Players of the Game: Marvin Harrison Jr. and JT Tuimoloau Earn Top Honors After Ohio State's Win Over Penn State

Following Ohio State's 20-12 win over Penn State in Week 8, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is the Eleven Warriors offensive player of the game, and defensive end JT Tuimoloau is the defensive player of the game.

Congratulations to the Eleven Warriors players of the game for Ohio State's 20-12 win over Penn State.

Marvin Harrison Jr.: 11 catches (16 targets) for 162 yards and 1 TD
JT Tuimoloau: 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 QBH, 1 PBU pic.twitter.com/FeHF7qtjXl

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 22, 2023

Harrison, also known as Marvelous Marv, Super Marv, Route Man Marv and now – thanks to FOX announcer Gus Johnson – Maserati Marv, was one of the best players on the field, if not the best player on the field, on Saturday. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound receiver hauled in 11 of 16 targets for 162 yards and one touchdown, which improved his season totals to 42 receptions for 766 yards and six scores.

Marv doing Marv things. pic.twitter.com/o5OEpAAEjg

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 21, 2023

Not only was the Penn State matchup Harrison's third consecutive 100-yard game and fifth in Ohio State’s last six games, but it was his fifth career game with 160 receiving yards or more. That’s the most in Buckeye history, surpassing David Boston’s career total of four. He’s also now second in Ohio State history with 12 career 100-yard games, second only to Boston’s school record of 14.

After Ohio State's win, head coach Ryan Day said Harrison's performance was a reminder of the star receiver's special talent, one he believes is unrivaled at Ohio State and across college football.

“I haven’t seen everybody across the country, but it’s hard for me to find somebody who is better in the country,” Day said. “To me, he’s one of the most special players in the country.”

MARVELOUS MARV. pic.twitter.com/dKXkPUT72o

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 21, 2023

Tuimoloau was dominant in Ohio State's 44-31 win over Penn State last season, collecting six tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass breakup (that led to a Zach Harrison interception), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two interceptions and one defensive touchdown.

While Tuimoloau did not achieve the same statistics on Saturday, he still made quite an impact in the Buckeyes' eight-point win over the Nittany Lions, recording one tackle, one tackle for loss, one sack, one pass breakup and one quarterback hit. Tuimoloau was the clear leader in Ohio State's dominant defensive effort, as the Buckeyes held the Nittany Lions to 240 yards of offense, 1-of-16 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth down.

JT Tuimoloau comes up clutch for Ohio State's defense. pic.twitter.com/iYf8iAwGLY

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 21, 2023

After recording zero sacks against Indiana, Youngstown State, Western Kentucky and Notre Dame, Tuimoloau has now taken down the quarterback in three consecutive contests, recording 1.5 sacks against Maryland and Purdue and adding another against Penn State on Saturday. This season, Tuimoloau has racked up 20 tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks, two pass breakups and three quarterback hits.

Mama, there goes that man. pic.twitter.com/FgXPcOUlFF

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 21, 2023

Harrison and Tuimoloau are the seventh pair of Buckeyes to be named Eleven Warriors players of the game in 2023. Harrison has now received the honor three times this season, while Tuimoloau is a first-time honoree.

We will keep a running chart of all the recipients as the season continues, with the individual awards to be posted on our social media accounts and the website each Sunday after an Ohio State win.