Grading the Buckeyes' Offense Against Indiana
The 2021 Ohio State Buckeyes continue to make history as they marched into Bloomington, Indiana and came away with their fourth consecutive 50-point performance. Ryan Day has the offense clicking on the ground and through the air. The defense has continued to develop nicely with the emergence of much needed, impactful play by the Rushmen. This has allowed the entire defense to play better and they are hitting stride at the right time.
This week the units will get two grades: the first grade will be the starters, while the second grade will focus on the backups.
As far as how to interpret the following grades:
Grading Key
- A: National Championship-level play ... dominates the opponent and executes at the highest level.
- B: Big Ten Championship-level play ... consistently beats opponents, but leaves a few areas to grow.
- C: Bowl Eligble-level play ... does enough to win in a close game to just get bye. Needs to improve quickly.
- D: Home for the Holidays-level play ... exposed multiple times and a major liability to the greater whole.
- F: Losing-level play ... unit was dominated in many facets of the game and is a major detriment to success. Major changes needed immediately.
Let’s take a look at who the top performers were in the Buckeyes primetime onslaught.
Quarterback: A/B
C.J. Stroud has emerged as one of the elite signal callers in all of college football. His combination of accuracy and leadership are rare for a 19-year old freshman. He has the keys to the most explosive offense in college football and continues to make outstanding decisions that are manifesting in historic numbers.
Kyle McCord and Jack Miller were efficient in relief, but not explosive. Part of that was that Ryan Day wasn’t attempting to stretch the field with them, but he also could have wanted to limit the chances of turnovers on a wet night. McCord is the backup going forward and has proven more in his limited reps.
Running Back: A/B-
TreVeyon Henderson is the best running back I have witnessed at Ohio State in my lifetime. He scored three times on 10 touches Saturday night. His productivity is almost laughable. Henderson has proven that he is an elite back with a skill set that the Buckeyes will be able to lean on going forward for the next couple seasons before his early departure to the National Football League.
Miyan Williams came back, right where he left off. He was explosive and got the scoring started on Saturday. Evan Pryor, who in most other backfields could be a featured back, averaged 4.4 yards a carry last night and caught two balls. Master Teague and Marcus Crowley missed the game due to injury, but the room has proven time and again that they are deep.
Offensive Line: A/B+
Luke Wypler, Thayer Munford, Paris Johnson Jr., Nick Petit-Frere, Dawand Jones (and you can throw Matthew Jones into the equation) have dominated. They are playing at an elite level. The unit has displaced people off of the ball and have been able to pass protect better than almost anyone else in the country. The group is playing with four legitimate tackles in Munford, Johnson Jr., Petit-Frere, and Jones on every snap. The group has an attitude and they are punishing opposing defenses.
The Joe Moore Award (awarded annually to the best collegiate football offensive line unit) announced its midseason honor roll early last week and this unit was on it. I believe that this is the season that one of the most impressive trophies in college football will be residing in the Woody this off-season.
Toby Wilson (a freshman walk-on), Jakob James, Trey Leroux, Josh Fryar and Donovan Jackson all saw time as well. These backups were able to run the football effectively and did not yield a sack.
Tight End: A/B
Jeremy Ruckert has been lauded in this column for his blocking all season. The Empire State native was a threat in the air Saturday night as well. He caught three touchdown passes (one was called back due to an ineligible Matthew Jones down the field). Ruckert and Cade Stover have excelled this year and continue to grow under the leadership of Kevin Wilson.
You can throw Mitch Rossi into that equation as well. He’s an outstanding blocker with surprising athleticism. Cincinnati Elder graduate Joe Royer saw his first meaningful time as a Buckeye. He came up gingerly after a shot to his thigh. The player that I was hoping to see more of Saturday night was Gee Scott Jr., but he was unavailable for the game.
-----
Be sure to check out our new message boards, Buckeye Forums. We'd love to have you part of the conversation during the season.
-----
You may also like:
Stroud, Ruckert, Harrison, Mitchell, McCall Named Players Of The Game
What They’re Saying Following Ohio State’s Blowout Win At Indiana
Ohio State Remains At No. 5 In Coaches, AP Poll After Win At Indiana
C.J. Stroud Credits Faith, Teammates For Lifting Him Out Of Early Struggles
What We Learned From The Buckeyes Win Over The Hoosiers
-----
Be sure to stay locked into BuckeyesNow all the time!
Join the BuckeyesNow community!
Subscribe to the BuckeyesNow YouTube channel
Follow BuckeyesNow on Twitter: @BuckeyesNowSI
Like and follow BuckeyesNow on Facebook!
