Snap Counts: Ohio State Relies on Core Players As 57 Buckeyes See Field in Big Ten Championship Game

By Dan Hope on December 6, 2017 at 8:35 am
Denzel Ward was one of four Buckeyes defenders to play at least 74 snaps in the Big Ten Championship Game.
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With a conference title and ultimately unfulfilled College Football Playoff hopes on the line in a game that came down to the Buckeyes’ final defensive series, Ohio State relied primarily on its proven regulars to play the entire game in its 27-21 Big Ten Championship Game win over Wisconsin on Saturday night.

The biggest question going into Saturday’s game was whether Dwayne Haskins would get snaps at quarterback, after leading the Buckeyes to a comeback victory one week earlier against Michigan, but starting quarterback J.T. Barrett ended up playing the entire game despite being six days removed from knee surgery.

Ohio State’s roster was otherwise healthy entering Saturday’s game, which meant the Buckeyes didn’t need to turn to any unproven players to take on regular playing time, while they kept their rotations short at most positions because of the stature of the game and caliber of the opponent.

In total, Ohio State played just 57 players in Saturday’s game – tied for its second-lowest total of the season – as 17 Buckeyes saw the field on offense while 21 saw the field on defense and 19 saw the field on special teams only.

For many of those who were called upon to play in Saturday’s game, however, the minimal rotations and close fourth-quarter game meant seeing more snaps than in most other games this season.

We take a look at those who did play, how many snaps they played, what their roles were and how their snaps in the Big Ten Championship Game compared to their snaps during the regular season in this week’s Snap Counts.

Author’s note: All snap counts listed in this article were tracked by Eleven Warriors through film review and should be considered unofficial, as Ohio State does not release its official snap counts. The players listed with each special teams unit are the players who were on the field with those units most frequently, but exact special teams snap counts are not included because it is not always possible to identify all 11 players on a special teams unit from TV camera angles.

Quarterbacks

J.T. Barrett: 70

As aforementioned, Barrett played every snap of Saturday’s game despite undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery – a surgery that was required because of an injury that forced him to leave in the third quarter of the Michigan game one week earlier – less than one week earlier. While there was some belief going into the game that Haskins would play at least part of the game due to Barrett’s injury, the starting quarterback ended up being good to go for the entire game, and Ohio State never wavered from its decision to keep Barrett on the field.

Running Backs

J.K. Dobbins: 52

Mike Weber: 18

Antonio Williams: 2

Weber was the Buckeyes’ running back for 12 of their first 20 plays, but only saw six more total snaps in Saturday’s game after a fumbling inside Ohio State’s own red zone in the second quarter. While Weber has held to just four carries for six yards in the game, Dobbins led the Buckeyes in running back snaps for a fifth straight week and took advantage of his playing time, running for 174 yards on 17 attempts.

Williams, who also played on multiple special teams units, played his only two offensive snaps of the game on the final two plays of the game, when the Buckeyes went into the victory formation.

Fullbacks

Zach Turnure: Special teams only

As has been the case in all but three games this season, Turnure played only on special teams against Wisconsin.

Wide Receivers

Austin Mack: 42

Johnnie Dixon: 39

Parris Campbell: 36

K.J. Hill: 32

Terry McLaurin: 31

Binjimen Victor: 26

Continuing with the rotation the Buckeyes have used all year at wide receiver, Mack and Victor rotated at the X receiver position while Dixon and McLaurin rotated at the Z and Campbell and Hill rotated in the slot throughout Saturday’s game. While all six receivers received a significant share of snaps at their respective positions, it was evident that the Buckeyes relied on Mack – who led the wide receivers in snaps played outright for the first time all season – to be on the field over Victor in crucial situations, even though neither receiver had a catch in Saturday’s game.

While no other wide receivers are part of the regular rotation that plays every game, Saturday’s game was the first time this season that Elijaah Goins did not play on at least on one special teams unit.

Tight Ends

Marcus Baugh: 66

Rashod Berry: 6

Whereas Berry started to cut significantly into Baugh’s playing time in the middle of the season, making it appear as though Ohio State could be headed for a true rotation at the tight end position, Berry has played only sparingly – no more than one or two snaps at a time, when Baugh needs a breather – in the Buckeyes’ last two games. It appears that Baugh’s improvement over the course of the season has outpaced Berry’s, which has led the Buckeyes to rely almost entirely on Baugh to block and make plays from the tight end position in their big games down the stretch.

