Week 2 of college football is in the books, and another Tuesday means another round of stocks to report on, whether it be from Columbus or around the country.
Ohio State’s star receivers and Texas’ football team both saw their momentum rise this week, while the Buckeyes’ offensive line and a couple of SEC teams saw theirs fall.
Stock Up
Marv and Emeka
After a relatively silent week from Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka at Indiana in Week 1, Ohio State’s star receiving duo responded in a big way against Youngstown State. After combining for five catches and a mere 34 yards against the Hoosiers, Harrison hauled in seven receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns while Egbuka picked up five receptions for 94 yards and a score of his own versus the Penguins.
Again
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 9, 2023
Kyle McCord finds Marvin Harrison Jr. for their second TD connection of the first quarter.
: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/pwmpJrhcZF
Denzel Burke
Yes, this is Burke’s second straight week in the Stock Up section. When one follows a multi-pass-breakup Week 1 with an interception like the one seen below in Week 2, it feels more than warranted. If his current level of play is maintained, Burke should be considered among the nation’s best corners in 2023.
Denzel Burke bringing the D. @King10Burke x @OhioStateFB
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 9, 2023
: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/BVLWtU72uw
TreVeyon Henderson
Henderson’s five carries for 56 yards and two touchdowns against Youngstown State tick up to eight carries for 83 yards and three touchdowns when including runs called back for penalties. It’s an FCS opponent, true, but Henderson showed the explosiveness and on-a-dime cutting ability that drew him such attention as a freshman. A true home run threat in the backfield adds a lot to Ohio State’s offense.
Texas
Perhaps it might finally be warranted to say that Texas is back. The wheels could still fall off for the Longhorns from here, yes, but a statement road victory against then-No. 3 Alabama has brought plenty of buzz about Austin.
Purdue
Ohio State’s road trip to West Lafayette, Indiana, on Oct. 14 is looking a touch more scary. The Boilermakers and newly minted head coach Ryan Walters bounced back from an early-season stumble against Fresno State to go on the road and hand Virginia Tech a 24-17 defeat.
NFL Football
Professional football is back, dear friends. The video below is going to hit you in very different ways depending on which side of Ohio's two-team coin you fall on, if you root for one of them. Personally, it leaves me feeling quite ill.
Stock Down
Offensive Line Play
If it happens in one game it can be considered a fluke, beyond that it’s a trend. The Buckeyes’ offensive line continued showing inconsistencies against Youngstown State Saturday. While Ryan Day has said since that he felt the team’s pass protection improved, multiple big Ohio State plays were called back for either holding or illegal hands to the face penalties. Even with Henderson’s above-noted success, the Buckeyes averaged just 4.6 yards per carry against their lone FCS opponent in 2023. The front five remains arguably the biggest question mark with this year’s team.
Devin Brown’s Chances of Starting
Kyle McCord took a clear step forward against the Penguins, going 14-of-20 (70 percent) through the air with 258 yards and three touchdowns against zero interceptions. Devin Brown didn’t quite meet that standard, finishing 7-of-13 for 101 yards and looking a touch too eager to get out of the pocket at points. With time winding down before Ohio State heads to South Bend to face ninth-ranked Notre Dame, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see McCord take full control of the offense this week.
Pressure Off the Edge
Two games into the season, Ohio State’s pair of five-star prospects in their respective third years in the program at defensive end have yet to log a sack. None of its defensive ends have, for that matter. As with the offensive line play, trends can change, and JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer do at least have 13 combined tackles to this point. But the edge rush hasn’t been up to the team’s expectations thus far.
The SEC
A pair of the SEC’s ranked teams suffered defeats this week. Alabama’s loss to Texas was coupled with No. 23 Texas A&M’s 48-33 fall to unranked Miami. That makes three ranked teams from within the conference that have lost within in the first two weeks, as then-No. 5 LSU suffered a 45-24 thrashing at the hands of No. 8 Florida State in Week 1.
Wisconsin
The Badgers fell behind 24-6 within the first 28 minutes of their game against Washington State on Saturday. Though they made an effort to come back by scoring 16 unanswered points, a 1-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run by the Cougars sealed a 31-22 defeat for Luke Fickell’s squad. As such, Wisconsin has fallen out of the top 25 in both the AP and Coaches polls. With a glut of transfers brought in to revamp the program, perhaps it will take some time for things to jell before the Badgers can click on all cylinders.
An Easy Win in South Bend
There probably weren’t many pundits expecting N.C. State to upset Notre Dame Saturday, even with the Wolfpack at home, but an equal amount probably weren’t expecting the Fighting Irish to roll through as easily as they did. Notre Dame scored 21 unanswered points after N.C. State cut its lead to 24-17 in the third quarter and coasted to a 45-24 victory. Ohio State will need to have all its ducks in a row to defeat Marcus Freeman’s bunch in 11 days.
