Ohio State Football: Buckeye 2022 Midseason Awards
Best Defensive Player: Tommy Eichenberg, Linebacker
Tommy Eichenberg has taken to the role of defensive captain and has flourished under Jim Knowles’ new scheme. Leading the Buckeyes in tackles with 50, Eichenberg has patrolled the middle of the field exceptionally well for the Silver Bullets.
The former Cleveland St. Ignatius grad also has 2.5 sacks on the season and puts great pressure on opposing quarterbacks when he blitzes. He also was added to the Bednarik Award watch list last week, which is presented annually to the nation’s best defensive player.
It’s amazing what new coaching could do for good players who seemed to have gotten lost in bad coaching and a bad scheme a season ago.
Best Offensive Player: C.J. Stroud, Quarterback
Sometimes, the most obvious picks are the right ones and that certainly fits the case here. C.J. Stroud has been fantastic through six games and is probably the Heisman frontrunner along with Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.
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On the season, Stroud has completed over 70 percent of his throws for 1,737 yards with 24 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. If he keeps these numbers up through the entire season, he could most certainly wind up breaking some Ohio State and Big Ten single-season records.