Zen Michalski injury update: Buckeyes OL officially out for Penn State game
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Ohio State coach Ryan Day hinted that new starting left tackle Zen Michalski wasn’t going to be able to play against Penn State on Saturday.
“It’s trending that he’s not going to play,” Day said of Zen Michalski. “We’ll keep evaluating it but I think we have a pretty good plan moving forward.”
That is now official. Zen Michalski has officially been declared out for the top-five showdown in Happy Valley.
Without Michalski, Ohio State has been stress-testing the offensive line and make sure it’s ready for Saturday afternoon in State College. The Buckeyes said as much on Tuesday during Day’s full media session.
“You’ve got to put the best lineup out there,” Day said. “And have enough to not only just win this game but be able to play the rest of the season. So you’ve got to think of a short-term plan, and then you’ve got to come up with a long-term plan. So, you know, we’ll do everything we can to win this game, and that’s where the focus is right now.”
Now with Michalski out, it’s likely that starting left guard Donovan Jackson will slide over to the left tackle spot, while another offensive linemen will probably take Jackson’s role at left guard.
Ohio State will need to be great up front on Saturday, as Penn State has defensive end Adbul Carter and a ferocious pass rush to deal with. The Buckeyes offensive line wasn’t good last week in the win over Nebraska, the game Michalski got hurt in. They’ll certainly need to be better if they plan on moving the ball against this Penn State defense.
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The line will not include Michalski. He’s out for this game.
Other notes from Ohio State availability report
+ Welcome back, Lathan Ransom. The senior safety is not on the injury report, meaning he’ll be available for the Buckeyes. That matches what Ryan Day said about Ransom’s status earlier this week: “He had a great day of practice today — full practice, ready to go.” When asked to clarify if Ransom would be playing, Day responded: “Yes.”
+ Tight end Will Kacmarek is officially out again this week. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day mentioned that Kacmarek will be out a while earlier before the Nebraska game. In his place again this week, the Buckeyes will have to rely on tight ends Bennett Christian and Jelani Thurman — as well as even more production from veteran Gee Scott Jr. The good news: Kacmarek was not wearing a sling after practice Wednesday night. He had previously been wearing one.
+ Buckeyes freshman cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. is back after missing last week. He has been a second-team cornerback for most of the season, even dating back to training camp. Scott has played 47 defensive snaps across five games this season.
+ Of course, left tackle Josh Simmons is out for the rest of the year with a knee injury.
The full availability report from the program is now confirmed, making note that Ohio State doesn’t detail injury or disciplinary matters.
Questionable
N/A
Out
OT Zen Michalski
TE Will Kacmarek
WR Reis Stocksdale
RB TC Caffey(season)
LT Josh Simmons (season)
