Quarterbacks: A+
This one is easy.
Being much better than C.J. Stroud has been is nearly impossible, as evidenced by his leading the nation in passing efficiency (207.57), passing touchdowns (24) and yards per completion (15.37).
Backup Kyle McCord has not gotten much of a chance to do anything, but he has completed 12 of 16 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.
Running backs: A-
TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams have been very productive when healthy. The duo ranks 35th and 18th, respectively, in rushing yards per game in the nation and have combined for 930 yards despite both missing time with injuries.
Williams brings the power and shiftiness while Henderson has the breakaway speed for the duo.
Third-stringer Dallan Hayden has also had some moments after being thrust into a more important spot when Evan Pryor was injured in preseason practice. Hayden, a true freshman, has responded with 250 yards in the first half of the season.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
Receivers: A+
This group could be the best in the country even without Jaxon Smith-Njigba. That can be said because the star junior has barely played anyway after being hurt in the season opener.
Ohio State still has three of the top four touchdown-catchers in the Big Ten, though, with Marvin Harrison Jr. leading the nation with nine, Emeka Egbuka having six and Julian Fleming having five.
Egbuka leads the Big Ten and is fourth in the country with 109.2 receiving yards per game while Harrison is fifth in the Big Ten with 89.3 yards per game.
Credit: Carlos Osorio
Credit: Carlos Osorio
Offensive line: A-
With three starters back and two top 75 recruits joining the starting lineup, this group was expected to be good, and it has been.
The production at quarterback and running back provides plenty of evidence, but so does Football Outsiders. That site assigns yards early in a carry to the offensive line to come up with “Average Line Yards,” a metric the Buckeyes lead the nation in after six weeks. They are also No. 1 in stuff rate, meaning Ohio State backs rarely get stopped for a loss or no gain, but they could be better in short yardage. They are 44th in “Power” rating, which measures success on third- or four-and-2 or less.
Ohio State is fifth in the nation in fewest sacks allowed per game (0.67) and seventh in Football Outsiders sack rate.
Tight ends: A+
The apex of the offense has not contributed so much in quite some time.
Cade Stover is third on the team with 16 receptions and fourth with 206 yards receiving. He has a pair of touchdown catches, but that only tells part of the story.
Stover has also excelled in blocking, and the coaching staff has developed enough faith in the entire group of tight ends to put two or three on the field with greater frequency. Mitch Rossi and Gee Scott Jr. have also developed roles within those packages, giving Ohio State a whole new (if old-fashioned) easy to attack defenses.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
Coaching staff: A
Ryan Day talked throughout the offseason about building toughness, refurbishing the running game and enhancing the passing game.
So far, so good as Day has shown a willingness to take what the defensive gives him — even when that is running the ball — and offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson has displayed his depth of football knowledge with the different things the Buckeyes are doing to stress defenses on a weekly basis without overloading the players with tasks.
NEXT GAME
Iowa at Ohio State, Noon, Fox, 1410
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