Matt Tamanini
Guest
No shock in who Buckeye fans believe will be OSU’s offensive and defensive MVPs
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Throughout the year, we will be asking and answering questions about various Ohio State teams, the players, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
As we inch closer and closer to the start of preseason camp, less than a week away, we here at LGHL are wrapping up Player of the Year Week, and to mark the occasion, today, I am going to celebrate with the release of the (somewhat anticlimactic) results for this week’s fan survey.
Earlier this week, we asked Buckeye Nation who they believed would end up being Ohio State’s offensive and defensive MVPs. I gave them nearly two dozen options to choose from on each side of the ball, but, my friends, I really only needed to provide one name on offense and one name on defense, because you already know the two Buckeyes who were selected.
Take a look at the official results below, and if you want to share your thoughts on the winners, head down to the comments at the bottom of the page.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26067892/OhioState_1_72425.png)
I know, big shocker that the best defensive player in the country was the pick here. I guess the only surprise is that he won by a plurality, rather than a majority, but Sonny Styles ended up getting a pretty healthy percentage of votes to make that an impossibility.
You could make an argument that Caleb Downs plays too far away from the ball to be the true MVP, that because he is a safety, he isn’t going to be involved on defense enough to truly be the most valuable player on that side of the ball, but, folks, let’s not overthink this.
Downs is so good that he is going to impact everything that every opposing offense does all season, especially if new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia uses him like the Buckeyes did in the second half of last season. Early on in his first year as a Buckeye, Downs was left in the back of the defense to play free safety, and while that was effective, we only truly got to see how impactful he could be when they allowed him to start playing closer to the line of scrimmage.
As Caleb started coming up in run support and becoming a factor in the short-passing game, it became incredibly evident just how awesome and athletic the Alabama transfer was. So, if the Buckeyes continue to allow him the freedom to roam and make plays as only he can, there is no doubt in my mind that he can, and should, be OSU’s defensive MVP this season.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26067893/OhioState_2_72425.png)
I think if Will Howard had returned for a second season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, there would have been a compelling argument to go with him here, simply by virtue of the fact that QB is the most important and impactful position in all of sports.
But considering that we don’t really even know who OSU’s quarterback is going to be just yet, there really is no reason to look anywhere else other than the best offensive player in the country for this one.
I understand that Jeremiah Smith is going to be double and triple-teamed all season, but he is the best playmaker in college football, so it is incumbent on Ryan Day and Brian Hartline to figure out how to get him the ball, and I, for one, trust them both to do just that.
What J.J. did as an 18-year-old true freshman last season was nothing short of silly. And while he will undoubtedly take on even more defensive attention this season now that Emeka Egbuka is off becoming the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Smith will remain the focal point of Ohio State’s offense, regardless of who is going to be getting him the ball.
Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
You ask, we answer. Sometimes we ask, others answer. And then other times, we ask, we answer.
Throughout the year, we will be asking and answering questions about various Ohio State teams, the players, and anything else on our collective minds of varying degrees of importance. If you have a question that you would like to ask, you can tweet us @LandGrant33 or if you need more than 280 characters, send an email HERE.
As we inch closer and closer to the start of preseason camp, less than a week away, we here at LGHL are wrapping up Player of the Year Week, and to mark the occasion, today, I am going to celebrate with the release of the (somewhat anticlimactic) results for this week’s fan survey.
Earlier this week, we asked Buckeye Nation who they believed would end up being Ohio State’s offensive and defensive MVPs. I gave them nearly two dozen options to choose from on each side of the ball, but, my friends, I really only needed to provide one name on offense and one name on defense, because you already know the two Buckeyes who were selected.
Take a look at the official results below, and if you want to share your thoughts on the winners, head down to the comments at the bottom of the page.
Question 1: Who will be Ohio State’s defensive MVP this season?
I know, big shocker that the best defensive player in the country was the pick here. I guess the only surprise is that he won by a plurality, rather than a majority, but Sonny Styles ended up getting a pretty healthy percentage of votes to make that an impossibility.
You could make an argument that Caleb Downs plays too far away from the ball to be the true MVP, that because he is a safety, he isn’t going to be involved on defense enough to truly be the most valuable player on that side of the ball, but, folks, let’s not overthink this.
Downs is so good that he is going to impact everything that every opposing offense does all season, especially if new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia uses him like the Buckeyes did in the second half of last season. Early on in his first year as a Buckeye, Downs was left in the back of the defense to play free safety, and while that was effective, we only truly got to see how impactful he could be when they allowed him to start playing closer to the line of scrimmage.
As Caleb started coming up in run support and becoming a factor in the short-passing game, it became incredibly evident just how awesome and athletic the Alabama transfer was. So, if the Buckeyes continue to allow him the freedom to roam and make plays as only he can, there is no doubt in my mind that he can, and should, be OSU’s defensive MVP this season.
Question 2: Who will be Ohio State’s offensive MVP this season?
I think if Will Howard had returned for a second season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, there would have been a compelling argument to go with him here, simply by virtue of the fact that QB is the most important and impactful position in all of sports.
But considering that we don’t really even know who OSU’s quarterback is going to be just yet, there really is no reason to look anywhere else other than the best offensive player in the country for this one.
I understand that Jeremiah Smith is going to be double and triple-teamed all season, but he is the best playmaker in college football, so it is incumbent on Ryan Day and Brian Hartline to figure out how to get him the ball, and I, for one, trust them both to do just that.
What J.J. did as an 18-year-old true freshman last season was nothing short of silly. And while he will undoubtedly take on even more defensive attention this season now that Emeka Egbuka is off becoming the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Smith will remain the focal point of Ohio State’s offense, regardless of who is going to be getting him the ball.
Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Ohio State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Continue reading...