The race between Brown and Moreno is now the most expensive Senate race in the country and could end up being the costliest non-presidential contest on record

The biggest race on Ohio’s Nov. 5 ballot is that between Sen. Sherrod Brown and businessman Bernie Moreno.

Here’s what you need to know about the candidates and issues.

Who is Sherrod Brown?

Brown, a Democrat, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 after defeating then-Sen. Mike DeWine.

The senator presents himself as a fighter for the working class and focuses on issues such as trade, pensions and health care costs. He’s one of few Ohio Democrats to win recent elections, which supporters attribute to effective retail politics and his ability to reach independents and some Republicans.

Brown’s critics say he’s too liberal to represent a state that went for former president Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.

Read more here.

Who is Bernie Moreno?

Moreno, a Republican, built a chain of luxury car dealerships based in the Cleveland area before pivoting to the blockchain business. He defeated Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, in the March GOP primary with Trump’s support.

As a child, Moreno immigrated with his family from Colombia to the United States − a story he often recounts when discussing border security.

Throughout the campaign, Brown and his allies have criticized Moreno’s business practices and highlighted lawsuits that accused him of not paying overtime to employees.

Read more here.

Ohio at center of fight for Senate control

Brown is one of the most vulnerable Democrats on the ballot − second only to Montana Sen. Jon Tester − and the outcome in Ohio could determine which party controls a divided U.S. Senate. Hence the onslaught of ads you see on television.

Why does Senate control matter? It can impact who is appointed to federal courts and agencies, what kind of legislation gets passed and whether the party that wins the White House can advance its agenda.

Read more here.

What do Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno say about the economy, immigration?

The campaigns provided responses to questions about key issues in the race, including the economy, immigration and climate. Brown and Moreno declined to be interviewed.

Read more here.

Where do Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno stand on abortion?

Brown backs efforts to protect access to abortion, fertility treatments and birth control. He’s made abortion a central issue in the race after Ohioans voted last year to guarantee the right to reproductive health care.

Moreno previously advocated for a 15-week federal abortion ban and said he still supports that policy on a personal level. But as Republicans try to walk back their support for strict abortion bans, Moreno has said abortion should be regulated by states and called for better access to contraception, health care and adoption services.

Moreno also faced backlash for mocking older suburban women who prioritize abortion rights at the ballot box.

Read more:

How expensive is Ohio’s Senate race?

Republicans and Democrats have spent or reserved $441 million in the race between Brown and Moreno, according to the political ad-tracking firm AdImpact. It’s now the most expensive Senate race in the country and could end up being the costliest non-presidential contest on record.

One of the biggest spenders in the race is Defend American Jobs, a pro-cryptocurrency group that supports Moreno.

Other prominent ads came from the Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund, which used transgender health care and athletes to attack Brown. The senator is a staunch supporter of LGBTQ rights, but the ads didn’t paint a full picture of his record on those issues.

Read more here.

Why didn’t Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno debate?

The campaigns didn’t agree to any debates ahead of the election, despite receiving an invitation from the Ohio Debate Commission. In past reelection bids, Brown has debated his opponent multiple times.

Read more here.

Ohio State has had a lot of players leave its football program through the transfer portal.

Here’s a look at how some of them did this week:

LB Reid Carrico, West Virginia

In West Virginia’s 31-26 win over Arizona, Carrico had four tackles.

WR Julian Fleming, Penn State

In Penn State’s 28-13 win at Wisconsin, Fleming had one catch for 16 yards.

RB Dallan Hayden, Colorado

In a 34-23 win over Cincinnati, Hayden rushed for 36 yards on 10 carries and caught two passes for 1 yard.

QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse

In Syracuse’s 41-13 loss to Pittsburgh, McCord completed 35 of 64 passes for 321yards, no touchdowns and five interceptions. Three of the five interceptions were returned for touchdowns.

Ohio State football: Why did Kyle McCord transfer? Will Howard takes over at QB in 2024

He also ran nine times for minus-32 yards.

S Cameron Martinez, Boston College

In Boston College’s 31-27 loss to Louisville, Martinez had six tackles.

DT Jaden McKenzie, East Carolina

In East Carolina’s 56-34 win over Temple, McKenzie had two tackles.

P Jesse Mirco, Vanderbilt

In Vanderbilt’s 27-24 loss to Texas, Mirco punted five times for a 48.2-yard average.

More: Does Ohio State have best college sports tradition? Vote now!

RB Evan Pryor, Cincinnati

In a 34-23 loss at Colorado, Pryor rushed for 25 yards and a touchdown on five carries and caught one pass for 40 yards.

More: Is Ohio State the best college for sports fans? Vote now!

TE Joe Royer, Cincinnati

In a 34-23 loss at Colorado, Royer caught four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown.

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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.”

RELATED Ohio State Defense Gets it Done This Time Against Nebraska

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.