Ohio
Ohio State Offensive Line Struggles Without Josh Simmons, Creating Major Concern for Penn State Showdown
Instead of finding Zen on the offensive line, Ohio State is battling even more chaos.
Residual fear about offensive line play off a poor showing in 2023 bubbled to the surface for Buckeye fans following a season-ending injury to Josh Simmons at Oregon, and those worries boiled over as the front five was dismal without its starting left tackle against Nebraska.
Zen Michalski started his first career game in Simmons’ place and – no offense to the man beneath the shoulder pads – imitated a parking cone for three quarters and change before exiting with an injury. His struggles sent shockwaves down the entire offensive line as Ohio State turned in easily its worst rushing performance of the season and allowed quarterback Will Howard to come under frequent pressure.
“We didn’t run the football,” Ryan Day said when asked about the offensive line. “Not even close to what we’re averaging. Under three yards per carry with Quinshon (Judkins) and TreVeyon (Henderson). That’s not getting it done. We’ve got to do better than that.”
With an elite defensive front staring Ohio State down in its pivotal matchup against No. 3 Penn State next week, the Buckeyes are left scrambling for solutions on their offensive line after it was a major reason for the razor-thin margin of OSU’s 21-17 win over Nebraska on Saturday.
“Yeah, I got to go back and watch the film and figure that all out myself,” Day said. “It seemed like a little bit of both (poor execution and Nebraska playing well), quite honestly. It’s not good enough when we’ve gotta be able to run the football. We didn’t do that today. That’s why we put the defense in bad spots. That’s why we were 1-for-10 on third down.”
Ohio State averaged a meager 2.1 yards per carry against the Huskers, less than half its previous low on the season of 4.3 yards per rush at Oregon two weeks ago. Nebraska collected two sacks and forced Howard off his spots consistently as the Buckeyes’ offense failed to pick up a first down on its first four possessions of the second half.
With just 285 yards of offense total, it’s the first time Ohio State’s been held under 400 this year, let alone 300.
Neither of the Buckeyes’ touted tandem at running back found much footing. Henderson picked up 15 yards on his second run of the day and had nine carries for 10 yards otherwise. Judkins finished with 29 yards on 10 attempts. Both proven ball carriers were breaking tackles and trying to find holes, but the hog mollies did them few favors.
“I would say for our offensive line, it definitely wasn’t our best day up front,” Judkins said. “But I think those guys will get it corrected. Coach (Justin) Frye does great for our offensive line as far as coaching, I think he’ll fix it for next week. But I think everyone could improve.”
The thing about offensive line injuriesis they’re often a cascade. It’s such a codependent position group, more than any other in football, that one major downgrade is enough to make the whole group suffer as everyone loses cohesion and has to provide help to different places. The offensive line’s success is something the entire offense depends on, and so it snowballs.
That’s not to say that Josh Fryar, Tegra Tshabola, Seth McLaughlin and Donovan Jackson don’t share responsibility for the failures of the front five against the Huskers, but it underscores the importance Simmons held on the Buckeyes’ roster.
As mightily as Michalski struggled, there was a thought that Ohio State could consider other options at left tackle as the game progressed, one of which included sliding Donovan Jackson out from left guard as the Buckeyes did after Michalski went down. But Day seemed assured in sticking with the first-time starter through thick and thin.
“Felt like, for his first start, we wanted him to play through it,” Day said. “We didn’t want to just panic and pull him out because it’s your first start. So there’s some things you’re going through. Whether it’s first-time jitters or whatever it might be, you’re pressing. You’re trying to get your feet underneath you. So we wanted him to play through that and see how that went. We’ll see how he is now after the game.”
Michalski exited with a lower-body injury in the fourth quarter. Escorted off the field by trainers, he was later seen on Ohio State’s sideline standing with the aid of crutches. His status is being evaluated, but assuming he can’t play against Penn State, the Buckeyes will have to review whether they want Jackson to start at left tackle next week. Sophomore Luke Montgomery took his spot at left guard after Michalski’s injury, though redshirt freshman Austin Siereveld started the first two games of the year at that position when Jackson was sidelined by injury.
Right guard Tegra Tshabola is another candidate to kick outside while George Fitzpatrick is the next true tackle on Ohio State’s depth chart.
“We’re gonna have to talk about it and figure that out,” Day said. “We knew that if that happened in (the Nebraska) game, (Jackson) was our answer and solution to get out of the game. Now we’re going to have to go back and figure out what’s next.”
