For those of you who are first-time readers, welcome! Here is a link explaining my process of how I recap Buckeye games while paying respect to the rich historical tradition of the team I love, The Ohio State Buckeyes. Welcome to Game 4 View From the Couch Ohio State vs. Wisconsin.
-Favorite Stats of the Game: Ohio State was 8 of 12 on 3rd and 4th downs.
The Buckeye offense was 7 of 11 on 3rd down and 1 of 1 on 4th down in their 52-21 win against Wisconsin. I love this stat because this is the kind of football the offense needs to play to win at Penn State, to beat TTUN, to win the Big Ten, to win a playoff game, and win a national championship. This wears down an opponent’s defense and helps your own just as much. Aside from constantly scoring, it’s the best thing an offense can do for their defense. It keeps them fresh, with momentum on their side, which helps them get off the field when the opponent faces 3rd down, and when your defense is struggling, this helps them by giving them time to work on whatever problems they’re having. The Ohio State Buckeyes season will parallel how well their offense plays on 3rd down this season.
-The Brooklyn Dagger Award: Miyan Williams’ 3-yard touchdown run to make it 28-0 early in the second quarter.
Not only would this score provide the number of points Ohio State would need to defeat the Badgers but at the time it just further served as another knockout punch against an already worn Wisconsin defense. The Badgers would fight back with a touchdown to make it 28-7. The Buckeyes would respond with 10 more points to make it 38-7. These heavy and early blows and answers to anything positive Wisconsin would do, effectively knocked the Badgers out early.
-Dwayne Haskins Award: C.J. Stroud.
Stroud was once again the player of the game for the Buckeyes. Stroud is putting up video game-type numbers and with an offense this complete and it’s expected. It also seems at times that this is just what Stroud does and is sort of ho-hum. That is only slightly true. What Stroud is doing should be appreciated, no matter how many times he does it, and no matter how many great players are around him. Stroud’s best play was on a bootleg where the defender followed him and had to choose to try to get to Stroud or cover Cade Stover, Stroud drew the defender in and he tossed the ball over him for a touchdown to Stover. Stroud was 17 of 27 for 281 yards and 5 touchdowns. On the season, C.J. is 79 of 112 for 1,222 yards and 16 touchdowns. He’s been ridiculously good as season.
-Chase Young Defensive Player of the Game: Tanner McCalister.
When McCalister transferred to Ohio State from Oklahoma State, he tweeted to Buckeye fans asking what number he should wear for the scarlet and gray. I tweeted back #2 because he reminded me of Buckeye legend at safety, Mike Doss. Against the Badgers, he looked like Mike Doss. His early interception that he returned 30 yards to set up the Buckeyes’ second score to go up 14-0 was very much like Doss.
-Ryan Shazier-Devin Smith Award: Julian Fleming.
Julian Fleming has had his early Buckeye career plagued by injuries but this season has shown he is breaking out as the star receiver that he and every Buckeye fan believed he could be and he’s doing it in a very crowded wide receivers room. Fleming had 4 catches for 67 yards and 1 touchdown against the Badgers to add to his 3 catches for 23 yards and 2 touchdowns against Toledo giving him 7 catches for 90 yards and 3 touchdowns for the season.
-Dane Sanzenbacher Award: Emeka Egbuka.
Ever since the Rose Bowl Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr. have rightly been getting all the attention as C.J. Stroud’s main targets but this season, it’s been all Emeka Egbuka. With Smith-Njigba battling injury and Harrison drawing the lion’s share of coverage, Egbuka has capitalized on his opportunities with emphasis. Against Wisconsin he had 6 catches for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns and for the 2022 season has 26 catches for 442 yards and 6 total touchdowns.
-Taylor Decker Award: Dawand Jones, Paris Johnson Jr., and Luke Wypler.
These three were starters last year for the Buckeye offensive line that gave up some pressure in a couple of big losses. They have bounced back tremendously this year to the point where they are playing at an all-American level. Against an always stout Wisconsin defense, they allowed no sacks and Wisconsin didn’t get a single tackle for a loss, and have only allowed 2 sacks on the season.
-Fedora Award: Matthew Jones and Donovan Jackson.
These guys are replacing Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere, two guys who were great Buckeyes and now play on Sundays. They’ve filled those big shoes so well that the Buckeye offense hasn’t missed a beat and it could be argued that it is better than last year. And that is just as much Matthew Jones and Donovan Jackson as it is Luke Wypler, Paris Johnson Jr., and Dawand Jones.
-Sweater Vest Award: A Win for Coach Tressel.