Offensive Linemen

Jamarco Jones: 70

Michael Jordan: 70

Billy Price: 70

Demetrius Knox: 70

Isaiah Prince: 70

Matthew Burrell: Special teams only

Thayer Munford: Special teams only

Malcolm Pridgeon: Special teams only

Brady Taylor: Special teams only

Kevin Woidke: Special teams only

Ohio State made no substitutions on its offensive line Saturday: Jones played every snap at left tackle, Jordan played every snap at left guard, Price played every snap at center, Knox played every snap at right guard and Prince played every snap at right tackle. That marked only the second time this year, along with the Buckeyes’ second game of the season against Oklahoma, that all five of their starting offensive linemen played every snap of the game.

Billy Price
Billy Price and the rest of Ohio State's offensive line played all 70 of Ohio State's offensive snaps on Saturday.
Defensive Ends

Nick Bosa: 53

Jalyn Holmes: 50

Sam Hubbard: 47

Tyquan Lewis: 46

Chase Young: 5

Jonathon Cooper: Special teams only

The Buckeyes continued to rotate Bosa, Holmes, Hubbard and Lewis in and out of the lineup in pairs in their base 4-3 defense while putting all four of them on the field simultaneously for most plays in their nickel package, as they have done all season. Young was added to the rotation for a handful of snaps in the nickel package in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game, with four of those snaps coming on the Buckeyes’ final defensive series, when they lined up in nickel on every play to combat Wisconsin’s attempts to put together a go-ahead touchdown drive through the air in the game’s waning minutes.

Defensive Tackles

Dre’Mont Jones: 53

Tracy Sprinkle: 30

Robert Landers: 18

Michael Hill: 7

Jashon Cornell: 6

Davon Hamilton: 3

As has been the case in every one of Ohio State’s closely contested games this season, Jones played significantly more snaps than the rest of the Buckeyes’ defensive tackles on Saturday, playing the majority of plays in the Buckeyes’ base defense – being spelled only occasionally by Cornell or Hamilton – while seeing additional playing time when the Buckeyes used their nickel package with a five-man defensive line. Sprinkle started the game at nose tackle, as he has every game this season, but rotated more regularly than Jones with Landers and Hill at his position.

Linebackers

Jerome Baker: 76

Tuf Borland: 53

Chris Worley: 53

Malik Harrison: 17

Baron Browning: Special teams only

Justin Hilliard: Special teams only

Keandre Jones: Special teams only

Pete Werner: Special teams only

Baker, who recorded 16 total tackles in Saturday’s game, was the only Buckeye to be on the field for every one of Ohio State’s defensive snaps. Borland (at middle linebacker) and Worley (at strongside linebacker) were on the field for every snap the Buckeyes played in their base 4-3 defense, while Harrison lined up alongside Baker for every snap the Buckeyes played in their standard nickel defense (not including plays where the Buckeyes used five defensive linemen and only one linebacker).

Dante Booker, who started eight of Ohio State’s first nine games at strongside linebacker, did not see the field in Saturday’s game despite being cleared to return to action after missing time due to injury.

Cornerbacks

Denzel Ward: 74

Damon Arnette: 57

Kendall Sheffield: 36

Jeffrey Okudah: 4

Amir Riep: Special teams only

Marcus Williamson: Special teams only

Ward was on the field for every play in Saturday’s game except for the two plays in which the Buckeyes deployed their seven-lineman, four-linebacker goal line package. Arnette and Sheffield rotated at the cornerback spot opposite Ward, with Arnette seeing most of the playing time in the base defense and kicking inside to the slot in the nickel defense. Okudah replaced Sheffield in the lineup for Ohio State’s final four defensive plays in Saturday’s game, all in the nickel defense, after Sheffield exited the game with an injury.

Safeties

Damon Webb: 74

Jordan Fuller: 74

Erick Smith: Special teams only

Isaiah Pryor: Special teams only

Like Ward, Webb and Fuller were on the field for every defensive play in Saturday’s game with the exception of the two plays on which the Buckeyes used their goal-line defense. While Smith played on multiple special teams units and Pryor also lined up on the kickoff unit, Webb and Fuller were the only safeties to see the field on defense.

