Quick Hits: Tyler Bowen Wants Ohio State Offensive Line to Be the “Toughest, Most Rugged Group” On the Field, Carson Hinzman Expects “Explosiveness” in the Run Game

Ian Moore is gaining tons of momentum at offensive tackle, receiving lofty praise from center Carson Hinzman, guard Luke Montgomery and coach Tyler Bowen. Moore himself is feeling a great boost of confidence from overthinking less and playing more freely, which is also making him have more fun on the field.

Speaking of Bowen, he wants Ohio State's offensive line to be the “toughest, most rugged group” on the football field whenever they take to it, which goes hand-in-hand with messaging from his offensive linemen and new Buckeyes offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Hinzman expects “explosiveness” and something “really special” from Ohio State's running game this fall.

Catch up with what all of them and offensive guard Gabe VanSickle had to say on Wednesday below.

OL Coach Tyler Bowen

“There has to be a mentality that when we have five guys go on the field that we’re gonna be the toughest, most rugged group on that field and that everyone can count on us.”– Tyler Bowen on Ohio State's offensive line

• Bowen said Austin Siereveld proved himself last offseason. He can be versatile and play both tackle and guard spots. Even with Siereveld out for the spring, Bowen said Siereveld will have a spot in the starting lineup next fall. “Austin’s certainly someone that’s a part of that lineup. He gives us flexibility where he can play on the exterior and tackle, really either one. He gives us flexibility to play him on the interior. We’re looking forward to getting him back full-go for the summer and see how it all fits together.”
• With Siereveld and Phillip Daniels out, Bowen said “it’s been huge” for Ian Moore and Carter Lowe to earn first-team reps this spring. “It’s been invaluable for them. … It’s something that’s gonna be beneficial for us down the road.”
• On Lowe: “Carter’s an intelligent young man that’s starting to really understand the game. A little more big picture. Those are the things that stick out, his movement. But now I think he’s starting to get some strength, and he knows he’s still got a long way to go in that department. But as physical development catches up with where he’s trending from a football standpoint, I think we got a chance to have a really good player.”
• Bowen said he has “a few” players who can play inside and outside “in a pinch.” Bowen said he’ll learn more about that in the summer and preseason as Ohio State’s offensive line takes shape entering the year. Bowen said “more often than not” it’s easier for a tackle to move inside and play guard.
• Bowen said Gabe VanSickle learned from positive and negative experiences last season: “I think he learned a lot from his experiences later in the year.”
• Bowen said Arthur Smith is “really establishing an identity for how we’re gonna run the ball.” Bowen called it “a work in progress” as the offensive line learns the “big picture” from Smith. He said that work will continue into the summer.
• Bowen said his players are working hard this offseason to establish roles on the offensive line. “We have the opportunity to have depth.”
• Bowen said Ian Moore was “a guy that we counted on to be the first guy in the game” off the bench last season. He said Moore has continued to mature and grow as he gains experience against opponents and teammates.

C Carson Hinzman

“I expect explosiveness. I think for us to come back for a lot of these guys' senior year, I think it's really important to us to really prove that we worked our tail off to be able to put something together that's really special.”– Carson Hinzman on what he expects from the run game

• There's a silver lining to the injuries on Ohio State's offensive line during spring practice, Hinzman said. "Experience is invaluable. And so for some of those young guys, even if they're not exactly where you want a starting right tackle or right guard or whoever's playing, like Ian Moore at left tackle, exactly where you need them right now, we have time to develop. And as long as you can see the development, the progress and stuff like that, kind of move forward, that's all you can really ask for."
• On offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's impact: "He brings a mentality to the run game. It's hard to put into words. It's kind of almost like a tangible violence that he kind of wants to put into the run game. So it's pretty fun to be able to play under someone who's like that. Like. knowing that we have confidence in the run game, knowing that we have confidence in the guys up front."
• On what it means to play "nasty" as Smith wants his offensive linemen to do: "Someone always joked with me, it's like you want the ref clutching (his flag), but not throwing.  You always want him clutching his purse, not throwing it at you. And so as long as we can play on the edge of violent, but also obviously in the guidelines. But obviously show how physical and how dominant we can be is important for us."
• On Ian Moore: "Ian's been stepping up, dude. It's fun to watch him starting to come into his own. Because in the weight room, he's like, insanely dominant, you know what I mean? So for him to start taking that weight room strength and start translating that to football strength is huge."

