Weekly awards of the weekends contest featuring the staffs choices as well as some regular fans input!
https://twitter.com/The_BBC/status/793033302344998913
Offensive
tOSU Offensive MVP
Scott – Mike Weber. When the coaches used him OSU moved the ball. Hmmm. Didn’t the same thing happen last season with Zeke?
Ben v. – Feed Weber more! He was moving the ball without issue all game, however they went away from him and tried to get Samuel the ball more and he deserves more carries the way he is running.
Jeremy – Gotta go with the Man Child Mike Weber. 87 yds rushing w 2 TDs added another 20 on 3 catches. Weber’s 23 yd TD run was huge and he demonstrated his ability to break the leg tackles and stay on his feet. Fought hard for extra yards on every carry.
Ryan – Curtis Samuel. 7 carries for 37 yards and a touchdown, 7 receptions for 68 yards. He was featured early, and the coaches made sure he got his touche. The kid is a difference maker.
Chris – I need to write a keyboard shortcut that just inserts Joe Thomas Barrett in this section. 300 yards of total offense and 66% completion percentage. He kept pushing the car as wheels kept falling off. He doesn’t call the plays so I can’t hold that against him.
Brad TBU – Let’s Face it since Indiana this offense has been in a Funk. from poor O line play & Very Predictable play calling. If I have to pick a player I’d say Weber had a solid Game. JT Statistically had a good game. He did exactly what he’s been coached to do, but he’ got to start pulling the trigger & trust his arm The deep ball to Clark was late & off target if on time it would’ve been 6. Then Curtis Samuel except running him & Wilson on that damn Speed option that has yet to gain any positive yardage.
WVa – How do you become a team leader on the field? Make the most of the opportunities that you are given and that is what Mike Weber did on Saturday. The offense seems sluggish but parts of it are performing at a pretty high level right now. Considering Samuel is the feature show and Barrett is the security blanket right now, it is saying a lot! Weber Jr. is an easy choice here for me.
Mike Weber Jr. slides by with the most votes. Him, JT and Curtis Samuel are playing pretty well right now.
tOSU O-line MVP
Scott – Pat Elflein. He continues to anchor what’s become a suspect line.
Ben v. – Pat Elflein is as solid as they come, but he can’t do it all on his own. Adding Brandon Bowen to the line to assist Prince was a good idea, and the line played way better than they did against Penn State.
Jeremy – Pat Elflein just for the fact his pancake block on Weber’s run was awesome. Seems to be a lot of issues in pass game on the line still. Gotta get this solved cause Id love other options for this award
Ryan – The line still struggled. Michael Jordan whiffed on a play where they pulled him to the right of the line. I wasn’t impressed with anything I saw from the line, still.
Chris – I didn’t like a single thing that I saw from the O Line today. Nothing. Way too much pressure from Northwestern’s D line when they weren’t even blitzing.
Brad TBU – Other than Elflien & Price this offensive line has regressed penalties & absolutely no push at all for the last 4 weeks. I completely hold Studrawa Responsible.
WVa – Pat Elflein is working through an All-American season and is easily the best lineman on the team. His leadership is helping bring a long the youngsters, just not quickly.
Pat Elflein is the man this week and every other week!
tOSU Offensive Unsung
Scott – KJ Hill. That catch on the winning drive was huge. He needs more targets.
Ben v. – Brandon Bowen gets my vote. He has been 6th on the depth chart on offensive line all season, and finally got a chance to come in and help a faltering offensive line. His help on Prince’s side helped solidify the line against Northwestern letting J.T. have time in the pocket.
Jeremy – KJ Hill. His 34 yd catch was huge for this team on final and winning td drive. Big fan of his and can only hope we see more of him down the stretch
Ryan – Mike Weber. He’s growing before our eyes. He’s learning how to break shoestring tackles that would have brought him down early in the season. He’s a beast with the ball. He constantly fights for each and every extra yard possible on his runs.
Chris – I have to give this to Mike Weber. Hard to be unsung with 2 TDs and 107 total yards but this is more of a MVP runner-up slot at this point.
Brad TBU – Kj Hill had a Nice catch & Moment. Noah Brown made some key catches but he has to get more touches.
WVa – Have to go with a tie here sadly. I just cannot make up my mind between KJ Hill being wide open because two defenders bit on Noah Brown, or go with Noah Brown for his amazing block on the JT 35 yard run.
KJ Hill made the play of the day and gets the nod here
Defensive
tOSU Defensive MVP
Scott – Malik Hooker. He is showing on a weekly basis that he’s more than an INT machine. He’s all over the place.
Jeremy – Malik Hooker. He was everywhere today on the field. Team leading 14 tackles including .5 tfl. Love his passion and his willingness to deliver big hits
Ryan – Eh, I was disappointed with the defense, for the most part. Hubbard emerged and had pressure. Bosa sets up camp in the backfield on every play. But the holes in the secondary are scary. Malik Hooker has insane closing speed, which I’m thankful for. But, I don’t think I can give the MVP award to anyone on the defense.