For his part, Howard said he felt unaffected by the shuffles on the offensive line, even as it was clear he came under more duress than he’s accustomed to this season. He finished 13-of-16 passing for 221 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, adding a sack-adjusted 24 rushing yards.
“It didn’t affect my decision-making at all,” Howard said. “That’s not something I think about when I’m in the game. I’ve got all the trust in the world in Zen and whoever is out there at left tackle for me. It’s not affecting anything that I’m doing at all. It’s next man up mentality and you’ve got to have full faith in that guy. … Definitely when you lose a tackle with first-round potential, it’s tough. That’s a dude that we’re going to miss, but I think Zen stepped up and he’s got to continue to work and hopefully he’s all right.”
Judkins thought the inexperience of the new pieces played a factor in the offensive line’s issues as well.
“When you have new guys in the rotation, they have to get used to the tempo and how things go up front,” Judkins said. “Especially in-game tempo compared to a walkthrough and everything like that. So having those guys mentally dialed in and getting those reps that they need, I think that’s the biggest part.”
The Buckeyes still won the game thanks to a strong performance from their defense. Trailing 17-14 in the fourth quarter, the offense cobbled together enough blocks to go on an eight-play, 75-yard go-ahead touchdown drive that proved game-winning.
“I kept saying that, ‘Go win.’ Like, ‘How are we going to win the game?’ And we talked about that in the off week,” Day said. “We did that. So that, we can build on. But certainly, if we’re going to go 1-for-10 on third down, if we’re going to run the football the way we did in this game, we’re going to be in a tough spot in terms of putting the defense in the situations they were in.”
The urgency in Ohio State’s offensive line woes is the opponent on its marquee for next Saturday. The Buckeyes face No. 3 Penn State on the road in a game with massive Big Ten and College Football Playoff implications, and the Nittany Lions possess an elite defensive front. Spearheaded by Abdul Carter, one of the most dynamic edge rushers in the country, Penn State is No. 9 nationally in scoring defense (14.5 points allowed per game), No. 6 in total defense (262.5 yards allowed), No. 11 in run defense (95 yards allowed) and No. 15 in pass defense (167.5 yards allowed).
Thus, the Buckeyes must find the answer to their offensive line dilemma in the next week if they want to win in Happy Valley and keep all of their goals on the table.
STATE COLLEGE – This one never felt like No. 1 vs. No. 2.
It wasn’t close.
Cael Sanderson’s top-ranked Penn State team is that good.
And the talented second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes were missing a few key regulars on Friday night in front of a record crowd of 16,006 at Bryce Jordan Center.
Ohio State was without sixth-ranked Ethan Stiles at 149, top-ranked Brandon Cannon at 157 and fifth-ranked Carson Karchla at 174.
The Buckeyes’ replacements had to face a trio of of Nittany Lions that were a combined 46-1 coming in – junior Shayne Van Ness, true freshman PJ Duke and senior Levi Haines.
Not ideal.
The Lions won nine of 10 bouts, three of them in overtime.
The result? Penn State 36, Ohio State 5.
The Nittany Lions’ winning streak now stands at 85 consecutive matches. Penn State (14-0, 8-0) is the 2025-26 Big Ten dual meet champion.
The Lions close out their regular season with a home matchup against Princeton on Feb. 20 at Rec Hall.
1/30
Penn State av Ohio State wrestling, Feb. 13, 2025
“It’s just a close group; a lot of, obviously, tough battles tonight and our guys fought hard and we were able to go find those points at the end in really good matches,” Sanderson said of his wrestlers afterward.
“It’s just something we need to keep doing as we prepare for the postseason now.”
The Buckeyes (17-1, 6-1) needed to create plenty of magic early to have any chance, but PSU’s Luke Lilledahl and Marcus Blaze had other ideas.
The top-ranked Lilledahl, a sophomore 125-pounder, stayed unbeaten with a 4-1 win over previously unbeaten Nic Bouzakis in sudden victory. Lilledahl’s winning takedown occurred 39 seconds into the overtime neutral period.
Both wrestlers had escapes in regulation and Lilledahl just missed converting a takedown shot before the third-period buzzer.
Blaze, an unbeaten true freshman, improved to 18-0 with a 3-2 win in overtime over previously unbeaten Ben Davino at 133.
The two were tied 1-1 after regulation. No points in sudden victory, then Davino escaped in the second OT period.
Blaze, working from underneath and down 2-1, followed with the winning reversal with 15 seconds left overtime and rode out Davino for the win.
