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Ohio State Has Leaned Heavily on Starting Defensive Linemen, But Ryan Day Wants to Mix Backups in More

Defensive line rotation is a delicate balance, but right now it seems Ohio State is leaning heavily on the starting side of the beam.

The Buckeyes' first front four of Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Ty Hamilton and Tyleik Williams played 85% of Ohio State's 291 combined snaps among defensive linemen against Nebraska. This trend is especially prevalent at the defensive tackle position, where Hamilton and Williams ate 90% of the action.

After a game at Oregon where some of Ohio State's defensive linemen were showing clear signs of fatigue on the sidelines in the second half, one has to wonder if that workload is sustainable – even if every snap matted in the Buckeyes' narrow 21-17 win over the Cornhuskers.