It’s been 17 weeks since an Ohio State defensive lineman has drawn a holding penalty.
It occurred when Western Michigan offensive tackle Jack Sherwin held Caden Curry on a rush at the end of the first quarter in the second game of the season.
According to the program's official box scores, Ohio State’s opponents have been flagged for holding three times this season. Including the one mentioned above, there were also holds from Marshall center Logan Osburn on linebacker Sonny Styles and Michigan State running back Kay’ron Lynch-Adams on safety Caleb Downs.
That fact bothers Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, who said Sunday that he and his teammates are held each time an opponent snaps the ball.
“I think our whole D-line gets held every game,” Williams said. “I don’t know what the refs are saying or what’s going on with that. But you turn on the tape and really look at it, we’re held almost every play.”
When asked how Ohio State’s defensive line could draw more holding calls – whether it’s to be better actors or be more dramatic – Williams didn’t have an answer.
“We can be actors, but we don’t really teach nothing like that,” Williams said. “I don’t know if it’s ‘cause we’re Ohio State they’re letting things go or what it is, but it’s been pretty bad. I know y’all see it, too. It’s every play, almost every game.”
In December, Tony Gerdeman of Buckeye Huddle researched the last time Jack Sawyer drew a holding penalty. The answer? Against Tulsa in his third appearance as a Buckeye. During that game, Sawyer drew two holding penalties from tight end Ethan Hall and offensive tackle Dillon Wade. Since Wade’s hold occurred, Sawyer has played 1,668 snaps since an offensive lineman was called for holding on him.
The lack of penalties for Ohio State’s opponents extends beyond holding calls. The Buckeyes currently rank No. 134 nationally in opponent penalties per game at 3.6. They also rank No. 134 in opponent penalty yards per game at 27.4. In regards to the latter, the next closest teams are Michigan (31.5), Michigan State (33.5), Northwestern (33.7) and Penn State (34.1).
| OPPONENT | PENALTIES VS. OSU | AVG. PENALTIES VS. OTHER OPPONENTS |
|---|---|---|
| AKRON | 5 / 35 | 6.5 / 49.9 |
| WESTERN MICHIGAN | 2 / 2 | 4.3 / 42.3 |
| MARSHALL | 8 / 52 | 5.2 / 42.8 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 2 / 19 | 7.1 / 67.4 |
| IOWA | 1 / 5 | 3.3 / 31.9 |
| OREGON | 3 / 25 & 3 / 13 (6 / 38) | 5.7 / 45.2 |
| NEBRASKA | 7 / 62 | 6.1 / 52.4 |
| PENN STATE | 5 / 45 | 5.8 / 55 |
| PURDUE | 0 / 0 | 6 / 56.5 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 2 / 10 | 5 / 40.8 |
| INDIANA | 3 / 15 | 4.9 / 46.3 |
| MICHIGAN | 4 / 50 | 4 / 38.7 |
| TENNESSEE | 6 / 50 | 8.3 / 68.3 |
Despite the lack of opponent penalties, Williams said Ohio State will remain focused on the task at hand: beating Texas in the Cotton Bowl and advancing to the College Football Playoff final.
"We just gotta keep our foot on the gas. We can't let up at all 'cause these teams we're playing are great teams. Texas is a great team, great offense, great offensive line, great quarterback, great receivers, great running backs," Williams said. "We just gotta keep executing like we know we can and then see how it plays out."
