Hot 11: Post-Michigan State

The Buckeyes entered the Big Ten portion of the schedule last weekend after three non-conference foes put up little resistance in stopping Ryan Day’s squad.

The rest of the season will be against Power Four opponents and that includes a run through the Big Ten that will get more and more difficult as the season goes on with trips to Oregon and Penn State and of course the finale against the team up north.

Ohio State’s 38-7 win over Michigan State had its smooth parts and some rough patches and fans can’t seem to agree about who the top 11 players are on the team.

We open the voting up to members of BuckeyeHuddle and if you want to have your voice heard, be sure to join us by signing up.

New to the Hot 11? It is a list of the top players that doesn’t take into account just one game but rather the entirety of the season. So in theory, one bad game shouldn’t drop you out of the rankings and one great game shouldn’t move you up to No. 1, at least that is the way the piece is designed to go.

Again, it is open for all of our members to jump on board and vote, so be sure to join us prior to the Iowa game so you can have a vote.

Rank	Player	The Details	Last Week
1.	Jeremiah Smith (55)	We always talk about not over-correcting for just one game, but let’s be honest, Jeremiah Smith has done this in every game and to think a true freshman leads the team on the Hot-11 is pretty crazy.	2nd
2.	Emeka Egbuka (46)	There were some really fantastic parts for Egbuka and then there were a couple of drops. But Egbuka led the team in catches and yards and also threw a couple of key blocks that the Buckeyes had to have.	4th
3.	Caleb Downs (41)	Ohio State has not faced the most prolific offenses on its schedule yet but Downs flies all over the field and had some key open field tackles to end Michigan State drives. This week was the closest thing to seeing what he did all year at Alabama in 2023.	6th
4.	TreVeyon Henderson (38)	Henderson was kept out of the end zone but that didn’t bother the voters as he led the team in yardage, despite only having seven carries. Henderson has always flashed for Ohio State but there seems to be something more there, if that’s even possible.	7th
5.	Lathan Ransom (30)	Ransom ranking here shows that our voters don’t just look at a final book and vote from that. Ransom only had one tackle credited to him, but he also forced a fumble and was key on several other critical plays.	3rd
6.	Quinshon Judkins (29)	MSU did a good job of keeping Judkins from hitting any home runs, but he still had 54 yards including a pivotal 18-yarder. The one-two punch that the Buckeyes have at running back will go down in history.	1st
7.	Josh Simmons (25)	Rewind to about a year ago and fans were not happy with Josh Simmons as he was still in his first couple of games with the Buckeyes after transferring from San Diego State. That is all forgotten now and he is a solid piece of the line at his tackle position.	9th
8.	Seth McLaughlin (21)	Center gets more scrutiny than any other line position (maybe outside of left tackle) because of having to snap the ball for each and every offensive line play. McLaughlin was referred as a NFL center on the telecast, and that is quite clear.	8th
9.	Tyleik Williams (15)	Williams continues to hang out on the list despite missing the last couple of games. That should change against Iowa, but it just goes to show how highly the Ohio State defensive tackle is thought of.	5th
10.	Denzel Burke (9)	Burke had an interception for the Buckeyes and three tackles along the way. He sits on the list as the 3rd defensive back for Ohio State to grade out for the Hot 11 (not the last, though).	10th
T-11.	Jordan Hancock (8)	Hancock came off the field when Ohio State went to a 4-3 look, but even with that he still had three tackles and forced a fumble. There is conflict with many about taking him off the field in those situations but also Ohio State having three backers in obvious downhill running situations.	NR
T-11.	Will Howard (8)	Howard is improving with each game and while people may look down on just two touchdown passes, this was his first Big Ten game as Ohio State’s quarterback. His completion percentage continues to rise and he seems to be on schedule for the start of October.	11th