LG Luke Montgomery

“You wanna be calm in the storm when in the fourth quarter when the game's tight, you want the guys to be just calm and sink down to the level of their training. We got a lot of guys that are doing that right now and it's been a lot of fun.”– Luke Montgomery on why Ohio State's experience on the offensive line will be a benefit

• Montgomery sees a lot of depth in the offensive line room right now, especially with the experience Ian Moore and Carter Lowe are getting in practice with Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels out. "This kind of reminds me of my sophomore year, being like nine or ten guys deep every play. And it's good for them. I think Carter having to go up against KJ (Jackson), Beau Atkinson, those guys, and Epi (Sitanilei), he's only gonna get better."
• On Ian Moore: "Ian's been doing an amazing job, tremendous job. I'm pretty comfortable with him at left tackle, as well as Austin. So our camaraderie's been very good."
• Montgomery explained a lightning-bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. "Junior year, I got a Harry Potter scar, which basically means I'm the chosen one. Junior year, first game, elbowed in the head, like (skin) completely ruptured to my skull in a basketball game. And I got like 17 stitches in my head, so it was pretty gnarly."
• On the specific traits that can make Moore great: "Very explosive off the ball, very strong and smart dude. And what I like about him is, he reminds me of me with the energy. He brings a lot of energy, it's a lot of fun to practice. And when you make practice fun like that on a day-to-day basis, cause sometimes it can be hard to do this over and over again. But when you make it fun like that, the longevity of your career, it's only gonna skyrocket and you're gonna play for a long time."

OT Ian Moore

“I love coach Smith. I do. I mean, he's just one tough SOB. We're going to play tough Big Ten football … We’re just going to be a lot more aggressive.” – Ian Moore on new Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith

• Moore said it’s an “amazing opportunity” to be competing for a starting job, but he’s focused on the improvements he still needs to make. “I just got to keep working, keep pushing, and come season, we'll find out then.”
• Moore said he finds minor things to tweak in his game every day, but also said he’s learned not to fixate too much on the little things when it’s time to go play. “Everyone's always got micro things, but you also got to learn just to play football. Like run off the ball, get off the ball, punch somebody, headbutt somebody, whatever it takes, man.”
• Moore believes he is one of Ohio State’s five best offensive linemen, but he knows he has to prove that every day. “I always like to think that I should be out there, but it doesn't matter if someone else makes a push during summer and I get worse. So you can't really think you're the best, you just got to keep going out there and working.”
• Moore said he’s been practicing almost exclusively at left tackle since Austin Siereveld and Phillip Daniels underwent surgeries that sidelined them for the rest of spring. Before their injuries, Moore was flipping between left and right tackle while also occasionally moving inside to guard.
• Moore said he was struggling mentally early last season, but started to gain confidence around the middle of last season. “I used to be just so in my head about everything, and going into the spring, I tell myself every day, like ‘I belong out here. I belong with these guys.’”
• Moore said he thinks redshirt freshman offensive tackle Carter Lowe is “going to be an amazing player.”
• Moore said he thinks practicing against Ohio State’s defense has helped him develop better than any game could. “I think that we have the best defense in college football, and I believe that down to every fiber in my body. So every time I go out against somebody else, it's really, I'm not worried about them, I'm worried about practice tomorrow. Because I'm about to go against (Kenyatta Jackson Jr.), I'm about to go against (Beau Atkinson). I mean, we got coaches out here that are telling them to do stuff that I've never seen before. You just got to adjust every day.”

RG Gabe VanSickle

“They schemed us up. Not gonna lie.”– Gabe VanSickle on Miami’s defensive line in the Cotton Bowl

• VanSickle said his confidence is increasing this spring. He’s been working hard on the field and in the weight room. VanSickle said he’s 2% leaner this spring after winter and spring workouts with strength coach Mick Marotti.
• When asked what he learned from Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl loss to Miami, VanSickle said, “Stay in the moment and don’t let things get to you.”
• When asked what he’s doing to become a starter at right guard this fall, VanSickle said, “I’m just trying to get better every day, trying to get better physically… trying to get confidence.” VanSickle called Ohio State the “Big Leagues” and said that he wants to compete with the best and emerge the best.
• On Arthur Smith: “He’s always with the O-line. He loves the O-line. He sticks in the meetings a lot and teaching you stuff that NFL guys do and schemes and all that stuff.”
• VanSickle said he’s only been playing right guard this spring.