Blaze was No. 4 coming in, Davino was ranked No. 2.
Returning national champ Jesse Mendez put the Buckeyes on the board with a dominant win over PSU junior Braeden Davis, winning by 18-2 technical fall in 5:49 to cut Ohio State’s deficit to 6-5, but the issue was pretty much decided after 133.
Mendez now 18-0, is clearly the man to beat at 141.
Van Ness, a heavy favorite, worked Ohio State freshman Brogan Fielding for a 20-5 technical fall at 149 in 6:17.
Duke needed just 3:28 to pin Ohio State freshman Daxton Chase at 157.
Haines also won via tech. fall, 16-1, in 4:16 over Ohio State sophomore T.J. Shierl at 174.
PSU also received bonus point victories from junior Mitchell Mesenbrink at 165 (major decision), sophomore Rocco Welsh at 184 (decison), sophomore Josh Barr at 197 (major decision) and yes, freshman Cole Mirasola (overtime decision) at 285.
Welsh stayed unbeaten by rallying for a 7-6 win over Buckeyes junior Dylan Fishback, scoring two takedowns in the final period, the last one with 14 secods left.
Mirasola, facing Ohio State’s third-ranked Nick Feldman, scored a takedown 14 seconds into sudden victory to upset the Buckeye 4-1.
PENN STATE 36, OHIO STATE 5
125 pounds: Penn State So. Luke Lilledahl (16-0) dec. Ohio State Jr. Nic Bouzakis (12-1) by 4-1 (SV)
133: Penn State Fr. Marcus Blaze (18-0) dec. Ohio State Fr. Ben Davino (20-1) by 3-2 (TB2)
141: Ohio State Sr. Jesse Mendez (18-0) won by tech. fall over Penn State Jr. Braeden Davis (8-3) in 5:49 (18-2).
149: Penn State Jr. Shayne Van Ness (17-0) tech. fall over Ohio State Fr. Brogan Fielding (7-7) in 6:17 (20-5).
157: Penn State Fr. PJ Duke (15-1) pinned Ohio State Fr. Daxton Chase (7-7) in 3:28.
165: Penn State Jr. Mitchell Mesenbrink (18-0) major dec. Ohio State Sr. Paddy Gallagher (9-6) by 12-2.
174: Penn State Sr. Levi Haines (17-0) won by tech. fall over So. T.J. Shierl (12-7) in 4:15 (16-1).
184: Penn State So. Rocco Welsh (16-0) dec. Ohio State Jr. Dylan Fishback (12-6) by 7-6.
197: Penn State So. Josh Barr (15-0) major dec. Ohio State Jr. Luke Geog (12-5) by 11-2.
285: Penn State Fr. Cole Mirasola (13-4) dec. Ohio State Jr. Nick Feldman (17-4) by 4-1 (SV).
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced two new partnerships in Columbus aimed at increasing awareness of elder abuse and stopping financial exploitation before it devastates older Ohioans.
The Ohio Bankers League and the Ohio Health Care Association are teaming with the Attorney General’s Office as part of a coordinated statewide campaign to educate Ohioans on the warning signs of elder abuse and how to prevent it.
Elder abuse doesn’t always leave bruises,” Yost said. “Sometimes it looks like unusual withdrawals or a sudden change in financial behavior. Our financial institutions are a first line of defense.
The partnerships build on efforts announced last fall with the Ohio Pharmacists Association, expanding the network of frontline professionals who regularly interact with older Ohioans, including bankers, health-care providers and pharmacists.
The new partnerships include training focused on identifying signs and symptoms of elder abuse and financial exploitation, distribution of educational materials to increase awareness and provide guidance on where victims and families can turn for help, and using partner websites, member networks and public-facing platforms to expand outreach and increase reporting.
“When you’re dealing with an epidemic, you need a big army,” Yost said at a press conference this morning with representatives of the trade associations. “These partnerships are critical.”
Yost’s office said scams targeting older adults are becoming more sophisticated and more common, and that financial institutions are positioned to spot red flags such as suspicious withdrawals, unusual check-writing patterns and sudden wire transfers. With coordination with law enforcement and improved reporting, banks can help prevent scammers from draining victims’ accounts.
