This Standout's Role Will Be Crucial to Ohio State's Offense Against USC

As the Ohio State Buckeyes prepare to play without star quarterback Julian Sayin for what could be the remainder of the season, more will be expected from his offensive teammates, especially the seasoned ones.

Among those veterans with a number of games under his belt, one stands out as a key cog for the offensive unit that will now have to adjust to a true freshman quarterback in Luke Fahey.

Center Carson Hinzman, a first-team All-American in 2025, will now become an ever bigger piece of the puzzle for the Buckeyes, who are set to debut Fahey as their starter next Saturday at the venerable Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the USC Trojans, a currently unranked team that, nonetheless, carries the same amount of total wins for the season as the second-ranked Buckeyes -- six.

Hinzman’s importance for head coach Ryan Day and the rest of the Ohio State program in the upcoming weeks can’t be understated. First of all, he’s the guy responsible for all communication in the trenches. With an inexperienced passer under center, Hinzman’s calls on protections and adjustments at the line of scrimmage will now determine even a bigger stake on any given play’s success or failure rate.

Secondly, the interior of Ohio State’s offensive line is the strongest point, with Hinzman being flanked by technician Luke Montgomery on the left side shining bright on pass protection, and the ultra-talented Austin Siereveld on the right, kicking out to tackle whenever it might be needed. This trio will be called upon not only to keep Fahey’s pocket clean, but also open up some running lanes so the ground game can take some pressure off the freshman passer’s shoulders.

Hinzman might not be as highly regarded as the players on each of his sides, but he brings invaluable experience to the unit with over 40 starts for the Buckeyes. Ohio State will undoubtedly look to lean on all that experience as they hand over the reins to a freshman behind him.

What Carson Hinzman and the rest of the Buckeyes offensive line should expect with Luke Fahey under center

First and foremost, just getting the cadence right could be an issue for Hinzman and the rest of the offense, as Fahey won't sound exactly the same as Sayin at the line of scrimmage.

“For us to get on the same page is really important, and that takes a little bit of time”, said Hinzman recently.

Then, Ohio State’s playbook will be watered down, with long-developing plays getting thrown out in favor of simpler rhythm throws. Fahey won’t likely have many downfield shots until he can prove he can stay patient in the pocket for the routes to develop. Until then, a quick passing game based on slants and hooks should be expected.

This means Hinzman and Co. won’t be asked to hold their blocks as long as they might be used to under Sayin. On the flipside, the Buckeyes linemen better get ready to run downfield more often, as the screen game will be a good alternative at finding big gains on short passes.

Finally, Ohio State’s ground game will be asked to take on a bigger role, and Hinzman will be key to opening running lanes between the tackles and outside zones.

As the anchor of the unit, Hinzman will be counted on to provide a steady presence for Fahey and the rest of the Buckeyes as they try to get on the same page while keeping Ohio State’s championship hopes intact over the second half of the season.

Add us as a preferred source on Google