Ohio State was no match for Ball State in Week 1 of the college football season. The Buckeyes throttled the Cardinals 56-3. It was a game that was never close at any point, and Ohio State had total control the entire time. After a quick three-and-out, the Buckeyes never looked back.
With it being such a big blowout, the Buckeyes were able to play plenty of younger players, which was the plan all along. During the game, there were three freshmen who looked especially strong and deserve more playing time. Both sides of the ball are filled with them, too.
1. CB Jay Timmons
Jay Timmons started at the nickelback position, and he showed why he deserved that honor. Every time the ball was thrown, he was in a great position to knock the ball down. In fact, he seemed to lock down the receivers he was covering almost every time.
If Timmons is going to play this well all season long, the Buckeyes shouldn't take him off the field. He looked like he was a three-year veteran out there. While he only had one tackle, he officially had two passes knocked down. He looked like he could play anywhere on the field.
2. RB Legend Bey
Legend Bey has been getting a lot of hype throughout the offseason, and he showed why in Week 1. He did have two boneheaded decisions when it comes to kickoffs in the game, but his running game was strong. Once he got in at running back, he showed why he got all of the hype. His rough start is a thing in the past.
Bey was shifty, fast, and hard to tackle. He had six carries for 37 yards to go along with two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. On his touchdown, he took a shuffle pass and made several players miss before he got to the end zone. He looked like the best player on the field at that time.
Of course, Bey got those offensive snaps when the backups were in the game. He needs to prove he can do that when the starters on defense are going against him. Based on what we saw against Ball State, he deserves to get those snaps. Bey needs to be on the field more.
3. Khary Wilder
Khary Wilder saw the field less than Timmons and Bey did when the game was still in doubt. That doesn't mean that he was ineffective. On the interception that TJ Alford was able to nab, it was Wilder who was providing the pressure up the middle. He was the reason Keldric Luster threw a bad pass.
Wilder didn't officially show up on the stat sheet with a tackle, but he earned himself some more playing time. For the most part, the defensive line was fairly underwhelming. If Wilder can provide a spark as a true freshman, he needs to be on the field more often.
All three of these players should see the field more against Texas, even though the Longhorns are a much better opponent than Ball State was.
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