Ohio State football vs. Michigan State: 3 underrated players to watch

Oct 1, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Julian Fleming (4) celebrates the touchdown catch with tight end Cade Stover (8) and running back Miyan Williams (3) during the second quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Julian Fleming (4) celebrates the touchdown catch with tight end Cade Stover (8) and running back Miyan Williams (3) during the second quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Ohio State football team takes on Michigan State later this afternoon in the first road game of the season for the Buckeyes. They have to face a hostile environment, even if the Spartans themselves aren’t the best team that they have faced this season.

This is still a game that can help prepare this Buckeye team for future road games that they will play, most notably Penn State. That Penn State game might end up being the toughest game they play this year. Today’s game helps prepare this team for that.

There are three players that are underrated on this team that I will be watching in today’s game. All three of these players have played well this year but didn’t have a lot of preseason hype coming into 2022. All three will be counted on down the stretch.

The Ohio State football team will keep relying on Miyan Williams

Miyan Williams has been the best running back for the Ohio State football team this year. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Miyan Williams has been the best running back for the Ohio State football team this year. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports /

Coming into this season, TreVeyon Henderson was a First Team Preseason All-American. He was expected to follow up his stellar freshman season with an even better sophomore campaign. Instead, he’s been beset by injuries and hasn’t been the best back on the team.

That title goes to Miyan Williams. After Henderson was a late scratch last week against Rutgers, he went off for 189 yards and 5 touchdowns. Not only has Williams shown the ability to run tough in short-yardage scenarios, but he showed last week he can hit the home runs too.

Williams has 197 more yards than Henderson does right now. There’s a case to be made that he should be the featured back even when Henderson is healthy. He got none of the hype coming into the season, but he has shown that he is more than capable of getting the job done.

The next player I’m watching is someone on the defense who has been getting more playing time than I thought he would this year.