Jordan Fuller
Jordan Fuller played every snap with the starting secondary on Saturday.
Field Goals/Extra Points

Sean Nuernberger (kicker)

Drue Chrisman (holder)

Liam McCullough (long snapper)

Matthew Burrell (blocker)

Jonathon Cooper (blocker)

Michael Hill (blocker)

Thayer Munford (blocker)

Malcolm Pridgeon (blocker)

Brady Taylor (blocker)

Kevin Woidke (blocker)

Rashod Berry or Marcus Baugh (blocker)

After failing to stay in front of Wisconsin defensive back Nick Nelson and allowing him to block Nuernberger’s field goal attempt at the end of the first half, Berry was replaced by his fellow tight end Baugh as the right outside blocker on the place kicking unit for the Buckeyes’ second-half field goal attempts.

Outside of that change, Ohio State used the same personnel on its place kicking unit that it had used for the last five games.

Kickoffs

Blake Haubeil (kicker)

Baron Browning (gunner)

Justin Hilliard (gunner)

Austin Mack (gunner)

Jeffrey Okudah (gunner)

Isaiah Pryor (gunner)

Amir Riep (gunner)

Zach Turnure (gunner)

Erick Smith (gunner)

Pete Werner (gunner)

Marcus Williamson (gunner)

While some players lined up in different spots within the formation, Ohio State used the same 11 players on its kickoff unit against Wisconsin as it had used on the unit against Michigan.

Kickoff Returns

Mike Weber (returner)

Antonio Williams (blocker)

Jonathon Cooper (blocker)

Malik Harrison (blocker)

Justin Hilliard (blocker)

Keandre Jones (blocker)

Jeffrey Okudah (blocker)

Erick Smith (blocker)

Zach Turnure (blocker)

Pete Werner (blocker)

Marcus Williamson (blocker)

The only new addition to the kickoff return unit this week was Williamson, who replaced Elijaah Goins in the lineup. Weber lined up as the primary kickoff returner while Williams lined up as the secondary returner for a fifth consecutive game, but neither one actually returned any kickoffs on Saturday, as every kickoff by Wisconsin’s Zach Hintze went into the end zone for a touchback.

Punts

Drue Chrisman (punter)

Liam McCullough (long snapper)

Tuf Borland (upback)

Jonathon Cooper (upback/wing)

Sam Hubbard (wing/upback)

Malik Harrison (guard)

Zach Turnure (guard)

Parris Campbell (gunner/tackle)

Terry McLaurin (gunner/tackle) or Johnnie Dixon (gunner)

Jeffrey Okudah (gunner) or Jerome Baker (tackle)

Kendall Sheffield (gunner)

Ohio State added a fourth gunner to its formation for the majority of its punts on Saturday, with Campbell, McLaurin, Okudah and Sheffield filling those roles as four of the fastest players on the team. Dixon lined up in McLaurin’s place on the Buckeyes’ first punt, while Baker – a regular on the punting unit in an in-line role – was used in that role, along with Campbell and McLaurin, on the lone punt in Saturday’s game on which the Buckeyes lined up with only one outside gunner.

Punt Blocks/Returns

K.J. Hill (returner)

Damon Arnette (rusher/blocker)

Nick Bosa (rusher/blocker)

Parris Campbell (rusher/blocker)

Sam Hubbard or Chase Young (rusher/blocker)

Terry McLaurin (rusher/blocker)

Kendall Sheffield (rusher/blocker)

Erick Smith (rusher/blocker)

Damon Webb (rusher/blocker)

Pete Werner or Justin Hilliard (rusher/blocker)

Antonio Williams or Denzel Ward (rusher/blocker)

As they did previously against Illinois, Bosa and Hubbard lined up in the middle of Ohio State’s punt block formation on Saturday as rushers, with Young replacing Hubbard in that role on the Buckeyes’ final punt. With the exception of two punt return situations on which the Buckeyes kept their regular defenders on the field, the players listed above were the ones who made up Saturday’s punt block/return teams, with Werner and Williams playing the majority of the snaps but Hilliard and Ward also checking in for at least one snap.

