry Meter from 1 to 100. In order of the biggest worries to the smallest, here are those six issues.

Kicking situation

Worry meter: 84.0

I’m not sure anything is going to make Ohio State fans feel good about a field goal attempt in the playoff. But how about the idea that the Buckeyes aren’t alone among the remaining teams when it comes to kicking questions?

Kickers were 11 of 18 on field goals in the first-round playoff games. That included a 1-for-4 effort by Miami’s Carter Davis, the kicker the Buckeyes are facing in the Cotton Bowl.

Wind was a factor in that game at Texas A&M, and Miami coach Mario Cristobal said the Hurricanes aren’t planning a kicker switch. (The Cotton Bowl will be indoors.)

“I don’t see a reason to change,” Cristobal said. “I think all of us that were there at the game know that those conditions were extremely difficult. … Everything that we’ve seen in practice and the conditions in the place we’re going to play are more conducive to having the type of success that he has had.

“We do trust him.”

Davis was 14 of 16 on the season before those three misses. Alabama has also been a mess in the kicking game this year, with Conor Talty making just 15 of 22 tries. By field goal percentage from each team’s primary kicker, Ohio State’s Jayden Fielding is tied for fourth among the eight kickers left in the playoff.

We’re anticipating Ryan Day going for it more aggressively in field goal situations given Fielding’s 27-yard miss against Indiana, and at 11 for 16 (.688), the Buckeyes have the second-best fourth-down percentage among playoff teams.

So maybe we can drop this worry meter a bit. Not because the OSU kicking game is better, but because Miami’s kicker is coming off a rough game and if Ohio State does want to push it on fourth down instead of trying field goals, the Buckeyes are in a decent position to do it.

Here are all the kicking and fourth-down stats for the primary kickers for the eight teams left.

Offensive line, especially right guard

Worry meter: 78.0

At the very least, Ohio State is making a change at right guard with an injury to Tegra Tshabola that Day said will keep him out for several weeks. Bill has been wise to advise us to limit our realistic expectations about Gabe VanSickle and Josh Padilla, one of whom will start at right guard instead.

But honestly, it probably can’t get worse.

VanSickle is a second-year player who has played 136 snaps this season. Padilla is a third-year player who has played 86 snaps this season.

Asking either of them to start now isn’t unreasonable. Luke Montgomery as a second-year player a year ago didn’t play a major role until the playoff. He started just two games all year — in the semifinal and national title game. He wasn’t perfect, but he gave the Buckeyes what they needed.

The Buckeyes haven’t been getting that at right guard.

Among 272 power conference interior linemen (guards and centers) who played enough to qualify, Tshabola’s PFF grade ranks 237th. Among the 47 offensive linemen for the eight remaining playoff teams who played significant snaps this season, Tshabola’s grade is … last.