COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the search for offensive line perfection, Ohio State may have discovered that the answer to their right guard question isn’t one player — but two.

The Buckeyes’ decisive 48-10 victory over UCLA featured an intriguing rotation at right guard between starter Tegra Tshabola and Gabe VanSickle that could prove to be the strategic breakthrough Ryan Day’s team needs heading into their season-defining matchups.

The Buckeye Talk podcast dove into this development, with hosts Stephen Means and Stefan Krajisnik meticulously breaking down the film to reveal a fascinating dynamic emerging at the position.

“I wonder if Tegra playing 30-35 snaps is when he’s at his best,” Krajisnik said during the podcast. “I think the answer is he has to rotate in some capacity because Tegra at 70 snaps is not the best version of right guard for Ohio State.”

This isn’t merely speculation — the numbers tell a compelling story. Against UCLA, Tshabola played 26 snaps with a PFF grade of 61.4, including an elite 84.3 pass-blocking grade without surrendering any pressures. Meanwhile, VanSickle brought a different but equally valuable skill set to the position.

What makes this rotation particularly intriguing is how it transformed Ohio State’s running attack. When VanSickle entered the game, the Buckeyes found success running to the right side — something that had been inconsistent with Tshabola in the lineup.

“It felt like with Gabe VanSickle, it wasn’t just like ‘Let’s get him reps.’ It was ‘Let’s see what we can do when Gabe VanSickle’s in the game,’” Means said. “And they were running to the right a lot and they were busting stuff, right?”

This revelation comes at a critical moment in Ohio State’s season. The right guard position has been under scrutiny throughout the year, with Josh Padilla initially challenging for the spot before an injury limited his opportunities. Now, with Michigan looming, the Buckeyes appear to have found a formula that maximizes each player’s strengths while minimizing their weaknesses.

The psychology behind this approach is equally fascinating. Krajisnik noted how Tshabola has consistently responded when his starting job is threatened.

The coaching staff now faces an intriguing decision: continue this rotation against Rutgers and then deploy it against Michigan, or reintegrate Padilla into the mix if he’s healthy? The podcast hosts were clear in their recommendation.

“Go into… those games being like, ‘Our top two right guards are Gabe VanSickle and Tegra Tshabola,” Krajisnik said. “If you leave Ann Arbor and if you leave Indianapolis saying that this still isn’t quite good enough, then you have 30 days in practice to see what Padilla can give you fully healthy and figure it out.”

What’s particularly striking is that this development mirrors concerns from last year’s Michigan game, where right guard play was identified as a weakness.

Here’s the podcast for this week:

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