Ohio State football: Who are the 5 best players OSU will face in 2021?

The Ohio State football team will have to face some great players this season. These will be the five best.

While it is easy to look at Ohio State’s 2021 schedule and pick out their most difficult games, the best players they will face may not be so evident. Here is a look at my picks for the five best players the Ohio State football team will face this season.

Kayvon Thibodeaux  Oregon  Defensive End – He’s not just the best player the Buckeyes will face, he’s the best defensive end in the country and one of the best players in college football. He’s universally considered a top-five pick in next spring’s NFL Draft. The 6’5”, 250-pound Thibodeaux has 12 sacks and 23 ½ tackles for loss in just 20 career games. The Duck’s defensive coordinator plans to use him in a variety of ways. Ohio State’s offensive line has its work cut out for them.

Tiawan Mullen  Indiana  Cornerback – While linebacker Micah McFadden gets most of the media attention on the Hoosier defense, Mullen is the unit’s best player. Last season he became the first Indiana cornerback to be named first-team All-American. He had three interceptions in eight games in 2020, but the 3 ½ sacks he had tells you the Hoosiers are not afraid to bring him on a blitz.

Mohamed Ibrahim  Minnesota  Running Back – Some may wonder why I’m putting him so high on this list. It’s simple: the guy is just a machine. Describing him as a workhorse is probably an understatement. He had 201 carries in just seven games last season, including a 41-carry performance in an OT loss to Maryland. He was first-team All-Big Ten in 2020 and the conference’s running back of the year. He’s rushed for nearly 3,000 yards in only 28 games and has averaged 5.5 yards per carry over that span. I admit I love good running backs and this guy is a very good one who will test Ohio State’s linebackers and new bullet position.

Micah McFadden  Indiana  Linebacker – The first-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-American led his team in tackles and the conference in sacks last season with six. McFadden had an astounding 10 ½ tackles for loss in just eight games. When you watch him it seems like he is everywhere. The Buckeyes got a taste of that in their narrow win over the Hoosiers last year when McFadden had ten tackles against them. He’s a legitimate contender for the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Rasheed Walker  Penn State  Left Tackle – The redshirt junior who has started 22 career games is a massive 6’6”, 320 pounds. Somehow, he was named as just third-team All-Big Ten last season. He’s probably the conference’s best tackle not wearing an Ohio State football uniform. Considering the lack of depth behind quarterback Sean Clifford and the need to keep him healthy, Walker is maybe the team’s most important player. He is very athletic, technically sound, and is being looked at as a first-round draft choice next spring.

Those are my picks for the five best players the Buckeyes will face this season. You’re probably wondering why Indiana quarterback Michael Penix is not on the list. I think Penix is one of the most exciting players Ohio State will face, but I don’t necessarily think he’s one of the five best.

I considered defensive ends Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan and Purdue’s George Karlaftis as well. But, in the end, the five I chose look like the best the Buckeyes will face.