Ohio State Buckeyes: Josh Myers confident in offensive line moving forward

“There was definitely some things we weren’t happy with,” Ohio State’s junior center said. “I’d be lying to you if I said it went perfect because there are things that need to be cleaned up.”

As head coach Ryan Day and classmate Wyatt Davis did Saturday, Myers attributed some bumps in the road to a 10-month break between games for Ohio State, which last played Dec. 28 in the Fiesta Bowl against Clemson.

“I don’t know how else to put it. It’s not something that I think we’re extremely worried about,” said Myers, a Miamisburg High School graduate. “I think we have confidence that they’re all things that we can get fixed.”

At times blocks were missed, and at times the timing was off or a back might have missed a hole or read a cut wrong.

Myers said quarterback Justin Fields also pulled the ball and threw it to an open receiver on some run-pass options where the line had made a whole for the back if he had gotten the ball.

“It’s something that I’m not worried about,” Myers said. “I have all the confidence in our guys and we’ll get it figured out.”

Unlike many seasons, the Buckeyes don’t have much time to perfect their craft.

The next game is expected to be one of if not the toughest of the regular season.

Penn State not only brings a talented front seven into the game annually but a willingness to blitz and attack the line of scrimmage in multiple ways.

On the bright side for Ohio State — especially those charged with making pre-snap communication like Myers and Fields — a Big Ten ban on fans in the stands this season means the typical Beaver Stadium home field advantage Is almost certain to be greatly diminished.

That should help Ohio State’s new pieces on the offensive line — guard Harry Miller and right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere — as they continue to get comfortable in new roles on a line that returns Myers, Davis and left tackle Thayer Munford.

“Me and Wyatt and Thayer were talking about how it was just a weird game and it didn’t have anything to do with the fans not being there,” Myers said. “I think it had more to do with it just being the first game in so long.”

He noted the running game also got off to a slow star last season in the opener against Florida Atlantic.

Like this year, the Buckeyes padded the stats after the game got out of hand, but the top backs had some trouble getting untracked.

A year ago, that meant J.K. Dobbins averaging just 4.3 yards per carry (he finished the season at 6.5).

This time, Master Teague and Trey Sermon combined to carry 23 times for 96 yards, an average of 4.2.

“Really last season when we played FAU it was a similar kind of feel,” Myers said. “It just didn’t feel like the rest of the games. I can’t explain it. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but I think there’ll be a lot of improvement from this past week to the next one.”

Miller and Petit-Free getting their first starts under their belts should help, too.

“It was particularly special for me and Harry because Harry’s my little brother in the big brother program that we have here, so I feel accountable and take responsibility for how he’s doing,” Myers said. “So that was a special moment for for me and Harry. I think he did solid — definitely have some things to work on, but I thought he played solid.”

He also gave Petit-Frere high marks and said the third-year sophomore’s ascension is something he saw start last season.

“He could have stepped in and played at any point last season — he did in the Big Ten Championship — but really he could have done that at any point probably the last quarter of the season. So pretty much ffrom that point, I was confident in Nick’s ability and that he would probably win that starting spot. And man did he play well. Whew. He played really well.”