The loss of Joey Bosa for the season opener allowed defensive linemen like Sam Hubbard (No. 6) to assert themselves in the Buckeyes’ rotation. 0 Shares Print COLUMBUS, Ohio — Playing without Joey Bosa for an entire game isn’t something Ohio State wants to try again any time soon, and his suspension is certainly wasn’t a positive for the program. But the Buckeyes had been trying for more than two year to find a way to get their star defensive end a bit more time on the sideline and cut down on his heavy workload, and a week without him might have been the perfect way to do it. Ohio State had all of training camp to prepare for his absence, and it had no shortage of talented but inexperienced options on hand jockeying for the chance to fill in for Bosa But along the way, the Buckeyes found they had a couple options with the ability to slide into his spot on at least a short-term basis even when Bosa is around, which is what they’ve been searching for as they plan to keep keep him fresher and more productive in his part of the rotation. “A year ago, he probably [averaged] 72 plays, down from 90 the year before I got there,” defensive line coach Larry Johnson said. “Some games he played 85, 90 plays, which is a lot of football. To play at maximum speed, I think that’s tough to do. “I think for Joey, the max is probably 60 to 65 plays to play at his best.” Of course, for the Buckeyes to reach their potential defensively, that number has to be much higher than the zero Bosa logged in the season opener while serving his sentence for a violation of team rules. That misstep clearly still disappointed him even after he returned in Saturday’s shutout win over Hawaii and addressed it publicly for the first time, and he apologized to teammates for “letting them down.” But more than motivating him to come back stronger and become a better leader, the true silver lining of Bosa’s week off figures to show up as the season progresses. If Sam Hubbard, Tyquan Lewis and Jalyn Holmes continue to prove capable of producing up front, the Buckeyes won’t have to rely on Bosa for nearly as many reps — which should leave more fuel for when he is on the field unleashing his freakish athleticism. “Obviously missing a week sucks, not because you’re missing it, but because you’re not out there with your guys and letting them down,” Bosa said…
Continue Reading: Planning for success: Loss of Joey Bosa helpful to other Ohio State DL
