Ohio State closed out its play in the month of October on Saturday with a 34-0 win at Wisconsin. Now the Buckeyes will have this Saturday off before returning to the field next Saturday when they host
Penn State. The game against the Nittany Lions will take place on November 1st, marking the final month of the college football regular season.
As the calendar turns to November, things can start looking different in the Big Ten, as well as across college football. The days are shorter, the weather gets colder, and coaches are in their own heads even more than during the previous two months of the season. The expanded College Football Playoff has made the final month of the regular season even crazier, since there are now more teams in the mix for a playoff spot, November could mean a lot more to a number of teams.
Since Ryan Day hopes Ohio State has another four or five games remaining following the regular season finale at Michigan, the Buckeyes will likely see some fresher faces take on bigger roles in November. Maybe it’s a player who has been banged up this season returning to the field following the bye week. It could be an underclassman who has been impressing in practices, who coaches feel ready for a bigger role. Or it could be a player who is forced into starting due to injuries, much like running back Dallan Hayden was as a freshman.
Toda,y we want to know which Ohio State player you are expecting to see more of in November. Is there a player who has caught your eye later in games who could provide a spark to a struggling group? Could it be time for one of the talented recruits to show why he was targeted by the coaching staff coming out of high school? Since so much can happen during the College Football Playoff when it comes to injuries, players need to be ready to step in when their number is called. With games against Penn State, Purdue, UCLA, and Rutgers before the clash with the Wolverines, there are plenty of games in the upcoming month to give some newer faces some time on the field.
Today’s question: Which Buckeye do you think we’ll see more of in November?
We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.
Brett’s answer: Isaiah West
The Ohio State running game has been a tough watch this season. Obviously, there was going to be a drop in production after both TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins were selected in April’s NFL Draft. I’m not sure anyone expected the decline to be as steep as it has been so far. C.J. Donaldson has been a reliable short-yardage back, but he’s not the type of running back a team with title hopes is going to rely on to carry the football 15-20 times in a game. The other presumed starter heading into the season, James Peoples, has struggled to find any sort of success through the first seven games, rushing for just 202 yards.
Bo Jackson looked like the answer at running back after wins against Grambling State and Ohio, where he rushed for over 100 yards in each game. Unfortunately, Jackson’s production has decreased each week after the Buckeyes entered Big Ten play, bottoming out with just 26 yards on 10 carries on Saturday against Wisconsin. I’m not saying Jackson should be removed as a starter at running back; he just needs some help since he is undoubtedly still adjusting to the rigors of a college football season.
Enter Isaiah West. Against the Badgers, West was Ohio State’s leading rusher, finishing with 55 yards on just nine carries. The freshman from Philadelphia gave the running game a spark with some tough runs against Wisconsin. The liveliness of the runs from West on Saturday was enough for me to want to see him on the field more in November. The more running backs the Buckeyes can get on the field and comfortable ahead of the College Football Playoff, the better.
I’m not saying Ohio State needs a running back to go Ezekiel Elliott and put up 200-yard rushing games during the playoffs. Julian Sayin and the passing attack of the Buckeyes are already carving up opposing defenses, and it is going to be the highlight of the offense. What I need from the running backs is someone who keeps defenses honest. Donaldson and Peoples don’t really strike fear in opposing defenses, but a combination of Jackson and West could make opponents respect the run more.
It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a bit of a timeshare at running back between Jackson and West against Purdue, UCLA, and Rutgers, just to see how they operate in a Henderson/Judkins-like platoon. Maybe give Jackson 10-15 carries a game and West 10 carries just to see if either distances themselves from the rest of the competition at running back. If it works, then a new portion of the offense can be unlocked, giving opponents a whole lot more to think about when they are trying to slow down one of the best offenses in the country.
Matt’s answer: Quincy Porter
While I think that Brett’s choice of Isaiah West is a logical one, I think he picked the wrong true freshman offensive weapon. While it would certainly be nice to see West more mixed into the running game, since both C.J. Donaldson and James Peoples haven’t exactly been lighting it up thus far, I think what is actually more likely to happen is what we saw against Wisconsin: less running, more passing.
While Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate have lived up to their billing as the top two receivers in college football, and Brandon Inniss has been relatively solid, the tight ends have not been as productive as we anticipated them being this season, so I think that we will see more wide receiver opportunities during the month of November and into the postseason. That gives the rookie plenty of time to continue to get acclimated to the college game in time to contribute to the stretch run.
Currently, Porter has the fifth most snaps amongst wide receivers with 48, 35 behind Mylan Graham and 144 behind Inniss, despite having significantly higher Pro Football Focus grades than both of them. Now, admittedly, PFF grades are by no means gospel, and Porter has only logged offensive snaps against Grambling, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, so he has not truly been tested by a competent defense, but on his three catches on the year, he is averaging 15 yards per reception, including two catches for 30 yards this past week.
Recently, Ryan Day has said that Porter and Graham were both “knocking on the door” of more playing time. Part of that, I believe, is their development as reliable pass catchers, but another part is that I think it is clear that Day and Brian Hartline are paying attention to the fact that this is a team that is significantly better through the air than it is on the ground.
Redshirt freshman Julian Sayin has shattered expectations, leading the country in completion percentage (80%), coming in second in quarterback rating (189.72) and fourth in touchdowns (19), and having thrown only three interceptions and been sacked just three times this season. It is clear that the coaches’ early game plan was not to throw too much at him and then to gradually build things up.
Following the practically perfect performance against the Badgers, Day said postgame that they put more on his plate. That resulted in a career high in passing attempts, yards, and touchdowns (the last tied his Grambling output). Given how successful he was, it would seem to me that heading into an off week before the final stretch of five games that we will see more of that in the future, and therefore, the Buckeyes will need more production from more wide receivers.
So, I am in on Quincy Porter becoming an integral part of the Buckeye offense during the final two and a half months of the season, and claiming his spot as the Next Man Up in the best position room in college football.
