Everybody knows that one of the best parts of being a sports fan is debating and dissecting the most (and least) important questions in the sporting world with your friends. So, we’re bringing that to the pages of LGHL with our favorite head-to-head column: You’re Nuts.
In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides of one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts.
This week’s topic: Who was the MVP of Ohio State’s 37-9 win vs. Ohio?
Gene’s Take: Jeremiah Smith
I don’t have to dig too deep for this
week’s MVP, as my choice is pretty obvious.
Jeremiah Smith is the best player in college football, and he looked every bit like it against the Bobcats. The sophomore wide receiver caught nine passes for 153 yards and a touchdown, while also adding a 17-yard rushing touchdown to his ledger. That line included a long 47-yard touchdown to give the Buckeyes a 23-9 lead at the end of the third quarter.
It was another dominant performance in a long line of dominant performances for the elite pass-catcher. It seems like Julian Sayin could throw the ball deep down the field 20 times per game and Smith would probably catch at least 18 of them if they really wanted to. Opposing defenses are unable to slow him down in 1-on-1 coverage, and every additional resource that goes towards stopping Smith only opens up guys elsewhere.
For Smith, it was his seventh career game of at least 100 yards receiving. He has also now scored 20 total touchdowns in 19 career games, with 18 of those coming through the air and two on the ground.
With his performance, Smith becomes the fastest Ohio State wide receiver ever to reach 1,500 yards. The Florida native achieved the feat in one fewer game than Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who eclipsed the 1,500-yard mark in 20 games.
Smith is no stranger to the Buckeyes’ record books. Racking up 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first year on campus, Smith broke Cris Carter’s longstanding program freshman receiving records for receptions, yards, and touchdowns.
As long as he stays healthy, the star wideout will almost certainly finish his time in Columbus as the receiving records holder in nearly every statistical category.
The only thing left for Smith to do at this point is win the Heisman Trophy, and he bolstered that resume on Saturday against Ohio.
With 20 catches for 315 yards and four total TDs thus far, Smith currently holds the best odds of any non-quarterback to win the award and has the fourth-best odds overall behind only Carson Beck, John Mateer, and Gunner Stockton, according to FanDuel.
Matt’s Take: Bo Jackson
In the traditional awards sense of the term “MVP”, I don’t think that Bo Jackson would qualify. Yes, he had an impressive 109 yards on nine carries, including an electric 64-yarder, but compared to Jeremiah Smith, Julian Sayin, Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate, and maybe a few others, I don’t know if he stacks up. But, I’m going with him anyway.
“MVP” is what is known as an initialism (no, it’s not an acronym), which means that each of those letters stands in for a word.
M: Most
V: Valuable
P: Player
There is no doubt that Smith, Sayin, Reese, Downs, and Tate are all incredibly talented players, and without any one of them, the Buckeyes would suffer significantly, so they are, no doubt, valuable players. But when you put the adverb “most” in front of it, you have to begin factoring in other criteria to make that determination. First and foremost, who would be there to step into a player’s spot if he were suddenly to decide to go climb Mount Everest instead of playing football?
In the non-running back cases listed above, there would be a varying level of drop off, but an exceedingly talented player or two would move into the departed player’s role and likely do an admirable job. However, I don’t think that we can say the same thing for the RB room.
C.J. Donaldson and James Peoples have not been terrible through the first three games this season, but they have not been spectacular either. They have been solid and sturdy, showing much better in the last two weeks against weaker competition than they did against the stout Texas defense in Week 1. I don’t know anyone who calculates college football Wins Above Replacement (WAR), but if someone does, I would imagine that Donaldson and Peoples would lean much closer to New York Yankee Paul Goldschmidt (1.0 WAR) than outfielder Aaron Judge (8.7 WAR).
Now, I’m not saying that the Buckeyes’ Bo Jackson is the CFB equivalent of Judge, who leads the Major Leagues in WAR by 0.7, but what I am saying is that the OSU running back room needs a playmaker to elevate the entire offense. As I wrote on Saturday night following the game, Jackson might not yet be the complete back that the Buckeyes normally look for, but what he is is someone who can force opposing defenses to respect the threat of the run.
While Sayin has looked pretty impressive in his first three career starts, he is still a 19-year-old, first-time starting quarterback, and as Big Ten play approaches, defenses will throw more at him, testing his physical and mental preparation. While the bevy of insanely talented pass catchers and a sturdy offensive line that has given up only a single sack through three games will help, having a balanced offensive attack that includes a threatening running game is undeniably valuable, and Jackson gives that to the Buckeyes.
So, again, was Bo Jackson the best player on the field for the Buckeyes in Saturday’s win over Ohio? I guess you could make the argument that he was, but I would probably lean toward no. But did his performance — which included impressive vision, burst, and toughness — make him the most valuable Buckeye in the OU game? I think so.
