With Ohio State kicker Blake Haubeil out, who boots it for the Buckeyes?

The Buckeyes will have to turn to either walk-on Dominic DiMaccio or freshman Jake Seibert for kicking duties.

It may not seem like that big of a deal, but any football coach in America will tell you that having a reliable kicker makes life a lot less stressful. Things are no different at Ohio State. Sure, the Buckeyes are scoring touchdowns in droves, but extra points and field goals can make a big difference should OSU find themselves in a close game.

Senior kicker Blake Haubeil is out at least this Saturday night after leaving last week’s game at Penn State with a groin injury. Haubeil had been pretty much automatic before the injury making 24 of 29 FGs over the course of two-plus years and a perfect 131 for 131 on extra points.

The Buckeyes now find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Walk on Dominic DiMaccio came on for the injured Haubeil and made 1 of 2 field-goal tries in Happy Valley. Not horrible, but can he be counted on in high-pressure situations?

Enter freshman, Jake Seibert. We told you Seibert lost his black stripe earlier this week and is now an official member of the football team. Seibert wasn’t originally part of the plan for this year, but it looks like he may be thrust into the spotlight.

Coming from Cincinnati La Salle High School, Seibert was ranked the No. 2 kicker in the nation. Groin injuries can be tricky and with the extent of Haubeil’s injury unknown, it looks like Seibert may get a crack at taking over the reins in the interim.

We shall see.

[lawrence-related id=39929]

 

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.

Download the USA TODAY SportsWire app to follow Buckeyes Wire and your other favorite teams in the Apple Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android devices.