Snap Tracker: Offense
POS PLAYER @ IU OU ARMY UNLV @ RU MD @ NEB PSU @ IOWA MSU ILL @ UM WISC TOTAL
QB J.T. BARRETT 88 71 59 33 53 70 76 85 68 61 50 38 70 822
QB DWAYNE HASKINS DNP DNP 10 50 14 22 8 DNP DNP 6 29 28 DNP 167
QB JOE BURROW DNP DNP DNP 5 7 DNP 5 DNP DNP DNP 10 DNP DNP 27
RB J.K. DOBBINS 76 44 41 38 23 35 36 39 43 44 32 40 52 543
RB MIKE WEBER DNP 27 17 DNP 28 38 37 48 22 17 18 25 18 295
RB ANTONIO WILLIAMS 12 DNP 10 38 DNP 8 16 ST 4 6 35 ST 2 131
RB DEMARIO MCCALL ST DNP DNP 8 21 7 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 36
RB JARED DRAKE DNP DNP ST 4 1 3 DNP DNP DNP DNP 5 DNP DNP 13
RB JORDAN LEASURE DNP DNP 1 10 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 11
FB ZACH TURNURE ST ST ST ST ST 8 2 ST ST ST 5 ST ST 15
WR K.J. HILL 58 55 32 36 25 45 50 66 61 33 33 26 32 552
WR TERRY MCLAURIN 49 41 52 25 41 54 54 51 29 35 30 27 31 519
WR BINJIMEN VICTOR 47 43 29 38 32 39 41 37 31 29 47 38 26 477
WR AUSTIN MACK 41 19 41 31 34 38 48 47 35 35 20 27 42 458
WR JOHNNIE DIXON 39 39 DNP 41 33 36 34 34 41 32 46 39 39 453
WR PARRIS CAMPBELL 47 38 32 11 28 30 6 3 DNP 24 9 41 36 305
WR C.J. SAUNDERS 7 DNP 9 31 23 18 27 8 6 10 41 DNP DNP 180
WR JAYLEN HARRIS DNP DNP DNP 19 7 17 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 43
WR TREVON GRIMES DNP DNP 14 18 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 32
WR BRENDON WHITE DNP DNP DNP ST 5 (S) ST DNP DNP DNP 3 14 DNP DNP 22
WR ELIJAAH GOINS ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST 16 ST DNP 16
TE MARCUS BAUGH 49 49 41 25 43 53 49 74 56 47 41 62 66 655
TE RASHOD BERRY 4 ST 15 24 22 17 33 18 12 17 36 5 6 209
TE LUKE FARRELL 11 DNP 9 37 9 11 12 DNP DNP 3 15 DNP DNP 107
TE JAKE HAUSMANN DNP DNP 2 4 DNP 3 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 9
TE DERRICK MALONE DNP DNP DNP ST DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP ST
OL MICHAEL JORDAN 88 71 59 41 60 74 76 85 68 61 50 66 70 869
OL ISAIAH PRINCE 88 71 59 41 60 74 76 85 68 61 50 65 70 868
OL JAMARCO JONES 82 71 59 41 60 74 75 85 64 60 50 65 70 856
OL BILLY PRICE 83 71 59 33 53 70 76 85 68 60 50 66 70 844
OL DEMETRIUS KNOX ST ST 10 30 13 ST 76 82 64 60 50 66 70 521
OL BRANDEN BOWEN 88 71 59 88 60 23 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 389
OL BRADY TAYLOR 5 DNP 10 55 21 22 13 ST ST 7 39 ST ST 172
OL MATTHEW BURRELL 6 ST DNP DNP 14 69 13 3 4 7 39 ST ST 155
OL JOSHUA ALABI DNP DNP 10 47 14 18 14 DNP 4 7 39 1 DNP 154
OL THAYER MUNFORD DNP DNP 10 47 14 18 13 ST ST 6 39 1 ST 148
OL MALCOLM PRIDGEON ST ST 10 17 1 18 13 ST ST 6 39 ST ST 104
OL KEVIN WOIDKE DNP ST ST ST DNP ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
K SEAN NUERNBERGER ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
K BLAKE HAUBEIL ST ST ST ST ST ST ST DNP ST ST ST ST ST ST
K BRYAN KRISTAN DNP DNP ST DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP ST
Snap Tracker: Defense
POS PLAYER @ IU OU ARMY UNLV @ RU MD @ NEB PSU @ IOWA MSU ILL @ UM WISC TOTAL
DE JALYN HOLMES 59 48 28 25 36 29 29 40 47 40 17 38 50 486
