Jeremiah Smith Makes Another Circus Catch (Photo by Ohio State Athletics)
Behind the great effort of the defense, Ohio State beats Iowa 35-7 as the showdown with Oregon looms next week.
Are the Silver Bullets Back?
That they haven’t faced an offense like some of the ones still on the schedule is the only reason this is still a question and not a statement. Through their first five games, they’re only giving up 6.8 points a game.
The Ty Towers
Ohio State’s defense is good at every position but for me, it starts in the middle of the defensive line with the Ty Towers. Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton as the interior defensive linemen. Their great play enables every other member of the defense. Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau can pin their ears back a little more knowing that Williams and Hamilton are giving them one-on-one matchups on the outside and stuffing the inside. Williams would have two tackles and plenty of blockers tied up. Hamilton would end the game with five tackles, a sack, a tackle for a loss, and a forced fumble.
Sawyer may have played his best game as a Buckeye against Iowa. He had three tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 1.5 tackles for a loss and forced a fumble recovered by Cody Simon. Tuimoloau had a couple of tackles and got the other half of Sawyers 1.5 sacks and tackles for a loss.
Sonny Styles and Cody Simon at linebacker don’t have to contend with offensive linemen as much because of Williams and Hamilton. Simon played great with six tackles. He recovered a fumble forced by Sawyer and tipped an Iowa pass that Davison Igbinosun picked off and returned 45 yards. The Ohio State offense then scored off this turnover. Styles had seven tackles including two tackles for a loss on a great day for the linebackers.
BIA
The secondary can get help from the linebackers and don’t have to keep their guys covered as long because of Williams and Hamilton. They flew to the ball with Caleb Downs having a pair of tackles for a loss. Lathan Ransom also got a tackle for a loss. Jermaine Matthews Jr. got a sack and a tackle for a loss. Igbinosun got the BIA another interception too.
The final accolade the defense earned was stuffing the Iowa rushing attack. Heisman candidate and Butler County, Ohio native Kaleb Johnson came into the game averaging 171 yards per game. The Silver Bullets held him to 86 yards, in what will be the only game this season that Johnson doesn’t eclipse the century mark. It was great for the Buckeyes to play with an equally impressive Oregon rushing attack welcoming them to the West Coast next week.
Brilliant at Running and Catching the Ball
Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith continue to make plays like the two best wide receivers in college football that they are. Smith had a fumble he lost but he bounced back with four catches including another one-handed circus catch for a touchdown. That man is not real. His four catches would total 89 yards. Egbuka showed why if you focus on Smith it’s just picking your poison. He had nine catches for 71 yards and thrEE touchdowns!
I don’t have the stats to back this up, and TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins had a quieter day for Ohio State, but I think the offensive line played a lot better today. They did pave the way for 203 yards, 5.1 yards per carry, and a touchdown on the ground. They gave up one sack and two tackles for a loss for the whole game. Seth McLaughlin the center and Josh Simmons the left tackle are playing the most consistently. The entire Ohio State offensive line will be needed down the stretch.
Will Howard
Will Howard was white hot and ice cold depending on the play. In the first half they ran him out of an empty backfield on fourth down and he was stopped. Later on fourth down they had an RPO and he threw a dart to Brandon Iniss that kept a drive a live and later resulted in a touchdown. In the third quarter he fumbled a read option play with Judkins and had to fall on it to keep from turning the ball over. The very next play he throws a strike in an insanely small window for a touchdown to Emeka Egbuka.
His interception in the first half was bad and a couple of other passes could have been picked. But I can’t complain about hot and cold streaks when a guy goes 21 of 25 for 209 yards and FOUR passing touchdowns with 28 yards and another touchdown rushing. He had those hiccups but didn’t get shaken. He went right back in and made great throws. That shows character and confidence in his team and his own ability. One interception to five touchdowns is a ratio I can live with.