Chris – I really don’t know what to do here… Hooker had a ton of tackles but that isn’t usually a good thing. He made some really good plays coming up on run support but it felt like he was just cleaning up the messes that his secondary mates left him. Hooker was a good mom, basically. Wait… That’s probably the first time a Hooker was called a good mom. I’ll go with Raekwon McMillan for this award. Played a solid game plugging holes and making tackles.
Brad TBU – Honestly other than the Corners Conley Latimore & Ward which no one except Penn State tried to challenge. This has been the most disappointing group for me. Explain to me how Indiana, Wisconsin, Penn State & Now Northwestern are able to go on 80 plus yard drives on the unit that is supposed to be the Heart & Soul of this team. Webb & Arnette were a turnstile for Austin Carr. Hooker managed to make some plays but got lucky late in the game when he got beat but the ball was overthrown.
WVa – Malik Hooker just might be the most talented and fastest player on the Ohio State roster. He made some plays in run support on Saturday that I honestly haven’t seen since Shawn Springs was in the Scarlet and Gray. I am not suggesting he is playing at that level right now but he clearly has all of the talent to get there. What a crazy year he could have next year if he returns.
Malik Hooker had a pretty good game all over the field
tOSU D-line MVP
Scott – Nick Bosa. Seemed like every time he was out there something good happened. May not have the stats. But sometimes just the presence of a difference-maker opens things up for someone else.
Jeremy – Dremont Jones. Again he was the leading tackler amongst the DL. Doesn’t get the love like Landers, Bosa, Holmes, Lewis and Hubbard but always seems to be there making plays every game.
Ryan – See my tOSU Defensive MVP explanation.
Chris – Dre’mont Jones had a really nice game. Good run-stopping and did a good job getting back and pressuring Thorson. Really the only consistent stand-out along the defensive line today. There were a few good moments but certainly not enough.
Brad TBU – Dre’mont Jones & Michael Hill but again in key moments the D line is getting gashed on running plays because guys are over pursuing their angles.
WVa – Dremont Jones, your table is ready. What a game by him to step in and play the way he did. Definitely earned himself some more playing time on a defensive front that is becoming very versatile. I’m not completely happy with their pressure but teams are going to do their best to get rid of the football pretty quickly.
Dremont Jones has arrived!
tOSU Defensive Unsung
Scott – Raekwon McMillian finally reappeared. Played a solid game and took some pressure off the other guys.
Jeremy – How can I type this name here? Raekwon McMillian. Probably his most productive game of the season. With Worley and Baker looking pedestrian Raekwon shined. We need to see him build off this game and get back into that tackling machine we know he is
Ryan – Raekwon showed up. He’s been MIA for the last few games, so it was nice to see him showcase his abilities with 9 total tackles. Also, as I stated earlier, Malik Hooker’s closing speed is ridiculous, and those tackles prevented big, big plays from happening all game long.
Chris – Mick McCall is the easy choice here. Never heard of him? He’s the Offensive Coordinator for Northwestern. His play-calling was absolutely baffling at times today. They have Ohio State on their heels with the passing game and decide to switch to running between the guards in the red zone.
Brad TBU – He’s not an unsung but the only guy showing me anything was Baker . Raekwon finally stopped reading his press clippings & showed up again this Defense has to start showing their the Silver Bullets again in the next 4 weeks.
WVa – Raekwon should never be unsung but I have to agree with everyone saying it. He quietly had a pretty good game for the Buckeyes. Sad when we cannot have an appreciation for the numbers he is putting out!
Raekwonza!!!
Odds and Ends
tOSU Special Teams MVP
Scott – Gonna go with Tyler Durbin for his kickoff performance.
Jeremy – Eric Glover Williams. Superman of the coverage team. Delivered a huge hit and brought some life to the Shoe! Kid is a speedster and I can’t wait to see him in the defensive backfield next season
Ryan – Eric Glover-Williams. As Jeremy said, the kid is flying downfield like Superman on the kickoffs. Nothing else impressive happening special teams-wise.
Chris – I was really unimpressed with special teams today. Durbin had a field goal and four of five his kickoffs were touchbacks. Johnston was very mediocre and had one partially blocked. Nobody was spectacular on punt or kick coverage. Campbell had a decent kickoff return. Snaps looked good. I’m going with Liam McCullough. I’m becoming a huge fan of the scholarship long snapper.
Brad TBU – Urban & Kerry Combs have a lot of Work to do. The last 4 weeks have been lackluster to say the least other than a 91 yard kickoff return against Indiana what have they really done. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FREAK SHOW.
WVa – EGW may just be playing himself into being a highlight reel. His play on special teams has to be earning him some play opportunities!
Eric Glover Williams has some skills!
tOSU Needs Improvement
Scott – Wide receivers still need to learn how to run routes and get open against good defenders.
