COLUMBUS — Following Ohio State’s 49-6 win over Tulane on Saturday, the Buckeye coaches have graded the plays and named 20 Champions on offense, defense, and special teams.
The players of the game were H-back Parris Campbell on offense, Sam linebacker Dante Booker on defense, and punter Drue Chrisman on special teams.
Campbell caught a career-high eight passes for a career-high 147 yards and a career-high two touchdowns. All eight receptions took place in the first half.
Booker tied for the team lead with four tackles and one sack. He also contributed a team-high three tackles for loss. All while coming off of the bench.
Chrisman only punted twice, but averaged 44 yards per punt and put both of his kicks inside the 20-yard line.
Offensively for the Buckeyes, the entire offensive line was named Champions for the third time this season. Isaiah Prince, Thayer Munford, Demetrius Knox, and Michael Jordan have graded out as Champions every week this season.
The other Champions on offense were quarterback Dwayne Haskins — who was named Big Ten co-offensive player of the week, tailback J.K. Dobbins, receivers K.J. Hill, Terry McLaurin, Jonnie Dixon, Austin Mack, and Binjimen Victor, and tight end Luke Farrell.
Dobbins, Hill, Campbell, and McLaurin are the four other Buckeyes on offense who have been named Champions each week this season.
Defensively, there were only five Champions named. Joining Booker were freshman defensive end Tyler Friday, cornerback Kendall Sheffield, and safeties Jordan Fuller and Isaiah Pryor.
Fuller has been named a Champion each week he has played this season. This was the first week that Nick Bosa, Robert Landers, and Dre’Mont Jones weren’t named Champions. Bosa and Landers sat out the game with injuries.
If every guy on the offensive line was graded a championand the running game looks like that, you need a better grading system.
I have been wondering for some time now, given that our LB corp has been a near-disaster for 2018, why in the world Dante Booker is riding the pine. Well, with the success he had coming off the bench on Saturday, as rewarded with the POG accolade, that question now comes with an exclamation point after the question mark. Come on, coaching staff; let’s get that Akronite in the starting lineup for once!
He’s been injured a lot, but he’s been ready to go since fall camp.
Stats don’t mean everything, but they do serve a useful purpose in evaluating . I’m CERTAIN that Dante’ would tell you that even though he was named POG defensively, he still expects a lot more out of himself AND the other linebackers. Heck, 2 years ago his stat line wouldn’t have registered at all on the richter scale. We should be pleased with his game, but if that’s the measure of linebacking efficiency, there’s deep issues. Just a couple years ago Saturdays stats would have him worried about keeping his spot on the depth chart.
He should be starting, but I won’t hold my breath expecting it on the depth chart.
Compare any these guys under Davis compared to any of the players under Luke Fickell. Productivity is night and day. You just want to shake your head especially knowing that there’s great talent in the players. There’s just no reason they shouldn’t be at least in the same ball park with guys like Laurinaitis, Hawk, Carpenter, Schlegel, Homan, Shazier. They have just as much talent. as any of those guys. Heck, Luke had to steal Zach Boren who hadn’t played linebacker since HS in his final year, and he was just as good as the other guys.
You have to smile and shake your head when you look at the old stat lines. Take AJ Hawk………..he had 394 tackles with 196 of them solo, 41 of them for losses, 15 and a half sacks, 7 interceptions, and 13 fumbles recovered in 4 years.
Dante’ SHOULD be starting.