Buckeyes Are 11-0 Heading into The Game

Game 11 Ohio State vs. Minnesota View from the Couch (11/18/23)

Ohio State defeated Minnesota 37-3 to move to 11-0 for the second straight year heading into The Game. Ryan Day has now been 10-1 once, and 11-0 three times before playing that team up north in the greatest rivalry in all of sport. Here’s some Buckeyes’ swag for all out there who like me bleed scarlet and gray. I know it’s struggling Minnesota and Michigan State but this team looks on track. Here’s how things looked in the last home game of the season for the Buckeyes before it’s time for war.

Dwayne Haskins Player of the Game: TreVeyon Henderson

Henderson continues to be Ohio State’s do-it-all back. If he hadn’t missed three games with injury, he might be making some Heisman noise along with Marvin Harrison Jr. Henderson got the Buckeyes going early with a touchdown on the opening drive of the game. He then got them going in the second half with a one-play 75-yard touchdown run.

That run was the Brooklyn Dagger Game Changing Play, and also the 2014 Moment of busting a defense open. That run put Minnesota on their heels for the rest of the game and the Buckeyes would get two more touchdowns thanks to that.

Henderson would contribute all over the field again and be the Chris Gamble-Evan Spencer All-Purpose Player of the Game. TreVeyon Henderson would finish the game with 15 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns and two receptions for 26 yards.

Chase Young Defensive Player of the Game: Jack Sawyer

Sawyer had the best game of his career. He’s had a much-improved season and has gotten better as it has gone on. He was the leader of the Buckeye defense for this game and couldn’t have picked a better time to be playing his best football. Sawyer ended the game with six tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, and a strip sack.

Ryan Shazier–Devin Smith Award: Caden Curry and Kenyata Jackson

Speaking of great play from defensive ends, the young tandem of Curry and Jackson played well late. They met at the quarterback and getting the Bosa Brothers Sack of the Game. When these two eventually succeed Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, the play at defensive end won’t drop off a bit.

Dane Sanzenbacher–K.J. Hill Award: (Quietly Doing Your Job Award) Tyleik Williams

Williams had three tackles and half a tackle for a loss. Not eye-popping stats but his presence in the middle of the of the defense freed up guys like Sawyer to have a big game. Williams has been consistently doing that all year. He is one of the biggest reasons for this defense’s success this season.

Taylor Decker Award: Emeka Egbuka

He had five receptions for 83 yards, which was my favorite stat of the game. He couldn’t have picked a better time to have gotten back to 100% in health and game play. Like Sawyer, November is when you want to be hitting your stride. Egbuka bounced back big and will be needed to beat that team up north.

Fedora Award: Jordan Hancock

Hancock had two tackles and another interception (that he returned 40 yards), and more importantly has stepped up this season when teammates have been injured. He stepped up and filled Denzel Burke’s shoes when he was out with injuries and has kept the defense strong with Lathan Ransom being out too. Excellent job by Hancock.

Sweater Vest Award: Jayden Fielding

Fielding was perfect with four extra points and three field goals made. His field goals were of 26, 32, and 47 yards. Fielding might be called on to make a game deciding kick before his career at Ohio State is over and so far, he looks ready to answer that bell.

Archie Award: Marv’s last look.

Ohio State fans everywhere got something in their eye when seeing this legendary player look back out at Ohio Stadium one last time. He’s been everything and more at being the best he can be at Ohio State. How conducts himself is reminiscent of Archie Griffin; with dignity and class. He tied Devin Smith in the record books at 30 touchdowns caught for third behind only Chris Olave (35) and David Boston (34).

Horned Rimmed Glasses Award: Cade Stover and Senior Day

Woody Hayes always appreciated his seniors and captains. No one has epitomized what being a stalwart senior captain is more than Cade Stover. Stover will finish his career as one of, if not the, best tight ends to ever play at Ohio State. Cade Stover went over 1,000 career yards in this game, something only three tight ends have done at Ohio State. Stover had four catches for 26 yards and a touchdown in his last game at home.

Coaching Moments of the Game: Jim Knowles

You can’t say enough about how much this man has improved the defense from 2021 to 2022 and from 2022 to 2023. What he’s done from last year to this year has amazed me because he’s overhauled his system. He’s running a completely different system this year as opposed to last year. He’s adapted everything this year to his players instead of trying to get his players to adapt to a particular system.

Doing that and being that flexible has this Buckeye defense as the best it’s been since 2016, and statistically even better than 2014. If they take care of that team up north, I will be convinced that they are on a level with that 2002 Championship defense. They are on pace for that, they’ve played like that all year. Including in old school slugfest games against Notre Dame and Penn State. But now is when it counts the most. When legends are remembered forever, for the good reasons, and the bad.

At the Bottom of the Ohio River.

I hate to be a naysayer but I’m about to be. Marvin Harrison Jr. having only three catches for 30 yards in the second to last game of the season may have sunk his Heisman chances. No matter what, he should be a finalist and in New York, but unless he has a couple of 200-yard, three-touchdown games between now and then, I don’t think he’ll win the trophy.

A stat I saw that made me wince was that Ohio State has held their opponents to less than 20 points in the first 11 games of the year for the first time since 2006. Pretty great number, right? The only problem is I immediately thought of how in the final two games of that season they gave up 80 points.

On top of the Waves of Lake Erie

I apologize. It’s difficult for me to look at the glass as half full when it’s this time of year. It may have to do with growing up in the 90’s in a dark era for Ohio State. Or about how confident I was in the Buckeyes in some of their most scarring losses of my life. As a result, I tend to see doom and gloom more than I should. It’s done as a way to protect myself against potential heart break.

So, let’s look at the good stuff. TreVeyon Henderson seems like he could end this season the way Zeke Elliott did in 2014. Marvin Harrison Jr. has carried the passing game all year and now he’s got a healthy Emeka Egbuka and Cade Stover to help him. Kyle McCord is 12-0 as a starter. The defense has proven themselves in defensive struggles where they had to be out on the field a lot. This has to be the single game that Ryan Day has been the most prepared for in his life. It is THE Game. Go Buckeyes. Beat Blue. Beat that team up north!