Josh Dooley
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You’re Nuts: Underrated performers in Ohio State’s win over Akron
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Which Buckeyes’ performances flew under the radar in Week 1.
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.
The Ohio State football team kicked off its 2024 season — literally and figuratively — this past Saturday with a solid, yet (many would argue) unspectacular 52-6 victory over the lowly Akron Zips. OSU looked lethargic early on before finding its stride on both offense and defense, eventually pulling away from their clearly overmatched in-state opponent.
Will Howard, Jeremiah Smith, and well, the entire defense were among the standouts for Ryan Day’s team, while the Buckeyes’ offensive line left something to be desired. But all in all, Saturday’s season opener was a very positive result.
No major injuries that we know of, plenty of highlights from Howard and his weapons, and a defensive performance that seemed to be fueled or motivated by a personal hatred for/toward Akron QB Ben Finley... Who was an absolute warrior, by the way.
I’m not sure that much can be learned from this season-opening, mid-afternoon kick against an inferior MAC team, particularly when discussing or dissecting a team with title aspirations like Ohio State. Sure, one might look at the Ole Miss-Furman score and say “Well, that team won by 76. They’re a juggernaut, while OSU didn’t even cover.”
In reality, Week 1 is a total crapshoot for most if not all teams. As much as Buckeye fans might not like the Oregons and Michigans of the world, I don’t think we’re looking at either of those teams and thinking “The Big Ten clearly belongs to us.” Or maybe you are, and that’s fine.
Regardless of how Ohio State fans feel about the final outcome, Gene and I figured that most of Buckeye Nation would be talking or thinking about the performance(s) of Howard, Smith, Jack Sawyer, and others. So we decided to give props to one of the “other guys” who we thought had a great game against Akron, albeit one that may have flown a bit under the radar.
Call these our underrated performers... And gimme a break, it’s Week 1 for everybody, I couldn’t think of a Pulitzer-worthy title.
Superstars and touchdown scorers aside, I thought that Brandon Inniss played one hell of a game and was an absolute stud on Saturday, despite having zero catches for zero yards. Instead, what he did was infuse great energy and juice into an OSU special teams unit that has underperformed for years. We call that the Parker Fleming Effect.
Inniss acted as Ohio State’s one and only punt returner for the entirety of Saturday’s game, returning four punts for a total of 60 yards. And he was exciting as hell while doing so! His willingness to grab and return anything in his orbit was refreshing, while also panic-inducing at times.
Isn’t that sort of what fans and coaches (maybe not all coaches) want from their kick returner(s)? A certain sense of fearless? Inniss seems to have no fear whatsoever. And to be honest, I dig it. Even if his attitude towards returning punts also has me mentally preparing for a bobbled catch near the goal line in the fourth quarter of a close game in November.
And how’s this for a stat? OSU — as a team — totaled all of 75 yards via punt return last season... 75 yards for the entire freaking season! Inniss had 60 on Saturday alone.
Not only that, but Inniss also brought vibes and a much-needed swagger to the Buckeyes’ punt return unit; a unit that simply hasn’t had an ounce of juice since Jalin Marshall was returning kicks a decade ago. If Inniss is going to continue to be a First-Team All Vibes guy, imagine what this Ohio State team could look like with a fully functioning ST unit? Wouldn’t that be wonderful!
So while Inniss did not provide anything as a receiver, he still gets my underrated POTW award for Week 1. The catches and receiving yards will come in due time. But for now, if he can just be an X-factor in the return game, he will make the Buckeyes that much more dangerous. And that's agood great thing.
I love Josh’s pick of Inniss for a Week 1 underrated standout, as it is truly such a breath of fresh air to watch Ohio State not only be competent on special teams for the first time in a long time, but potentially even good.
Inniss looked great with the ball in his hands a return man, and while his fearless style of play could potentially prove costly once or twice, I think that the reward outweighs the risk, and I have a feeling the coaches will make sure he is more conservative in games where the outcome isn't as certain.
