College football’s back in full swing, and so is Eleven Warriors’ weekly stock report.
In our first edition of the new season, we take a look at the movers and shakers around the country after the first full week of gridiron action, analyzing Ohio State’s double-digit win over Notre Dame and the other most significant happenings across the sport.
Who made the biggest leap to begin the season and who took a step back at the start of the year? We’ve taken account of all of it below.
Stock Up
Jim Knowles
Things couldn’t have gone much better in Knowles’ debut as defensive coordinator for Ohio State. The Buckeyes gave up just 10 points to Notre Dame, none after halftime, and allowed the Irish to total just 72 yards in the second half. Marcus Freeman made no bones about his plan to run the ball against the Buckeyes, and Ohio State held Notre Dame to just 2.5 yards per carry in the win. Knowles put a stamp on the performance by saying “I expected” the dominant effort from his defense, and that he’s hardly had to dip into his bag of tricks just yet.
Mike Hall
We heard about Mike Hall all preseason, but even that didn’t quite prepare us for what he was capable of in his first-ever start. The second-year defensive tackle dominated the line of scrimmage to finish with four total tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hurry as he disrupted the rhythm of the Notre Dame offense for much of the night. Hall earned Ohio State’s defensive player of the game honors for his effort and boosted his stock considerably in the season opener.
be like mike #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/wHurBilygC
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) September 4, 2022
Tommy Eichenberg
Eichenberg’s monster Rose Bowl performance appears to be no fluke. After finishing the 2021 season with a 17-tackle showcase against Utah, Eichenberg picked up right where he left off, leading the Buckeyes with nine tackles against the Irish. Three of those went for a loss, and Eichenberg also sacked Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner on two occasions.
If you’ve listened to Knowles and company all offseason, you’d know Eichenberg has made waves behind the scenes, and he’s already proving why at the start of the regular season.
Tommy Eichenberg had a game. pic.twitter.com/qXg08aOhmu
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 4, 2022
Xavier Johnson
With all the talent in the Ohio State wide receivers room, who would’ve thought it would take a former walk-on to make the go-ahead touchdown grab against the No. 5 team in the country? Xavier Johnson entered the game without a catch for his career, but his 24-yard score in the third quarter gave the Buckeyes a lead they didn’t relinquish at the Horseshoe. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Julian Fleming both dealing with injury issues, Johnson may have more opportunities to make an impact in the weeks to come.
The moment Ohio Stadium was brought back to life. pic.twitter.com/TVRjxGrDOh
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 4, 2022
Lathan Ransom
No Buckeye had more momentum at the end of the preseason than Ransom, and we found out why on Saturday. The third-year safety didn’t start the game, but he played most of it at the bandit position, finishing with the second-most tackles on the team (seven) before all was said and done. Ransom’s speed and mean streak on the field make him an asset on the back end for the Buckeyes, and Knowles said he has no problem riding the hot hand.
Just eight months removed from a gruesome leg fracture, Ransom’s playing his best football as a Buckeye to start his junior year.
Miyan Williams
TreVeyon Henderson’s breakout freshman year left Williams overshadowed to start the 2022 season, but that may not be the case for long. The Cincinnati native received only one less carry than Henderson against Notre Dame, and he made several big plays on the 14-play, 95-yard drive that sealed the deal for Ohio State in the fourth quarter. Williams finished with 96 total yards for the game, 84 on the ground, and a two-yard touchdown that put Ohio State up two scores on the Irish late.
Alright, but let's go back to Miyan Williams again. pic.twitter.com/QG0Y9i9CJR
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 4, 2022
Upset-Minded Florida Teams
Elsewhere in the college football landscape, things are looking up for a couple of Florida powers that have struggled to stay at the top of the sport in recent years. In its season opener against No. 7 Utah, Anthony Richardson powered the unranked Gators to a 29-26 win with a 100-yard, three-touchdown rushing performance from the quarterback position. Florida State made noise on Sunday night as well, staving off a late comeback bid by Brian Kelly’s first LSU team to start the year 1-0 with a 24-23 upset.
AR15 rips off a 45yd TD run for @SSN_Gators! Florida takes the lead over Utah pic.twitter.com/xs7VEb9dux
— Sidelines Sports Network (@Sidelines_SN) September 4, 2022
Stock Down
Buckeye Offense
Let’s be honest: we all expected more from Ohio State’s high-octane offense in the season opener. The Buckeyes scored just seven points in the first half and 21 by game’s end, the fewest they’ve put up since 2018’s blowout loss to Purdue. C.J. Stroud had the second-lowest passing yardage performance of his career, and no Buckeye running back or wideout hit 100 yards from scrimmage for the game. Ohio State put up fewer yards of total offense than it had in any game last season.
I fully expect the Buckeyes to get back on track in the weeks to come, and Notre Dame could end up being one of the best defenses Ohio State faces all regular season. But Week 1 was a letdown on offense nonetheless.
Brian Kelly
The Brian Kelly era didn’t start off with a bang in Baton Rouge. Although the Tigers nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback late, LSU dropped its first game of the season to Florida State at the Superdome in New Orleans as a blocked extra point with no time remaining cost it an opportunity to win the game in overtime. Kelly and company can regroup against Southern next week, but didn’t get the triumphant start to the season they were looking for.
— Annie Agar (@AnnieAgar) September 5, 2022
Oregon
Oregon wasn’t supposed to beat defending national champion Georgia in Week 1. But the final score looked more like an FCS warmup for the Bulldogs than a matchup with the No. 11 team in the nation. The Ducks have now lost three games in a row dating back to last season after their latest 49-3 loss, having been outscored 134-45 in consecutive meetings with Utah, Oklahoma and Georgia.
Last year’s win over the Buckeyes looked like it could be a landmark for the Duck program, but things have gone downhill in a hurry since then.