DE NICK BOSA 62 47 25 27 28 20 31 50 17 50 17 52 53 479
DE SAM HUBBARD 51 43 30 25 29 28 29 38 49 38 12 55 47 474
DE TYQUAN LEWIS 48 43 29 23 33 28 29 47 43 46 12 47 46 474
DE CHASE YOUNG 13 DNP 9 35 34 22 26 DNP 7 16 19 2 5 188
DE JONATHON COOPER 16 1 11 31 33 19 24 ST 6 12 17 ST ST 170
DE NICK SEME DNP DNP DNP ST DNP 9 DNP DNP DNP 1 2 DNP DNP 12
DT DRE'MONT JONES 54 59 42 17 DNP DNP 19 46 62 19 14 44 53 429
DT TRACY SPRINKLE 34 34 28 17 19 12 9 30 34 18 14 22 30 301
DT ROBERT LANDERS 25 27 28 DNP 21 16 24 16 31 19 14 16 18 255
DT JASHON CORNELL 14 10 9 22 25 14 17 3 4 13 11 6 6 154
DT DAVON HAMILTON 6 ST 12 26 19 17 13 DNP DNP 12 9 1 3 118
DT HASKELL GARRETT 6 DNP 4 14 10 11 8 DNP DNP 5 3 DNP DNP 61
DT MICHAEL HILL DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 7 5 6 4 10 13 7 52
DT MALIK BARROW DNP DNP 9 7 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 16
DT DYLAN THOMPSON DNP DNP DNP 11 DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 1 DNP DNP 12
DT NOAH DONALD DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 2 DNP DNP 2
LB JEROME BAKER 89 77 60 42 42 35 42 69 74 DNP 15 71 76 692
LB CHRIS WORLEY 87 77 25 DNP DNP DNP 21 48 42 62 19 48 53 482
LB DANTE BOOKER 48 46 6 35 37 25 46 44 54 DNP DNP DNP DNP 341
LB TUF BORLAND ST ST 41 22 26 17 26 7 26 40 26 48 53 332
LB MALIK HARRISON 19 17 4 21 20 22 13 14 20 72 28 25 17 292
LB BARON BROWNING 6 ST DNP 30 23 23 7 ST ST ST 6 ST ST 95
LB KEANDRE JONES 6 ST ST 23 16 12 9 ST ST 5 19 ST ST 70
LB PETE WERNER DNP DNP DNP 12 14 9 ST ST ST ST 2 ST ST 37
LB JUSTIN HILLIARD ST ST ST 3 13 8 ST ST ST ST 1 ST ST 25
LB JACKSON HAYES DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 1 (WR) DNP DNP 1
LB HAYDEN JESTER DNP DNP DNP ST DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP ST DNP DNP DNP ST
CB DENZEL WARD 77 59 44 38 35 5 42 63 59 51 16 65 74 628
CB DAMON ARNETTE 63 66 54 30 34 35 13 59 55 36 5 47 57 552
CB KENDALL SHEFFIELD 62 39 30 41 48 37 51 42 34 50 34 41 36 545
CB JEFFREY OKUDAH 7 ST 4 28 23 27 17 ST ST 21 25 ST 4 156
CB MARCUS WILLIAMSON DNP DNP DNP 17 13 17 13 ST DNP 3 14 ST ST 77
CB AMIR RIEP ST ST ST ST 7 7 11 ST ST ST 3 ST ST 28
CB TREVON FORTE DNP DNP DNP ST DNP ST DNP DNP DNP DNP ST DNP DNP ST
CB CIN'QUAN HANEY DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP ST DNP DNP ST
S DAMON WEBB 89 77 62 42 42 39 53 69 73 67 30 71 74 788
S JORDAN FULLER 54 51 62 25 54 39 53 69 71 67 DNP 68 74 687
S ERICK SMITH 42 26 66 43 DNP DNP 29 ST ST 20 40 1 ST 267
S ISAIAH PRYOR 6 ST 4 27 29 17 13 DNP ST 5 13 ST ST 114
S JAHSEN WINT ST ST ST ST 2 17 ST ST DNP DNP 3 DNP DNP 22
S WAYNE DAVIS DNP DNP DNP DNP 10 ST DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 10
S CLAY RATERMAN DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP 1 (WR) DNP DNP 1
P DRUE CHRISMAN ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
LS LIAM MCCULLOUGH ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST ST
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