Even though I wouldn’t call their performances ‘underrated,’ I was tempted to go with Jack Sawyer or Arvell Reese for this exercise. Neither guy filled up the official stat sheet, as Sawyer was credited with two total tackles and a QB hurry and Reese with four tackles and tackle for loss. For the box score watchers out there, the pair’s efforts went largely unnoticed.
However, anyone who actually watched the game saw the real impact of both defenders. Sawyer was a nightmare in the opposing backfield, eventually knocking Akron QB Ben Finley out of the game after a series of hard hits. Reese looked like a veteran in his first true collegiate action, filling in for absent starter Cody Simon without missing a beat.
That said, I want to focus on the true freshman as my underrated Week 1 performer.
No, not that one...
Running back James Peoples entered the season as the No. 3 ball-carrier on the depth chart behind the two-headed monster of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins after Ohio State lost three players at the position — Dallan Hayden, Chip Trayanum and Miyan Williams — this offseason. While the top two guys are known commodities, it is at least mildly concerning that your only real depth on the roster is a pair of true freshmen, headed by Peoples.
The San Antonio, Texas native got his first touch of the season late in the third quarter. After a pass interference call on Akron moved the ball inside the red zone, a nine yard grab by Bryson Rodgers set Ohio State up at the Zips’ 4-yard line. From there, the Buckeyes handed the ball off to Peoples, who slipped through a tackle and scampered his way into the end zone for his first collegiate touchdown on his very first carry.
Peoples didn’t get a ton of work the rest of the way, finishing the game with six carries for 30 yards and the score, but he looked really good for first-year player getting his feet wet in the season opener. Ohio State knows it has two dominant running backs it can rely on in 2024, but in a potentially 16 or 17-game season, the coaching staff also needs to know it can rely on its depth when called upon.
We will likely get to see even more of Peoples as the season rolls along, as there are more than a handful of games the Buckeyes should lead comfortably in the second half, opening the door for an increased workload for the freshman. The tailback made a great first impression in Columbus, and he will only continue to get better as he works toward a potential RB1 spot in 2025.
Continue reading...
Josh Dooley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Which Buckeyes’ performances flew under the radar in Week 1.
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: Underrated performers in Ohio State’s win over Akron
Josh’s Take
The Ohio State football team kicked off its 2024 season — literally and figuratively — this past Saturday with a solid, yet (many would argue) unspectacular 52-6 victory over the lowly Akron Zips. OSU looked lethargic early on before finding its stride on both offense and defense, eventually pulling away from their clearly overmatched in-state opponent.
Will Howard, Jeremiah Smith, and well, the entire defense were among the standouts for Ryan Day’s team, while the Buckeyes’ offensive line left something to be desired. But all in all, Saturday’s season opener was a very positive result.
No major injuries that we know of, plenty of highlights from Howard and his weapons, and a defensive performance that seemed to be fueled or motivated by a personal hatred for/toward Akron QB Ben Finley... Who was an absolute warrior, by the way.
I’m not sure that much can be learned from this season-opening, mid-afternoon kick against an inferior MAC team, particularly when discussing or dissecting a team with title aspirations like Ohio State. Sure, one might look at the Ole Miss-Furman score and say “Well, that team won by 76. They’re a juggernaut, while OSU didn’t even cover.”
In reality, Week 1 is a total crapshoot for most if not all teams. As much as Buckeye fans might not like the Oregons and Michigans of the world, I don’t think we’re looking at either of those teams and thinking “The Big Ten clearly belongs to us.” Or maybe you are, and that’s fine.
Regardless of how Ohio State fans feel about the final outcome, Gene and I figured that most of Buckeye Nation would be talking or thinking about the performance(s) of Howard, Smith, Jack Sawyer, and others. So we decided to give props to one of the “other guys” who we thought had a great game against Akron, albeit one that may have flown a bit under the radar.
Call these our underrated performers... And gimme a break, it’s Week 1 for everybody, I couldn’t think of a Pulitzer-worthy title.
