After every Ohio State recreation throughout the 2022 soccer season, LGHL will provide its market evaluation of the Buckeyes’ efficiency. Utilizing an ordinary bond score system, we’ll consider the offense, the protection, and the particular groups, in response to this formulation:

AA: Very Sturdy
A: Sturdy
BBB: Satisfactory
BB: Dealing with Main Uncertainty

Then, we’ll check out any particular person gamers whose efficiency stood out (in a method or one other!) and assign them a inventory score: Blue Chip, Stable Efficiency, Penny Inventory (akin to a junk bond, dangerously excessive danger).

Fast Overview

Properly earlier than this season started, I had urged, in a “daring prediction,” that the Wisconsin recreation could be probably the most tough on Ohio State’s common season schedule. I nervous that the Badgers — as a result of they had been massive and hard and introduced a rugged dashing recreation — had been simply the form of workforce that the Buckeyes struggled with. Not anymore! Any frets that we could have had in regards to the Buckeyes’ physicality had been laid to relaxation final evening as OSU dominated the road of scrimmage on each side of the ball.

The texture of the Black Out was electrical, and Ohio State got here out on hearth. The opening drive was a masterpiece – 88 yards, six performs, Miyan Williams placing it in from the 2. With about 4 minutes nonetheless left within the preliminary quarter, the Buckeyes had been up 21-0. Quarterback C.J. Stroud and the OSU protection had been each excellent, and the sport was actually over on the quarter mark.

By the point the Victory Bell was ringing, the scoreboard learn 52-21. Domination for the Buckeyes. Humiliation for the Badgers. I admit that I didn’t see this rout coming.

Offense

General score: AA Very Sturdy

Ohio State had 12 (form of) possessions. Seven had been within the first half: 4 TDs, a discipline objective, an interception, and a knee to finish the half. Williams and tight finish Cade Stover had two touchdowns every. Stroud was 10-for-15 for 147 yards for 2 scores and an interception (his first of the season).

We didn’t see a lot of Stover within the second half, and Williams didn’t contact the ball. Stroud wasn’t fairly as sharp. Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming stepped as much as deal with the receiving, and TreVeyon Henderson and Dallan Hayden carried the ball. The Bucks had 5 second half possessions. They scored three extra touchdowns and punted twice, one generously and, I assumed, unnecessarily.

For the sport, there was just one dangerous sequence, the second drive of the third quarter. After Stroud needed to throw the ball away beneath a powerful rush, Henderson scampered on a nine-yard run. However a holding penalty on Dawand Jones made it second and 15. Henderson ran it into the center for 2, and, grasping as I’m, I used to be dissatisfied within the play name. An incomplete move adopted, and the Buckeyes punted on fourth and 13.

Whereas the offense appeared largely unstoppable and racked up 52 factors on what was speculated to be a really superb protection, there weren’t many massive performs. The longest Buckeye acquire was a 33-yard move play from Stroud to Egbuka. However the Bucks had been constant – and protracted. A balanced run (258 yards) and move (281) assault stored the offense on the sector, and OSU received the time of possession competitors, 33:02 to 26:58. Considerably of a shock in opposition to Wisconsin.

It wasn’t Stroud’s finest recreation. He threw his first interception and missed some open receivers, however he was nice on massive downs. It’s additionally turning into more and more clear to me that Miyan Williams is the Buckeyes’ finest working again. I understand the heresy on this assertion. He runs tougher than Henderson, appears to have higher imaginative and prescient for openings, and carries a greater yards-per-run common. Henderson ran 21 instances for 121 yards. Fairly good, however his longest was solely 16. It’s time for him to interrupt one too.

Protection

General score: A Sturdy

With out Braelon Allen’s 75-yard landing run within the fourth quarter, I’d have given the Buckeye protection my highest score. Even with that rush, the Badgers had been restricted to fewer than 300 yards for the sport and solely 104 passing yards.

