The Buckeyes had to overcome an abundance of adversity in the season opener. The defense allowed an opening field goalfollowing a missed tackle and a penalty, the offense lost WR1 Jaxon Smith-Njigba due to injury, and they trailed at the half. However, they were able to battle back and win by the score of 21-10. This victory would not have been possible without these four top-performing Buckeyes:

Miyan Williams:

Ohio State’s lead back Treveyon Henderson posted a solid game with 91 yards on 15 attempts. However, it was Williams who had the biggest impact out of the backfield, tallying 84 yards on 14 carries featuring a big touchdown run. He also made a toe-tapping, sideline catch for 12 yards on a crucial third down. Williams was an excellent change of pace back showing his ability to barrel downhill while still being elusive and quick. The coaching staff will surely rely on him more and more as the season progresses due to the lack of depth at the position.

"That was as good as I've seen," Day said of this pass from C.J. Stroud to Miyan Williams. "It was probably the only place he could probably fit... big-time play."pic.twitter.com/FJMyzEY3uC

— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) September 6, 2022

Emeka Egbuka:

Emeka saw limited action as a wide receiver in 2021, spending most of his time on the kickoff team. In 2021, he recorded 9 receptions for 191 yards. To open 2022 the sophomore caught nine balls for 90 yards and a touchdown. He showed that he could be a reliable target for Stroud, even with JSN sidelined. It is clear the young WR is ready to have a season-long impact on the offense while filling the big shoes of Wilson and Olave.

Mike Hall Jr:

The Buckeye’s defensive line looked hungry and aggressive from the get-go. Early in the game, Buchner was getting throws off very quickly, limiting their effectiveness. However, led by Hall in the middle the line kept applying heavy pressure, which led to incompletions and sacks. Hall was the leading guy on the line gathering 4 tackles, 2 of which were tackles for loss and 2 sacks. Many believe this is the guy Larry Johnson and Jim Knowles raved about as a big-time performer from camp. It will be essential for Hall and the rest of the line to get pressure every game for this defense to continue the success it found in game 1.

Tommy Eichenberg:

The Buckeye defense and linebackers, especially had their issues last year. Something looked wrong, whether it was being out of place or hesitating when making reads. But, after his 17 tackle performance in the Rose Bowl, many hoped Eichenberg would turn the corner. He did, continuing his dominance and improvement into game 1 of 2022. He totaled 9 tackles and 2 sacks in the win over Notre Dame. We didn’t see that hesitance and mistake-filled play that was so prevalent in 2021. Clearly, Eichenberg plans to make an impact week in and week out for the Buckeyes, and his first game was a great start.

Overall, we saw a great team win against the Fighting Irish. Jim Knowles led a Buckeye defense to a shutout in the second half, holding a top 5 opponent to 10 total points. CJ Stroud stayed poised without his WR1 and still managed 71% passing and 2 TDs with a young WR group. The first game of the year will always have its kinks, but the ability to overcome them against a top 5 team shows potential for greatness.