Welcome to DTE Helmet Stickers. Since 1968, Ohio State has rewarded its top performers with stickers for big plays, wins and key milestones. We at Dotting the 'Eyes can't physically reward any stickers but we're doing our part to highlight the players that stood out the most in every Buckeyes contest, win or lose.
COLUMBUS — It doesn't matter if Miyan Williams is the first or second running back in the game for Ohio State, the third-year tailback from Cincinnati is a difference maker for the Buckeyes this season.
It's a role that Ryan Day saw coming for Williams throughout the preseason.
"In the preseason is when I really started to see an acceleration of his skill level," Day said Saturday night. "His practice habits, his toughness. Just the way he was hitting the holes. I think he had one of the best preseasons on offense."
With carries split between Williams and Treveyon Henderson, every game is a chance for the Ohio State tailbacks to prove themselves. They did that in spades against Wisconsin on Saturday, carrying the Buckeyes to a comfortable 52-21 win over the Badgers.
What players earned themselves a helmet sticker? Here are the choices from the staff of Dotting the 'Eyes.
Offensive Player of the Game: RB Miyan Williams
Williams finished with 101 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, all in the first half. Six of Williams' 11 carries went for either a touchdown or a first down. The third-year back has established himself as a tone-setter for an offense that wants to have a physical identity, and looks like it's building some momentum running the football. Williams was outshined from a total output standpoint by TreVeyon Henderson, who got the bulk of the work in the second half, but Williams has put himself on equal footing with the talented Henderson as far demanding touches in meaningful moments goes. Williams has added more burst to go along with his power, and flashed some impressive balance on a couple of his runs against Wisconsin.
Once viewed as a "complementary" piece to Henderson, Williams is instead giving the Buckeyes something more akin to a true two-pronged attack out of the backfield, with each player dangerous in their own way, but dangerous nonetheless.
Defensive Player of the Game: LB Tommy Eichenberg
The Buckeyes middle linebacker was, quite simply, all over the field on Saturday night.
And that's become the norm for Tommy Eichenberg since his breakout performance against Utah in the Rose Bowl. The now unquestioned leader of the Ohio State defense led the Buckeyes in tackles with 14 -- including two tackles for loss -- and was in the right spot the entire evening, running head-on into Wisconsin's star running back Braelon Allen at every turn.
There may not be a more improved player from last year at this time to now than Tommy Eichenberg and he's only going to keep getting better.
X-Factor of the Game: Ohio State safeties
Stretched incredibly thin at cornerback and with a defense that's already designed to rely on the safeties, the secondary got exactly what it needed from the trio of Josh Proctor, Ronnie Hickman and Tanner McCalister. By now it's no surprise that Hickman is consistently in the right place to handle his assignment, so that was expected. But there might have been a little uncertainty with Proctor and McCalister having to return from minor lower-body issues by diving straight into a physical Big Ten matchup.
Proctor was as solid as he's perhaps been in his entire career, providing consistent run support and breaking up a pass. And McCalister swung the momentum with an early interception and adding another nice breakup in coverage that helped erase any hope of a Wisconsin comeback just before halftime. The Buckeyes in the back are flat-out getting the job done.
