Hot 11: Post Penn State

We have done the Hot 11 for years for Buckeye Nation and we have always had some rules, the rankings should be a reflection of the season, not just one game. One good game shouldn’t vault a player up the rankings and one bad game shouldn’t cause things to crater.

But sometimes rules are broken and I am fine with it.

The Penn State game was different than many games that the Buckeyes have played and there were some definite heroes in a game that really was a team effort.

It is difficult to limit your ballot to just 11 players and while that game is fresh in your mind, how can you look past players that had a major impact in the overall rankings.

I have a few players of my own that did not make the top-11 that I would have heavily considered voting for, if I voted. That list includes TreVeyon Henderson (his part of the final offensive drive, running the ball as Ohio State killed out the final five-plus minutes of the game), JT Tuimoloau (he did have a sack and while it was not his typical Penn State game, I think you can’t overlook him) Davison Igbinosun (a major interception in the end zone to snuff out a Penn State drive and a couple of other solid defensive plays) and Cody Simon (a major sack on a delayed blitz and a major role in keeping Penn State from taking over on the ground).

But these rankings are for the fans, not for the staff, so you have my word, there were no alterations to the ballots that we received.

And that is why you see four offensive linemen on the list. And the fifth lineman, Tegra Tshabola received votes.

Enough of that, let’s just get to the list already.

Rank	Player	Details	Last
1.	Caleb Downs (105)	There probably isn’t a more solid tackler on the team than Downs. His numbers in the postgame stat book don’t jump off the page, but whenever a big play needed to be made, Downs was there. What the stats don’t show is that Downs made the play(s) that kept small gains from becoming large ones.	1st
2.	Seth McLaughlin (81)	I have never had a problem with offensive linemen making the list, but I have always said, it is very difficult to really write unique things about players in a position that really moves in unison like an offensive line. McLaughlin had some low snaps to start the game, but to avoid any snap infractions in a hostile place like Penn State, that’s worth a lot.	7th
3.	Jeremiah Smith (67)	Saturday was a tame day for Jeremiah Smith, no touchdowns, only four receptions and he was probably the target of Will Howard’s pick six in the first few minutes of the game. All of that aside, I credit the voters for not really hammering Smith with their votes, because there is no doubt where he ranks on this team.	2nd
4.	Emeka Egbuka (61)	Egbuka had fewer receptions than Smith, but one of them went for a touchdown in his three reception, 31 yard day. Egbuka is always going to be a steadying force for any team and his role should not be questioned.	4th
5.	Carson Hinzman (54)	This is the major reaction where the votes flew in for someone who was seeing their first action of the season. Hinzman slid into guard as another player (to be named shortly) slid out to tackle. Hinzman played really well, especially making the position change over from center and the hope would be that this is Ohio State’s line configuration the rest of the way.	NR
6.	Quinshon Judkins (48)	Often times we like to have an either/or, and what I mean here is that people want to be EITHER in Quinshon Judkins’ camp OR in TreVeyon Henderson’s. Judkins ran really hard in this game, 14 carries for 95 yards and 6.8 YPC. You can still love both backs, but Judkins had a hell of a game.	NR
7.	Donovan Jackson (39)	We are now to our third offensive lineman with Jackson, who moved to tackle to fill in for Josh Simmons. Jackson may not be a tackle at the next level but he more than held his own through most of the game. Putting him one-on-one against Abdul Carter? A lot of players might have a hard time with that, but overall Jackson played at an extremely high level.	NR
8.	Will Howard (32)	Will Howard played a solid game, even if he had two major errors that cost the Buckeyes points, but the Hot 11 is not about focusing on that, but we did address it. He was still able to throw for two touchdowns, where is counterpart threw for zero. This is going to be the kind of game that will pay off all season for the Buckeyes in facing real adversity.	3rd
9.	Lathan Ransom (31)	Ransom had seven tackles and a big-time pass breakup in the game. His return to the lineup meant a lot to the Buckeyes after a short absence. The Buckeyes are going to keep needing these contributions as the season moves on from November and into the postseason, whatever may be in store for that.	NR
10.	Tyleik Williams (29)	Williams is not a stat stuffer, but playing on the interior defensive line, that is kind of par for the course. He really was able to occupy blockers and allow for some pressure to get to Allar, even if the Buckeyes only had a pair of sacks in the game. Williams is another player that needs to see more, not less, playing time.	5th
11.	Josh Fryar (23)	Here we are with our fourth lineman and Fryar is often overlooked at his right tackle position. The Buckeyes really focused running on the right side and you have to credit Fryar for his contributions.	NR