“On behalf of the Ohio Bankers League and Ohio’s community banks, I want to thank Attorney General Yost and his team for inviting us to be a partner in this critically important effort to combat elder financial fraud,” Mike Adelman said. Adelman is president and CEO of the Ohio Bankers League, which consists of more than 170 FDIC-insurance financial institutions. “This partnership matters, and it sends a powerful message to Ohioans that government and local banks are standing together to protect our most vulnerable neighbors.”
Health-care providers can also play a role by recognizing signs of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and encouraging elderly patients to report it.
“For every Ohio Health Care Association member, the safety, well-being and compassionate care of residents, especially in their most vulnerable moments, are our highest priorities,” Scott Wiley said, CEO of the Ohio Health Care Association, which represents more than 1,300 assisted-living communities, providers of home care and hospice services, and skilled nursing-care facilities.
Every Ohioan entrusted to our care deserves to feel safe, respected, seen and valued,” Wiley said.
Yost’s office said elder abuse in Ohio has grown by 400% in the past seven years. Estimates show one in 10 Ohioans age 60 or older suffer abuse, but only one in five cases is reported.
Sara Kilpatrick, executive director and CEO of the Ohio Pharmacists Association, said her association is working with Yost’s office to provide educational information on prescription bags and window-ledge cards for distribution to pharmacies throughout Ohio.
“Too many older Ohioans suffer in silence,” Kilpatrick said. “Pharmacists are in a unique position to help protect and support these vulnerable neighbors.”
Since October, the Attorney General’s Office has been expanding a statewide awareness campaign encouraging Ohioans to learn the warning signs of elder abuse and financial exploitation and report suspected cases. A central part of the effort is the video “What’s Done in the Dark,” which is being shared by the Attorney General’s Elder Justice Unit and partner agencies across Ohio.
The Elder Abuse Commission recently released its biennial report outlining prevention efforts, training initiatives and coordination among agencies focused on protecting older adults.
Ohioans who suspect elder abuse, neglect or financial exploitation are encouraged to contact local law enforcement or their county Adult Protective Services office.
Additional resources are available through the Attorney General’s Office.
ATHENS COUNTY, Ohio (WSYX) — A $500,000 bond has been set for an Ohio State University student accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
21-year-old Anthony Bokar faces criminal charges of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, tampering with evidence, and corrupting another with drugs.
Court documents say Bokar purchased and delivered marijuana to the 13-year-old in Franklin County, and prosecutors said the pair started texting on Snapchat.
[Bokar] then made a plan to drive to Nelsonville in Athens, Ohio to pick her up and engage in sexual activity, which he did.
“He drove to her home and picked her up. Then, [he] drove her to the campus at Hocking College, in which he engaged in oral sex as well as vaginally penetrative sex with a 13-year-old girl,” prosecutors said. “He also solicited feet pictures from her in exchange for money.”
Court documents ABC 6 obtained read Bokar instructed the 13-year-old he had been “sexting” to “delete and wipe her phone from all the information they shared.” Prosecutors said in court Thursday that they are still digging through the evidence on his phone.
“We were just informed today that he was soliciting pictures from other juvenile females around the same age: a 13-year-old girl,” prosecutors said.
Bokar’s LinkedIn profile shows he worked as a student teacher at Pickerington Central High School. The district tells ABC 6 they have no record of a personnel file.
His LinkedIn also reads that he worked as a resident assistant in a dorm and as a student engagement leader for OSU’s admissions team. ABC 6 requested a copy of Bokar’s personnel file, and instead, received a statement saying:
“These allegations are extremely concerning. The individual in question has been placed on interim suspension and is not currently allowed on campus or at university engagements, including student teaching assignments. Nothing is more important than the safety of our campus community, and we will assist law enforcement in any way needed. We are unable to comment further given the ongoing investigation.”
ABC 6 spoke with the father of that victim. He said his daughter had to be placed on suicide watch after suffering a mental breakdown at school.
The father says it was then that she revealed the inappropriate relationship to her family.
“You got a little 13-year-old girl who’s in cheerleading — one of the captains of the middle school Buckeyes — and here’s this Buckeye, saying he loves her and giving her drugs and money,” he said. “When she talks, you definitely know she’s a little girl. The verbiage that she uses, the things she talks about are all childish.”
I didn’t protect her.
ABC 6 asked the father how he felt that Bokar was studying to be a teacher. “He was going to be in his playground. It’s how I see it,” he said.
For now, the father said his focus is on getting his daughter counseling to deal with the trauma Bokar allegedly caused.
“To say it loud, and to say it to everyone gives us the power,” he said. “It helps with our healing.”
Bokar’s next court date is February 23rd.
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