The Ohio State Buckeyes are halfway through their schedule. While they would like to be undefeated, they are still playing like one of the best teams in the country. Some Buckeyes have exceeded expectations through the first six games, while others have fallen woefully short.
Let's start with the positives. These are guys who have exceeded expectations thus far.
1. Jeremiah Smith
It's hard for the best player in college football to get better, but that's exactly what Smith has done. He was able to add another dimension to his game. He is now even more dangerous once he catches the ball, as he worked hard to be better after the catch. The stats show just how dangerous he is.
He had back-to-back games of over 200 yards receiving against Illinois and Iowa. No one can stop him one-on-one, and even double-teaming him hasn't proven anything. Ohio State just gets him the ball as much as possible, and he dominates.
2. Jay Timmons
True freshman cornerback Jay Timmons has been an immediate impact player. He showed that when he punched the ball free, forcing a fumble on the first play against Texas. He will only get better as the year goes on, and Timmons looks like a shutdown corner for years to come.
3. John Walker
Transfer defensive tackle John Walker has been perhaps the most consistent defensive lineman for the Buckeyes. He does a good job of plugging up the middle when he's out there in the run game. The only way to stop him is to put two offensive linemen on him.
These three players have failed to live up to expectations so far.
1. Connor Hawkins
So much for the kicking game being fixed! Hawkins has missed two field goals in the only two games Ohio State has played against a ranked foe. If he misses another one against Indiana, things could start to get ugly. It's hard to trust him in a big spot right now.
2. Bo Jackson
After a solid freshman season, Bo Jackson was expected to take a big leap as the undisputed starting running back. Instead, he has started slowly. Last week against Maryland was the first time he was able to rush for over 100 yards in a game this year.
Jackson hasn't been able to break off big runs. The lack of explosive runs has been a recurring issue for all of the backs. He will be getting a ton of work against IU with the injuries at running back, so he needs to do more of what he did against the Terps and less of what he's shown the remainder of the year.
3. Ian Moore
Ryan Day settled on Ian Moore as the starting left tackle after not having started before. He is the lone new starter on the offensive line, and it has been rough at times. It seems he gets driven back into Julian Sayin at least twice a game. He has let a couple of sacks happen, too.
Perhaps too much was expected of Moore, with him being a first-time starter. Maybe he kicks it into gear in the second half of the year. That would be a welcome surprise for the Buckeyes with all of the injuries they have had up front. The best of Moore is still yet to come.
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