Superstars and touchdown scorers aside, I thought that Brandon Inniss played one hell of a game and was an absolute stud on Saturday, despite having zero catches for zero yards. Instead, what he did was infuse great energy and juice into an OSU special teams unit that has underperformed for years. We call that the Parker Fleming Effect.
Inniss acted as Ohio State’s one and only punt returner for the entirety of Saturday’s game, returning four punts for a total of 60 yards. And he was exciting as hell while doing so! His willingness to grab and return anything in his orbit was refreshing, while also panic-inducing at times.
Isn’t that sort of what fans and coaches (maybe not all coaches) want from their kick returner(s)? A certain sense of fearless? Inniss seems to have no fear whatsoever. And to be honest, I dig it. Even if his attitude towards returning punts also has me mentally preparing for a bobbled catch near the goal line in the fourth quarter of a close game in November.
And how’s this for a stat? OSU — as a team — totaled all of 75 yards via punt return last season... 75 yards for the entire freaking season! Inniss had 60 on Saturday alone.
Not only that, but Inniss also brought vibes and a much-needed swagger to the Buckeyes’ punt return unit; a unit that simply hasn’t had an ounce of juice since Jalin Marshall was returning kicks a decade ago. If Inniss is going to continue to be a First-Team All Vibes guy, imagine what this Ohio State team could look like with a fully functioning ST unit? Wouldn’t that be wonderful!
So while Inniss did not provide anything as a receiver, he still gets my underrated POTW award for Week 1. The catches and receiving yards will come in due time. But for now, if he can just be an X-factor in the return game, he will make the Buckeyes that much more dangerous. And that's a
Gene’s Take
I love Josh’s pick of Inniss for a Week 1 underrated standout, as it is truly such a breath of fresh air to watch Ohio State not only be competent on special teams for the first time in a long time, but potentially even good.
Inniss looked great with the ball in his hands a return man, and while his fearless style of play could potentially prove costly once or twice, I think that the reward outweighs the risk, and I have a feeling the coaches will make sure he is more conservative in games where the outcome isn't as certain.
Even though I wouldn’t call their performances ‘underrated,’ I was tempted to go with Jack Sawyer or Arvell Reese for this exercise. Neither guy filled up the official stat sheet, as Sawyer was credited with two total tackles and a QB hurry and Reese with four tackles and tackle for loss. For the box score watchers out there, the pair’s efforts went largely unnoticed.
However, anyone who actually watched the game saw the real impact of both defenders. Sawyer was a nightmare in the opposing backfield, eventually knocking Akron QB Ben Finley out of the game after a series of hard hits. Reese looked like a veteran in his first true collegiate action, filling in for absent starter Cody Simon without missing a beat.
That said, I want to focus on the true freshman as my underrated Week 1 performer.
No, not that one...
Running back James Peoples entered the season as the No. 3 ball-carrier on the depth chart behind the two-headed monster of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins after Ohio State lost three players at the position — Dallan Hayden, Chip Trayanum and Miyan Williams — this offseason. While the top two guys are known commodities, it is at least mildly concerning that your only real depth on the roster is a pair of true freshmen, headed by Peoples.
The San Antonio, Texas native got his first touch of the season late in the third quarter. After a pass interference call on Akron moved the ball inside the red zone, a nine yard grab by Bryson Rodgers set Ohio State up at the Zips’ 4-yard line. From there, the Buckeyes handed the ball off to Peoples, who slipped through a tackle and scampered his way into the end zone for his first collegiate touchdown on his very first carry.
Peoples didn’t get a ton of work the rest of the way, finishing the game with six carries for 30 yards and the score, but he looked really good for first-year player getting his feet wet in the season opener. Ohio State knows it has two dominant running backs it can rely on in 2024, but in a potentially 16 or 17-game season, the coaching staff also needs to know it can rely on its depth when called upon.
We will likely get to see even more of Peoples as the season rolls along, as there are more than a handful of games the Buckeyes should lead comfortably in the second half, opening the door for an increased workload for the freshman. The tailback made a great first impression in Columbus, and he will only continue to get better as he works toward a potential RB1 spot in 2025.
Continue reading...