Hot 11: Post Tennessee

With the Hot 11 being 100-percent a fan vote with our members over on The Huddle Board, things can be a little unpredictable.

Sometimes we get votes for 10 players instead of 11. Sometimes we get votes for 13 players instead of 11. Sometimes we get position groups voted on instead of just a specific player.

We roll with the punches here though, afterall, we do this for our members. Case in point, notice that we did not run a ballot for after the game against the rival up north. That would have been a bad scene.

So, without further delay, how did our members rank the top-11 players on the Ohio State team throughout the season with the addition of the Tennessee game to the slate?

Rank	Player	Info	Last
1.	Jeremiah Smith	What can’t this kid do? Six receptions, 103 yards, two touchdowns, he is just is the complete package. So often we throw the term “generational talent” out and then someone very similar shows up the following year, that is not the case here, he is one of one.	3rd
2.	Donovan Jackson	This really should be an entire OL award right here, but Hot 11 voting can be tricky. The Ohio State All-American looks like has played offensive tackle for years, after sliding out from guard midway through the season. Ohio State’s OL kept Howard from being sacked and did more than enough to get the running game going.	T-9th
3.	Will Howard	People will only judge Will Howard on his last game, and this one was special. 24-29 passing, 311 yards and two touchdowns. He did have a pick, but let’s be honest, that was pass interference on Tennessee. Howard keeps up this level and the Buckeyes are going to the White House in the spring.	1st
T4.	Jack Sawyer	Jack Sawyer had 1.5 sacks and two pass breakups. He got his hands on a couple of Tennessee passes and almost pulled one in for what would almost assuredly would have been a pick-six. Ohio State defensive end combo is here to play in December (and January).	NR
T4.	Emeka Egbuka	Egbuka has a huge impact on this game as well and maybe is not getting talked about enough. He had five receptions for 81 yards and picked up some key first downs for Ohio State to extend drives. It really has become a pick your poison scenario defending the OSU pass game.	4th
6.	Caleb Downs	Downs had a few key tackles where it was a case of making the tackle or everyone chasing a Tennessee player into the end zone. While he may not have had the sacks or big production numbers that everyone looks at, he played a whale of a game.	2nd
T7.	TreVeyon Henderson	This is the kind of game that everyone wants out of Henderson with 10 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns along with four receptions for 35 yards including one where he lined up out wide and picked up a big gainer early in the game.	5th
T7.	Lathan Ransom	Add Ransom to the PBU party with one of his own to go with five tackles and one of those being for loss. I think I will remember a big hit from Ransom more than anything else that he did in his lone TFL. The Buckeyes have been without Ransom in the past in the postseason, this is what they missed those years.	T-6th
9.	Cody Simon	12 tackles, five solo, a pass breakup and at least one cracked Tennessee helmet. What a game for Simon who is playing his best football right now. He played great to begin with but has found another level at this point.	T-6th
10.	JT Tuimoloau	Eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble, a pass break up. All week I said that Tennessee had a lot in common with Penn State and meant that to be a positive thing. JT plays really well against Penn State, coincidence?	T-9th
11.	Tyleik Williams	We finally have a defender that didn’t have a PBU, but WIlliams made it tough sledding for the Vols to get anything going on the ground, especially up the middle. Williams had a half of a TFL where he was able to clean up a play that helped the Buckeyes get the offense back on the field.	NR