If anyone ever doubted JJ is a true Buckeye. People were worried he was going to jump ship without Hartline. Nah.

The unsung heroes of Ohio State’s 27-9 victory over Michigan​

Jaylen McClain​

Despite playing the most snaps of any player on the best defense in the country this season, Jaylen McClain might be Ohio State’s most underrated defender.

If you aren’t a fan of the Buckeyes, there’s a good chance you haven’t heard McClain’s named called at all. The sophomore safety hasn’t made any splash plays this year; He has no interceptions, no sacks and not even one tackle for loss.

What he has done is provide an incredibly dependable last line of defense. McClain is sixth on the team with 44 total tackles, and has three pass breakups on his ledger. Not much has gotten past the first two levels of Matt Patricia’s group this year, but when it has, McClain has been there to clean it up.

That was especially true in Ann Arbor, where the former three-star prospect made some touchdown-saving tackles on the few long plays Michigan was able to muster, including all three 20-plus yard runs.

On Jordan Marshall’s game-opening 36-yard gain, McClain was there to make the tackle. On Marshall’s 21-yard run on Michigan’s second possession, McClain again made the stop. Bryson Kuzdal’s 22-yard run? Again, McClain prevented it from being even more.

Every given Saturday you watch safeties all across the country taking banana angles to the football, leading to long touchdowns. McClain has been a perfect eraser at the back end of the Ohio State defense, stopping those long gains from reaching the end zone and allowing the Silver Bullets to regroup, more often than not resulting in a stop.

Tegra Tshabola​

Outside the health of Ohio State’s two star wide receivers, the biggest question mark for the Buckeyes heading in The Game was the play of their offensive line.

A lot of that conversation centered around the play of Tegra Tshabola. The senior right guard has played a ton of football in scarlet and gray, but has been largely inconsistent. Tshabola has been fantastic at times in his career, however throughout most of this season he had struggled in both pass blocking and run blocking alike.

Against Michigan, Tshabola played his best game of the year.

The 6-foot-6 guard has made a bit of a habit of rising to the occasion when the opponents get tough, and that rang true against the Wolverines. Tshabola played a season-high 73 snaps on Saturday, finishing as Ohio State’s second-highest graded pass blocker (79.4) and allowing zero pressures and zero hurries.

As a unit, the Buckeyes’ offensive line was dominant in Ann Arbor, paving the way for a 419-yard offensive performance, highlighted by 117 yards rushing by Bo Jackson and 233 yards passing for Julian Sayin.

Tywone Malone​

The interior guys along the defensive line don’t always get a ton of love. The edge rushers get all the glory going after the quarterback and coming up with the highlight plays, but the tackles are the ones doing a lot of the dirty work up the middle helping to stop the run.

One of those tackles is Tywone Malone, who for much of the season has likely been the third-most popular tackle on the roster behind Kayden McDonald and Eddrick Houston. However, Malone has actually played more snaps on the year (259) than Houston (243), and he has really been coming on as of late.

Three of Malone’s highest-rated games in 2025 have come in the last three weeks, with another stellar performance coming against Michigan. The former Ole Miss transfer was bullying Wolverines offensive linemen throughout the afternoon, and came away as Ohio State’s highest-rated run defender in The Game (80.1) as well as highest-rated defensive player overall (80.0).

Malone finished the game with four tackles, all of which stopped Michigan run plays for two yards or less.

Will Kacmarek​

The way Malone was having his way physically against the Wolverines in the trenches, so too was Will Kacmarek on the other side of the ball.

With Max Klare on the roster as the primary receiving tight end, Kacmarek has been primary blocker. On the year, the former Ohio transfer has been the highest-graded pass blocker (71.4) and run blocker (73.8) of any non-offensive lineman with at least 200 snaps, per PFF.

It was more of the same against Michigan. Kacmarek was tossing guys around up front, helping to clear the path for Jackson on the ground and keeping Sayin upright.

In addition to his blocking efforts, Kacmarek also made his presence felt in the passing game, hauling in an impressive 25-yard grab over the middle to help set up Ohio State’s pre-halftime touchdown.

The Buckeyes have played a ton of 12 and 13 personnel, and Kacmarek has been on the field more than any other tight end on the roster. The graduate senior led the room with 431 snaps, ahead of Klare (403) and Bennett Christian (229).

Our fans are ridiculous. This dude rattled off teams that got a good return after a championship run, yet aren't nearly as well rounded as OSU using the strategy that OSU is using.

JHC!!

Brain dead low level thinkers.

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Gizmo said:

Well, it's pretty much set. Here's who's in:
Ohio State (12-0)
Indiana (12-0)
Georgia (11-1)
Texas Tech (11-1)
Oregon (11-1)
Ole Miss (11-1)
Texas A&M (11-1)
Oklahoma (10-2)
Alabama (10-2)
2 from ACC/G5

One spot up for grabs.
BYU win and in
BYU lose Notre Dame is in

Pretty sure that's all the important games outside of the ACC/G5 games.

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More reasonable than BYU upsetting TT, is Duke upsetting UVA.

That would very likely put JMU in to go with the AAC winner (Tulane/UNT). Assuming chalk holds everywhere else, that is the scenario that knocks ND and the ACC out.

(I think)

jwinslow said:

I came down with something Sunday, fever Monday, and it's back with a vengeance

Walked right under this a few steps after the last players.

Coincidence?

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Man me too I wasn't at the game though so I don't have that excuse.

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Just sayin': The mothers of current players are even recruiting Chris Henry Jr.

jwinslow said:

Bugs are going through everyone all over this state..
But I prefer to view this as being anthrax'd for the team. Probably worth it.

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Like my grandad always said, "that would have killed a normal man".

Glad you aren't normal.

Jaxbuck said:

any reports of bugs going through the team?

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Bugs are going through everyone all over this state..
But I prefer to view this as being anthrax'd for the team. Probably worth it.

brodybuck21 said:

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Login to view embedded media Reese has had a breakout season to become arguably the best linebacker in the country, recording 61 tackles with 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and two pass breakups in his first year as a starter.

brodybuck21 said:

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McDonald, also a first-year starter, has been a wrecking ball in the trenches for the Buckeyes, recording 52 tackles – an eye-popping number for a nose tackle – with eight tackles for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles.