The Ohio State Buckeyes moved to 4-0 following a convincing, blowout win over the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday. The team appears to be clicking on all cylinders on both sides of the ball, despite a plethora of injuries.

On Saturday, Ohio State was again without star wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba and starting cornerbacks Cam Brown and Denzel Burke. However, on both sides of the ball, it was as if no issues had occurred as the “next man up” mentality prevailed. Let’s highlight this week’s top performances:

OFFENSE:

Top Performer: Emeka Egbuka

Emeka posted his 3rd consecutive 100+ yard receiving game. He hauled in 6 receptions for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. His season totals move to 26 catches for 442 yards and 5 touchdowns. He has proven himself a consistent and reliable target for CJ Stroud in place of Olave, Wilson, and for the time being, JSN.

Honorable Mention: Miyan Williams

Miyan continues to be a fantastic change of pace back when paired with Henderson. He put up his best performance of 2022 so far with 11 carries for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has shown the ability to run with both power and speed, breaking tackles and outflanking defenders. His season yards per carry is now at 7.2 yards after another excellent ground performance.

DEFENSE:

Top Performer: Tommy Eichenberg

It has been widely reported that Tommy isn’t much for being vocal despite being a team captain. However, his on-field performance and leadership continue to speak louder than words. He tallied 14 total tackles, 2 for loss in the win over Wisconsin. He now leads the team with 33 total tackles on the season. He continues to be the epitome of the Knowles defensive scheme, as he plays with aggression and technique. Tommy is constantly disrupting offenses and making every play he can.

Honorable Mention(s): JK Johnson and Jyaire Brown

These Freshmen cornerbacks were asked to make starts on Saturday in place of Brown and Burke. A big ask when squaring off against the first Big Ten opponent of the season, as part of a blackout, at the Shoe. Both had quiet nights, but for a good reason as neither was responsible for allowing big plays. As defenders, they did the ever-important job of making plays and not drawing attention to themselves. They passed the test, given by Knowles, with flying colors.

LOOK AHEAD:

Ohio State looks to move to 5-0 as they welcome the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Saturday at 3:30 pm ET. The Buckeyes are currently a 40-point favorite for the afternoon matchup, which can be viewed on BTN.

 

Featured Image: Gaelen Morse, Getty Images Sport