“We have two weeks of prep that we’ve got to dive into and identify what gives us the best chance next week or in two weeks to go win this thing,” Day said Sunday after the CFP selections were revealed. “And so we’ll look at it and make sure it’s right. There’ll be some guys in the mix. Luke Montgomery will be in the mix. Josh Padilla will be in the mix, and we’ll make sure that it’s right. And based on how they practice, we’ll figure out how it’s going to look.”
Padilla is a 6-foot-4, 295-pound redshirt freshman.
He was a standout heavyweight wrestler and a two-time All-Ohio offensive tackle for the Warriors, but Padilla moved inside once he arrived in Columbus.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
Since then he has been viewed as the potential center of the future for the Buckeyes, but that could be now after injuries forced the front to be shuffled multiple times since the middle of the season and turned what looked like a strength into a major liability.
The first domino fell when junior left tackle Josh Simmons suffered a season-ending knee injury at Oregon in October. The Buckeyes eventually weathered that storm by moving All-Big Ten left guard Donovan Jackson to left tackle and replacing him with Carson Hinzman, moves that enjoyed positive early returns.
The group suffered another blow in mid-November when Seth McLaughlin suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in practice, forcing Hinzman to center with Austin Siereveld to left guard with Tegra Tshabola remaining at right guard and senior Josh Fryar at right tackle.
That lineup survived a test against Indiana but was mostly powerless to stop Michigan’s elite defensive front from ruining whatever Ohio State wanted to do on offense in a regular-season-ending loss Nov. 30.
Day said Jackson is likely to remain at tackle, but the coaches could take a look at junior George Fitzpatrick at that spot if moving Jackson back inside makes sense.
Regardless, the interior spots appear to be up for grabs as Hinzman struggled not only to block but deliver crisp snaps against the Wolverines and both guards also had issues.
“They’ve been practicing and working towards it, and I think they deserve an opportunity to compete the next two weeks to see if they can find themselves in a role,” Day said of Montgomery and Padilla. “That’s kinda where we are, and I think a big part of that is how we came out of last game.”
Montgomery, a 6-foot-5, 308-pound sophomore, was, like Padilla, a four-star prospect the class of 2023.
He was ranked the No. 2 player in Ohio as a senior and impressed the coaching staff immediately upon arriving in Columbus. The Findlay native was in a battle for the open right guard spot in the offseason before it ultimately went to Tshabola.
“Key injuries did set us back, but these guys have what it takes to go make this run,” said Day who acknowledged the coaching staff can make life easier on the offensive line via the game plan.
“We’ve got to help them, but I think there’s ways to do that.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF
Saturday, Dec. 21
Tennessee at Ohio State, 8 p.m., ABC, ESPN, 1410
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