The Ohio State football team is halfway through their regular season. For most of the season, they looked dominant. We all know what happened against Oregon. Still, the Buckeyes have mostly lived up to the high expectations that were put upon them before the season started.
With it being midway through the season, we give you a report card of each position group and how they've done so far this season. We start with the most important position on the field.
1. Quarterback: A
Will Howard has been good for Ohio State. Outside of the last few plays against Oregon, he played great in that game. He deserves credit for how high of a level he has played at. He needs to continue to play at a high level if Ohio State wants to beat Penn State, win the Big Ten and make a National Title game run. It starts with Will Howard.
2. Running Backs: A-
TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins have been a dynamic duo at running back for Ohio State. The only blimp on the radar was Judkins' key fumble against Oregon. Both are talented running backs who should continue to play at a high level for Ohio State.
3. Wide Receivers: A+
Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka are probably the best pair of wide receivers in College Football. Smith, the dynamic freshman, has been outstanding for Ohio State. Egbuka is having a bounce-back year after he had an injury riddle season last year. Ohio State also has Carnell Tate, a talented sophomore starting at the other wide receiver position.
4. Tight Ends: B
Tight ends have been a solid position group for Ohio State. They have used a committee at the position, with primarily Gee Scott and WIll Kacmarek having shared the duties. Kacmarek is currently out with an injury, so Jelani Thurman will be stepping up to fill his spot for the next weeks. Thurman is a young, but talented player. Scott is a solid player at the tight end position.
5. Offensive Line: A-
The offensive line has played at a high level overall. They played well in the Oregon game as the offense was able to move the ball well. They also gave Will Howard plenty of time to throw the ball in the pocket. The big question is how well Zen Michalski will replace Josh Simmons at left tackle after he is out for the season with an injury. The other four starters have played well. The center Seth McLaughlin, a transfer from Alabama, has helped stabilize the offensive line. Returning starters Donovan Jackson (left guard), and Josh Fryar (right tackle) have played at a high level. So has first-year starter Tegra Tsabola (right guard).
6. Defensive Line: B-
The defensive line position is tough to grade because realistically they played well the first five games, but they struggled against Oregon when they didn't pressure Dillon Gabriel very much at all. Defensive ends Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau are good players, but they continue to struggle to get a pass rush and create pressures in big games. Ty Hamilton and Tyleik Williams both have largely played well at defensive tackle, but they need to continue to provide more of a pass rush.
7. Linebackers: B+
The linebackers have largely played well during the season. Sonny Styles and Simon Curry are first-year starters who have a ton of potential. Both need to improve in providing more run support, but the talent is there to get better. Styles has a chance to pop and make a jump in the 2nd half of the season. Ohio State largely runs a 4-2-5 defense, so only two linebackers are usually on the field.
8. Safeties: A-
The safeties have largely played well, led by Alabama transfer Caleb Downs. Downs is an unbelievable player and has made so many plays to help the defense. Lathan Ransom is the other starting safety, and he has played well overall, but his missed tackle against Oregon allowed a late touchdown.
9. Cornerbacks: B-
Denzel Burke came into the season with a ton of hype and as a projected first-round pick in the NFL draft, but he struggled mightily against Oregon as he was beaten for several big plays. The other cornerback is Davison Igbinosun and he has played well overall. The slot cornerback is Jordan Hancock and I think he has played decently. This group has a ton of potential and I expect they will play better the rest of the way.
10. Special Teams: B+
Ryan Day fired his special teams coach and the coaching staff has now gone to a more of a committee coaching approach to the special teams. Overall they have been solid and the only issue was an onside kick against Oregon that they recovered. Ohio State likes to get more explosive in the return game, so this is an area in which you could see an improvement.
Overall, the Buckeyes have played pretty well. We'll see how well they've fixed some of their problems on Saturday against Nebraska.