The Ohio State coaching staff is unlikely to have more player-of-the-game candidates from a single game all season. In the Buckeyes’ 56-0 win over Western Michigan, everything seemed to go right, junior running back Quinshon Judkins, redshirt senior defensive tackle Ty Hamilton and senior cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. were no exception to that.
With an extremely efficient 108-yard performance on nine carries and two touchdowns, which could’ve been even better if not for a penalty that took away what would have been an 80-yard touchdown, it almost feels like Judkins should have graded out higher than the 94% given to him by the coaching staff. Regardless of his grade, Judkins put the explosiveness that seemed routine for him as an All-SEC caliber running back at Ole Miss on display against Western Michigan. It was an impressive bounce-back game for Judkins from a solid, but perhaps slightly frustrating 55-yard performance in week 1 against Akron.
Without any forced turnovers against Western Michigan, there wasn’t necessarily a singular player that won the team the game or kept the unit’s shutout intact, but rather a formidable collective effort from a plethora of Buckeye difference-makers. Hamilton, though, was deserving of the recognition. From the interior of Ohio State’s defense, Hamilton was as solid as he always is against the run, tying a team-high with four total tackles, but on Saturday, he was also a contributor as a pass rusher.
Right out of the first quarter break, senior defensive tackle Tyleik Williams and Hamilton, also known as TNT, combined to sack Western Michigan starting quarterback Hayden Wolff on third-and-12 to get the Buckeyes off the field. Hamilton easily graded out as a champion in the game at 96%.
Although maybe not as sharp in the return game as they had been in week one, the Buckeyes had a solid performance on special teams. Veteran defender Styles made perhaps the most notable play in special teams, laying down a hit on Western Michigan returner Jaden Nixon after a short 15-yard return at the 20-yard line.
Styles appeared in 22 plays both in special teams and in coverage on defense.