Jim Tressel had a hard time against Wisconsin. They were the only Big Ten team he didn’t have a winning record against (he was 4-4 against the Badgers). He is no doubt thrilled that Ohio State has a 9-game winning streak against them since he was coach. He’d also be happy that his beloved kicking game was a perfect 8 for 8 (7 for 7 extra points, and 1 for 1 on field goals). High five, to coach Tressel!
-Archie Award: Cade Stover.
Cade Stover the farm boy from Mansfield, Ohio is our class act of this week not just because he caught 4 passes for 51 yards and 2 touchdowns. And not just because he opened up the middle of the field for the passing game. It’s because he has just been a teammate who is willing to go where he is needed for the team to win. Stover was initially a defensive end before being asked to move to linebacker and has gone back and forth a little between there and finally landed at tight end. This is the type of attitude and contribution that shows class and character off the field and it was great to see it pay off on the field against Wisconsin.
-Horned Rimmed Glasses Award: Tommy Eichenberg.
Eichenberg had another standout game from his middle linebacker position. He had 14 tackles, 7 of them solo, and 2 tackles for a loss. On the season Eichenberg has 33 tackles, 20 of them solo, 5 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, and 1 quarterback hurry. Eichenberg was given a lot of criticism last year and deserves all the praise and more that he is earning on the field this year. All Big Ten and all-American honors are on the horizon for Eichenberg if he keeps playing how has through the third of the season.
-Coaching Moments of the Game: The balance this offense had again.
Ohio State is at their best in the last decade when they are balanced. It doesn’t always show up on paper, but when the Buckeyes can have success in both rushing and passing the football, they’re virtually unbeatable. Last year that balance was a little more difficult to come by. This year, they’re getting it done and they got it done against the Badgers. The Buckeyes gained 539 yards of total offense against Wisconsin. 258 of them were rushing and 281 of them were passing. This kept the Badgers guessing and on their heels to the tune of 52-21.
-Glass Half Empty and Glass Half Full:
They are now combined to be Mr. Brightside. It’s called that after the song of the same name by the band “The Killers.” This song was played every game during a media timeout in the 4th quarter of Buckeye games when I worked at Ohio Stadium. The entire student section would sing along and most of the rest of the fans would as well. This will still cover what we Buckeye fans have to worry about and be happy about after each game.
-Mr. Brightside:
I’m still just not sure how good this Buckeye team is because I’m not sure how good the teams they have beaten are yet. They gave up some points and yards late. The secondary is still banged up. True freshman Jyaire Brown and sophomore JK Johnson started at cornerback for the Buckeyes. The bright side is that those young corners played a great game with the help of the Buckeyes’ great safeties! The defense is still light years ahead of where they were a year ago! And the offense is doing exactly what is expected of them! While it’s still uncertain how good Notre Dame and Wisconsin are this season, the Buckeyes are playing as well as expected and are staying hungry!
-2014 Moment: Cade Stover’s first touchdown catch.
Stover’s first touchdown catch reminded me of Kenny Guiton’s 2-point conversion to Jeff Heuermann in the Buckeyes’ 2012 comeback win against Purdue to maintain a perfect season. The entire offense starts moving one way and the tight does too at first then slips out the other way as the defense follows the fake and he is wide open for the score. Stover was and dove into the end zone for the score. Ohio State used this oldie but goodie in 2012, 2014, and 2022. It’s a classic and I love it!
-2002 Moment: McCallister’s pass break up at the end of the first half.
I already made the comparison to Mike Doss, but the play that McCalister made at the end of the first half was more like Doss and an even better play than his earlier interception. Wisconsin threw a ball down the sideline to an open receiver that looked to be a sure touchdown that would have made the score 31-14 with the Badgers getting the ball after halftime. The only Buckeye in all of Ohio who could make a play did. McCalister demonstrated great closing speed while the ball was in the air and hit the receiver a heartbeat after the ball got to him and it dislodged the ball and saved a touchdown. Doss would make similar plays for the 2002 defense that led the Buckeyes to a championship.
-1968 Moments: The Buckeyes’ pair of 100-yard rushers.
It was a tribute to the days of the 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense. Both TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams eclipsed the century mark on the ground for the Buckeyes. This was the first game the Buckeyes had two 100-yard rushers since 2019. A season in which they beat TTUN, then won the Big Ten, and made the College Football Playoff.
-Rivalry Watch:
Speaking of that team up north. Those guys had a solid 34-27 win against a Maryland team the Buckeyes are going to have to watch out for before the home finale against the wolverines in November. Running back Blake Corum had 30 carries for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns for that team up north. Slowing down Braelon Allen was a good practice session for slowing down Corum. Something Ohio State will have to do to beat that team up north in their most must-win game of every season.