Season-ending injury to star player will be too much for Ohio State to overcome

Ohio State's football program has hit another snag, and it couldn't have come at a worse time.

Star center Seth McLaughlin, a key part of the Buckeyes' offensive line, suffered a torn Achilles during practice this week.

According to reports, this injury will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season. The timing of this setback is brutal as Ohio State is gearing up for a critical matchup against Indiana, and hoping to make a run deep in the postseason.

McLaughlin, who transferred from Alabama, has been a dependable starter this season, anchoring the offensive line in all 10 games so far. Losing him is a huge blow for a team already dealing with the absence of left tackle Josh Simmons due to a season-ending knee injury.

Ohio State has been forced to reshuffle its offensive line, moving Donovan Jackson to tackle and inserting Carson Hinzman at guard. Now, they’ll need even more adjustments as they prepare to face undefeated Indiana and then their longtime rival Michigan.

Honestly, it might be too much for Ohio State to overcome.

Though the Buckeyes paid big money to bring this current roster together and their defense is going to be elite in the postseason, you have to be able to score to win a championship, especially with a 12-team field that will feature several teams that can score at high volumes.

Will Howard has struggled at times this season, especially against defenses that have a pass-rush. That's only going to be even more difficult now that the Buckeyes will be playing without two of their starters along the offensive line.

The running attack with Quinshod Junkins and TreVeyon Henderson will keep Ohio State in games, but that offensive line is going to be a liability the rest of the way, especially when they play teams with elite pass-rushes like Oregon, Ole Miss, or Georgia.

The offensive line was good enough to beat Penn State, but there are much more talented and capable teams on the horizon for the Buckeyes if they want to reach their ultimate goal, and unfortunately for them, the injuries are going to make that path a lot harder than it already was going to be.

A win over Indiana could pave the way for a Big Ten title game rematch against No. 1 Oregon, but let's be honest: A team without two of its best offensive linemen isn't going to match up well come playoff time.

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