After each of Ohio State's wins this season, we have honored two Buckeyes with player of the game awards, with offense first and defense second. That order will change for the first time this week.
A no-brainer selection, J.T. Tuimoloau's stat-stuffing performance against Penn State earns defensive player of the game honors and is too good to take a backseat to the offensive player of the game, even if that player is Marvin Harrison Jr.. who played like the best wide receiver in America on Saturday.
Congratulations to the Eleven Warriors players of the game for Ohio State's 44-31 win at No. 13 Penn State.
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 30, 2022
J.T. Tuimoloau: 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 picks, including a pick-six, 1 FF, and 1 FR.
Marvin Harrison Jr.: 10 catches for 185 yards, with all 10 going for first downs. pic.twitter.com/FedScZesML
Tuimoloau had one of the most dominant performances from an Ohio State defender in program history, racking up six tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a recovered fumble, a deflected pass – which led to a Zach Harrison interception – and a touchdown.
full reel of an game by 44 in Happy Valley! #GoBucks https://t.co/ArKouN2Qfe pic.twitter.com/9AzULJPqZd
— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) October 30, 2022
The second-year defensive end's presence was felt throughout the game, as his statistics were compiled from the opening kickoff to the final whistle. Tuimoloau's pass breakup and first interception occurred in the first quarter. He then collected some tackles for loss and one of his two sacks in the second and third frames before becoming a one-person wrecking crew in the fourth quarter, recording a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pick-six in the final 15 minutes of the contest.
On Sunday, Tuimoloau was named the Walter Camp Football National Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against the Nittany Lions. He was the first Buckeye to claim the award since C.J. Stroud won the honor following a six-touchdown game against Michigan State in 2021.
@WalterCampFF National FBS Players of Week (Oct. 30)
— Walter Camp Football (@WalterCampFF) October 30, 2022
Offense: Caleb Williams, QB @USC_Athletics @pac12
Defense: J.T. Tuimoloau, DE, @OhioStateFB @bigten https://t.co/LtyNDLD450 pic.twitter.com/h8gY2J78F4
Harrison is our offensive player of the game for his 10-catch, 185-yard performance against Penn State. Despite being Ohio State's only source of offense for most of the game, the Nittany Lions had no answer for Harrison. On more than one occasion, he showed that his raw talent and development under Brian Hartline make him a tough matchup for any cornerback in college football.
Marvin Harrison Jr. played like the best receiver in America on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/nkCItEw0Tw
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 29, 2022
The second-year receiver has 48 catches for 783 yards (16.3 avg) and 10 touchdowns for the Buckeyes this season. Harrison's 10 scores are second-best in the NCAA with Houston's Nathaniel Dell and behind Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt, and his 783 yards are good for 12th in the country – one spot behind teammate Emeka Egbuka, who has 788 yards in 2022.
Tuimoloau is a first-time recipient of the Eleven Warriors defensive player of the game award this year. At the same time, Harrison has now claimed three offensive player of the game honors after he won the accolade for his performances against Arkansas State and Michigan State.
Here is the full list of winners from this season:
| Game | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| NOTRE DAME |
MIYAN WILLIAMS, RB 96 yards from scrimmage, TD |
TOMMY EICHENBERG, LB 9 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks |
| ARKANSAS STATE |
MARVIN HARRISON JR., WR 7 catches, 184 yards, 3 TD |
MIKE HALL JR., DT 3 TFL, 1 sack |
| TOLEDO |
C.J. STROUD, QB 22-27, 367 yards, 5 TD |
JAVONTAE JEAN-BAPTISTE, DE 2 TFL, 2 sacks, FF |
| WISCONSIN |
EMEKA EGBUKA, WR 6 catches, 118 yards, 2 TD |
TOMMY EICHENBERG, LB 14 tackles, 2 TFL |
| RUTGERS |
MIYAN WILLIAMS, RB 21 car, 189 yards, 5 TD |
STEELE CHAMBERS, LB 11 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 INT |
| @ MICHIGAN STATE |
MARVIN HARRISON JR., WR 7 catches, 131 yards, 3 TD |
MIKE HALL JR., DT 3 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks |
| IOWA |
C.J. STROUD, QB 20-30, 286 yards, 4 TD |
ZACH HARRISON, DE 1 sack, 2 TFL, 1 FF, 1 PBU |
| @ PENN STATE |
MARVIN HARRISON JR., WR 10 catches, 185 yards |
J.T. TUIMOLOAU, DE 6 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 INT FF, FR, PBU, TD |
