The Ohio State offensive line has been at the center of attention in the lead-up to the 2019 Rose Bowl, and not for a good reason.
With starting right guard Demetrius Knox out with an injured foot, and starting left tackle Thayer Munford’s status up in the air after he missed practice with an injury, the Buckeyes could be forced to roll out two inexperienced players in the starting lineup.
One of those replacements is Wyatt Davis, a redshirt freshman who made his first career start in the Big Ten Championship Game win over Northwestern.
He stepped in after Knox suffered a season-ending injury in the final minutes of the 62-39 win over Michigan.
The chance to start in the Rose Bowl is special for Davis for reasons well beyond just the opportunity to play. Davis is from Bellflower, Calif., less than 30 miles from the Rose Bowl stadium.
“It means a lot, just to be able to play in front of all of my family and friends, and even my high school coaches,” said Davis, noting that a lot of those people were also hitting him up for tickets.
He’ll probably feel a little nervous lining up in front of all of those familiar faces, but that’s nothing new. His first start in the Big Ten Championship Game was a little nerve-wracking as well.
He admitted to feeling “a little bit of nervousness” in Indianapolis. Remember, Davis redshirted in 2017 and then played only in blowouts, and situationally in a few games before that this season.
Still, Davis knew he was up to the task.
“I felt like I was ready,” he said. “I came out there and played confidently and listened to what the other guys on the O-line said.”
One of the things that helped get him ready was the chance to play in a “Jumbo” package the Buckeyes rolled out in goal line and short-yardage spots during the last month of the season. Davis lined up the backfield as a tight end, providing another big body to help clear the way.
“It definitely helped. Once I found out I was part of that package I was really excited because it felt like I was really contributing to the team.”
Because of where he lined up in that package, Davis was an eligible receiver. So how badly did he want the Buckeyes to run play-action and throw him the ball?
“I really wanted to because I’ve got hands like Odell Beckham. I wanted to catch a one-handed one in the end zone,” he said, laughing.
“My coaches didn’t believe me when I was saying that, so I never got to actually run a route. It was probably a good thing because that would have been embarrassing if I fell in the end zone or something.”
Davis probably won’t get to catch a touchdown pass in the Rose Bowl, but he’ll definitely get to start. Now that he has that Big Ten Championship Game start under his belt, he knows what that means.
“It was a different feeling going into the game knowing that you’re starting it off and everyone is relying on you to do your job just like you’re relying on them to do the same.”