OSU performed with out beginning cornerbacks Denzel Burke and Cam Brown, however it didn’t matter. Graham Mertz isn’t an excellent QB, and J.Okay. Johnson and Jyaire Brown had been definitely sufficient in protecting the Wisconsin receivers. The Buckeye protection received just one sack, however utilized appreciable strain on Mertz, often dashing solely 4.

Security Tanner McCalister made a sensational catch to intercept a Badger move on their first possession of the sport, taking it to the 16. The short TD (two performs) put the Bucks up 14-0 early. Linebacker Tommy Eichenberg was nice all through the sport, stopping the Wisconsin working assault virtually by himself.

Particular Groups

General score: BB Satisfactory

There was nothing actually particular in regards to the Ohio State particular groups’ play. Noah Ruggles made all of his kicks. Jesse Mirco punted twice for an honest common. One wonders, although, why Buckeye opponents all the time defer to the second half in the event that they win the coin toss. I do know that the considering is that they could get an additional possession. However the actuality is that they discover themselves down 7-0 earlier than touching the ball.

A few kickoff points warrant a glance. There was a Buckeye kickoff that went out of bounds; that shouldn’t occur. And the Badger kickoff that opened the sport was muffed and recovered on the 12-yard line. Whereas that meant solely that the Bucks needed to drive 88, relatively than 75, yards to attain, Ryan Day wants to seek out some positive palms on this workforce.

Particular person Performances

Blue Chip

Miyan Williams. Williams carried the ball 11 instances and gained 101 yards – all within the first half. His working (at a 9.2 yards per carry common) opened up Stroud’s passing recreation and helped to determine the result early on. The Badgers couldn’t cease him and couldn’t cease the Buckeye offense.

Cade Stover. Stover has change into an actual receiving menace. He’s actually cell and might run routes that we’d anticipate from wideouts. He additionally has good palms, and Stroud is turning into snug throwing to him in essential conditions. Stover had 4 catches, 51 yards, two TDs, once more, all within the first half.

Tommy Eichenberg. 14 tackles. Some massive stops. Occasional strain on the quarterback. It seems to be as if the Buckeyes have ultimately discovered their stud for the center of the protection.

Tanner McCalister. McCalister performed his finest recreation as a Buckeye. And it’s not simply the unbelievable interception that he made. He additionally had a number of massive hits, however, extra importantly, he supplied the management and steering to assist out the younger cornerbacks. A robust recreation.

The offensive line. Dominant – on each move and run. Just one penalty. If this group stays wholesome and retains creating, Buckeye opponents received’t have a lot of an opportunity.

Stable Efficiency

Julian Fleming. It’s nice to see a wholesome Fleming on the sector. I’m positive that C.J. Stroud feels the identical method. Fleming caught 4 passes for 67 yards (16.8 common) and a landing. On the TD, Fleming was to not be denied, as he fought and clawed his method over the objective line.

Josh Proctor. The safeties have massive roles to play within the Ohio State protection, and Proctor has risen to the event this season. In opposition to the Badgers, he recorded six tackles and was good in move protection.

Emeka Egbuka. His numbers inform the story. Egbuka caught six passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. That’s a median of 19.7 yards per catch. We’ve change into accustomed to his “yards after the catch,” besides. Good recreation.

C.J. Stroud. As I stated above, not as sharp as final week. However he got here out blazing to start out the sport and was stable all through. 17-for-27 (63%, a bit of low for him) for 281 yards. And 5 TD passes in a recreation is nothing to sneeze at.

Penny Inventory

As soon as once more, in a recreation so dominated by the Buckeyes, I don’t discover it applicable to single anybody out for “nugatory inventory” designation. Little doubt, there shall be time for that down the highway. However, for now, all is nice.

What a good way to start the convention schedule! I wouldn’t suppose that Rutgers or Michigan State (after yesterday) would have the firepower to provide the Buckeyes a lot hassle. So, they need to see themselves at 6-0 going into the bye week and heading for monster video games in opposition to Iowa and Penn State.