Published Oct 1, 2018
Hot 11: Post Penn State
Staff
Staff

Saturday was a big win for the Buckeyes but maybe not the best four quarters of football as Ohio State found itself down 13 and 12 points against Penn State and had to mount another furious comeback to pull out a one-point win, 27-26 at Happy Valley.

The Ohio State offense struggled for much of the game to move the ball but the defense largely kept Ohio State close, even if the big play bug bit on several occasions as Penn State gave its best shot.

Now the game is in the books and it is time to look at how the new Hot 11 shapes up after all of the excitement.

New to BuckeyeGrove or just unfamiliar with the Hot 11? What exactly is it? This is a feature that we run weekly and there is always movement on this list after each game is played. What we don't do is over-correct from game-to-game. If a player comes out of nowhere to have a big game, he won't move up to the top-four of the list and conversely, one bad game won't drop a player off the list entirely if he was ranked highly just a week before.

How did week one performances change our list? Take a look below and be sure to vote each week over in The Horseshoe Lounge to have your voice heard.

Hot 11 - Post Penn State
RankWhoWhy

1.

Dwayne Haskins

It certainly was not a perfect game for Haskins but he was good when it counted the most, down the stretch,. He ended up with 22-39 passing for 270 yards and three touchdowns including two touchdowns in the final eight minutes. He also earned B1G Offensive Player of the Week honors. Last Week: 1

2.

Chase Young

Young had three tackles for loss, two sacks, two PBUs and two QB hurries as he had the best game of his career, especially in the absence of Nick Bosa. Last Week: 9

3.

Dre'mont Jones

Penn State knew that it was going to have to focus on Dre'mont Jones and he still had half a sack, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery. More attention to him meant more opportunity for Chase Young. Last Week: 2

4.

Jordan Fuller

Fuller maintains his role as one of the top players on the Ohio State defense and had a team-high eight tackles (tied) for the Buckeyes. Teams know to try and avoid Fuller the best that they can and he has made people pay. Last Week: 3

5.

KJ Hill

Just for the game-winning score, Hill was special. He has already been a fixture on this list and had six receptions for 59 yards in a winning effort. Last Week: 7

6.

Michael Jordan

The offensive line only gave up one sack despite constant pressure in the blitz game. Jordan did not have any snapping issues like he had against TCU, the last major setting he was a part of. Last Week: 4

7.

JK Dobbins

Dobbins was a threat in both the run and receiving game with 118 total yards of offense. His 35-yard catch on a screen pass in the 4th quarter will be on the season-long highlight tape just out of significance. Last Week: 5

8.

Isaiah Prince

Have to give more credit to the offensive line in a game like this. Prince has not been an issue since a tough sophomore season and has emerged as a top lineman in the league. Last Week: 8

9.

Malik Harrison

There might be some disagreement with having linebackers on this list but you can't deny that Harrison had a good game, even if the propensity for the big play allowed is still there. Harrison was one of three players with eight tackles. Last Week: NR

10.

Parris Campbell

Campbell was kept out of the end zone but led the team with seven receptions. People may struggled to remember many of those grabs but they happened at key moments as the Buckeyes finally got the offense in gear, late. Last Week: 6

11.

Tuf Borland

A second linebacker to make the list, Borland had a few bad plays and maybe even looked a little slow after his foot injury. But his forced fumble gave the Buckeyes an early spark and he also had a big sack. Last Week: NR