Jeremy – Offensively we are still a hot mess. Where is the tempo? Are we saving all of our changes for the Game? JT either isn’t trusting receivers downfield or he doesn’t have faith in his arm. I’m tired of saying and hearing WR separation! I see guys making plays with DBs draped all over them. We aren’t even giving our guys a chance. I understand the love of WRs blocking downfield but at some point there has to be talent to catch the ball and make plays. 2 talented freshmen sit on the bench when we are lacking playmakers. Get them in. And why can we not fix our OL issues? Is the gap that big between starters and reserves? I can’t imagine so.
Defensively, I hate singling out players but I’m not understanding Webb starting anymore. He gets lost in coverage, misses tackles and gets beat too often. Add Worley into this as well. He shined in games for a while but his play last 2 weeks shows me maybe time to bring Booker back into lineup and slide Baker over.
Ryan – Jeremy and Chris have already hit the nail on the head with all of the issues that need improvement.
Playcalling is predictable. I mean, when Twitter knows your plays before the ball is snapped, that’s a problem. But, unfortunately, when they do attempt to get exotic or cute with their playcalling, it simply looks forced and hard to watch. I finally saw some improvement with wide receivers holding onto the ball and making the easy receptions, but the lack of the deep threat is glaring.
The defense has regressed the past few weeks. The youth against more experienced offensive lines is being exposed.
Chris – Everything but long snapping. Seriously though, the problems on this team may seem glaring and obvious. But are they really? Maybe the problems are our expectations. We watched the offense and defense just obliterate teams the first four games of the season. I’m not going to get into all the different numbers that I’ve looked at over and over trying to assess the first four opponents but trust me, they aren’t good. Bowling Green, for example, has one win this season. They beat FCS North Dakota. No, you’re thinking of North Dakota State. That’s the good one. North Dakota State would beat BGSU by 40. Oklahoma was a solid win but it isn’t as amazing as we all thought at first. A lot of the ranking systems that I’ve been looking at don’t even have them in the top 25. I’m ready to just go into ‘Win and Advance’ mode. Michigan is not losing before they come to Columbus, so every week is a playoff. I encourage you to do the same.
Brad TBU – I am at that point where , I’m going to break into The Woody Hayes Athletic Complex find the Offensive Play Book & Burn anything or any Reference to the Speed Option. How many more times do we have to see an unblocked DB Tackle Curtis Samuel 5 yards behind the line of Scrimmage. It Doesn’t Work. Also JT Barrett is going to have to prove he can hit a deep pass Which he hasn’t done since Oklahoma. And where are the 10 – 15 yard routes or crossing routes like our Defense has been burned on the last 4 weeks, Right now not one team Ohio State has played since Oklahoma is afraid of them going over the top. Defensively when they get an opponent pinned deep they need to start putting the clamps on & shut teams down.
WVa – Where do I begin? Honestly, if I really had a say in the things that happened offensively there are a few changes I would make now just to get a better feel for the future. I understand they are probably saving some game planning for TTUN because at this point it appears they are the real deal and may be slightly better than the Buckeyes this season. The only thing I would suggest is run Curtis Samuel more but really the little tips forward to him are runs not passes but you know, statistics.
tOSU Next Big Star
Scott – Hill. He gets more touches be will be a stud.
Jeremy – I’m gonna say Malik Hooker in terms of the next guy who’s gonna be a star in the NFL. He’s a ball hawk and a big hitter.
Ryan – KJ Hill. He’s averaging 25.5 yards per catch. Yes, it’s only 4 catches total, but still, throw the ball up and see if he’s the deep threat we’re lacking.
Chris – Nobody that we don’t already have high expectations for stood out in this game. I’m double voting for Liam McCullough. Nobody knows who the dude is but they better recognize.
Brad TBU – Noah Brown would be a beast if they would start using him in intermediate routes 10-15 yards hell bring back the slant pass used for Mike Williams the last 2 seasons.
WVa – KJ Hill has had an up and down season so far. I am going to say right now that he will have a stellar rest of the season and if he is healthy he will be a deep threat.
TB1G Coach of the Week
Scott – Pat Fitzgerald really has his team ready.
Jeremy – just shoot me now…. Harbaugh. Took his team on the road vs in state rival whose players were up for the game (sadly coaches weren’t). Wasn’t a pretty win and some of their weaknesses got exposed, but Jim and company continue to roll and will be undefeated coming into Columbus.
Ryan – God, I hate myself for this. Franklin and Penn State. Purdue, yes THAT Purdue, could’ve been a trap game for Penn State, coming off of the huge home win against Ohio State and travelling to play a team with nothing to lose.
Chris – I thought about voting for Paul Chryst but letting that Nebraska team take you to OT is not the stuff that coaching awards are made of. (KEEP THAT IN MIND, URBAN) I’m going to go with Chris Ash. Rutgers didn’t lose this week.
Brad TBU – In a losing effort Fitzgerald. I sometimes wonder if Ohio State hadn’t gotten Urban, What a Coach like Fitzgerald would do with the Talent & Resources. Like they have at Ohio State.
WVa – I have said all along that I believe Pat Fitzgerald is one of the best coaches in the country. He will never leave NW and someday, he will get a win at Ohio State.
Pat Fitzgerald wins a close one
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
