Skull Session: Ohio State Navigate Its 2024 Season One Week at a Time, Jeremiah Smith is Not Human and Jack Sawyer Dominates for the Second Straight Week

By Chase Brown on September 9, 2024 at 5:00 am
Ryan Day
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Welcome to the Skull Session.

C.J. Stroud – still good at football.

Have a good Monday.

 ONE GAME AT A TIME. Over the weekend, Michigan fell to Texas (more on that in a moment), Iowa fell to Iowa State and Notre Dame fell to… ** checks notes **… Northern Illinois… ** checks notes **… at home. While the Irish had no luck, Penn State and Oregon certainly did as the Big Ten teams escaped with one-score wins over Bowling Green and Boise State on their home turf.

All of those outcomes – whether a loss to a ranked team, a loss to an unranked team or a narrow win over a Group of Five team – prove a point Ryan Day and his players have made for the past six weeks: The Buckeyes must navigate the 2024 season one game and one week at a time.

That means respecting each opponent. That means starting games fast. That means playing mistake-free football.

Ohio State did that in its 56-0 win over Western Michigan.

“We wanted to start fast in this game and really build on the energy in the entire stadium,” Day said after the game. “I felt like we did that and continued to play the whole game.”

The sixth-year head coach said Ohio State played how it practiced last week — fast, physical and violent.

“I felt like we were going to come into a game where we were going to dominate like this, but it came down to the players playing really hard,” Day said.

Will Howard looked good for the second consecutive week as the 6-foot-4, 235-pound quarterback completed 18 of 26 passes for 292 yards and one touchdown in two-and-a-half quarters of action. (Howard did his best Tate Martell impression to start the game, completing his first 10 attempts.) He also ran in a touchdown from six yards out.

The talent around Howard also shined. Quinshon Judkins, TreVeyon Henderson and James Peoples were incredible out of the backfield, combining for 29 carries, 225 yards and five touchdowns as Sam Williams-Dixon contributed another three carries for 40 yards. Jeremiah Smith (more on him in a moment) provided more evidence to the fact that he is built different, collecting five receptions for 119 yards and a score in his second college game. Emeka Egbuka also added five receptions for 98 yards, while Brandon Inniss and Carnell Tate each caught three passes for 45 yards.

While the offense was great, the defense was greater on Saturday.

After coming close to several shutouts over the past two years and change, Ohio State blanked its first opponent since the program’s win over Cincinnati on Sept. 7, 2019. 

“I feel like we’ve been close 100 times the last three years,” said Jack Sawyer (more on him in a moment). “It’s something that we’re chasing week in and week out. We know we’ve got the guys to do it. To get that first one is great, but I hope we get a couple more.”

Ohio State also held its opponent to less than 100 yards of total offense for the first time since the program’s win over Maryland in 2017. The Buckeyes outgained the Broncos 683 to 99 – I repeat, the Buckeyes outgained the Broncos 683 to 99 – and Western Michigan gained 5 yards in the second half when Ohio State’s backups earned most of the reps.

“It speaks volumes of how deep we are,” Jack Sawyer said. “The guys behind the starting group could probably start anywhere else in the country at all levels – safeties, linebackers, the D-line.”

Ohio State dominated an inferior opponent, plain and simple. 

You love to see that each week, but you love to see that even more when college football teams across America either lost or escaped upset bids in Week 2.

 HE’S NOT HUMAN. Jeremiah Smith is incredible.

After a six-catch, 92-yard, two-touchdown performance in Ohio State’s season opener, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound freshman continued his impressive start to the year with a five-catch, 119-yard, one-touchdown effort in Week 2.

The most impressive part of Smith’s first two weeks has been – without a doubt – the 70-yard touchdown he scored in the first quarter against Western Michigan.

As former Ohio State defensive back Tyvis Powell pointed out on X over the weekend, Smith turned a 5-yard hitch into a 70-yard house call. 

I mean, look at this screenshot of where Smith caught the football and how many Bronco defenders surrounded him.

That’s not human. That’s out of this world!

 PRESSURES GALORE – AND A SACK! Another Buckeye that has been impressive to start the year has been Jack Sawyer. In Ohio State’s wins over Akron and Western Michigan, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive end has recorded just five tackles and one sack. While that could seem lackluster to some, one look at advanced statistics reveals Sawyer’s impact has been much greater than box score contributions.

According to Pro Football Focus, Sawyer leads Ohio State with 10 quarterback pressures this season. The next closest Buckeyes are Tyleik Williams (four), JT Tuimoloau (three) and Kenyatta Jackson, Caden Curry and Ty Hamilton (two). Sawyer also leads Ohio State’s defensive line room in pass-rush win rate at 24.1%, with Eddrick Houston (20%), Mitchell Melton (16.7%), Tuimoloau (16%) and Jackson (15.8%) coming in behind him.

I don’t need to ask if that’s good.

That’s good.

From breaking an Akron quarterback’s body and spirit to recording his first sack of the season on Saturday, Sawyer has been a menace in Ohio State’s two victories. I hope he continues this level of performance as the year continues. The Buckeyes will need him when more formidable opponents like Oregon, Penn State and “That Team Up North” arrive on the schedule.

 HOOK ‘EM. Speaking of “That Team Up North,” I had to close the Skull Session with a special message for former Ohio State and current Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Quinn, I forgive you for what transpired three years ago. You were but a boy with a mullet then; you are a man with a buzz cut now. What you accomplished as Texas’ quarterback on Saturday in completing 24 of 36 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns to beat Michigan – that brought a smile to my face. It brought a smile to all the faces in Buckeye Nation.

So thank you, Quinn. Thank you for beating the brakes off the Wolverines. I won’t soon forget it – and neither will you, it seems.

For this weekend and for this past weekend only, hook 'em.

 SONG OF THE DAY. "Chimes, Carmen Ohio" - TBDBITL.

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