We’ve reached the midway mark of the college football regular season, and only 15 FBS teams remain unbeaten as they enter the latter half of their schedule.
The Buckeyes can count themselves among the select few following a 49-20 blowout win against Michigan State on the road, which saw record-setting performances from multiple players on offense and another solid defense effort – save a couple of nitpicks, perhaps.
In our weekly stock report, we detail the movement in stocks among the Buckeyes, Big Ten teams, and other major college storylines below.
Stock Up
C.J. For Heisman
Five incompletions. Six touchdowns. After throwing the first pick-6 of his career on the second drive of the game on Saturday, C.J. Stroud completed 15 of his next 16 passes, with four of those going for tuddies. He finished with 361 yards and a season-high 265.9 passer rating, and Stroud is now on pace to outdo his 2021 touchdown total with 24 through six games. Stroud either approached or set several Ohio State and Big Ten records with his effort against Michigan State, and his Heisman stock should be bolstered by what might have been his best game of the season – even with the interception.
Marvin Harrison Jr.
One score never seems to be enough for Marvin Harrison Jr. The sophomore star prefers his touchdowns in threes, as Harrison had a hat trick of TD grabs for the third time in his past seven games – now the most such occurrences of any player in Buckeye history. Two of Harrison’s three against Michigan State came in particularly spectacular fashion, as Harrison made a pair of circus catch touchdowns over members of the Spartan secondary before all was said and done.
Now with nine scores through six games, Harrison is on pace to break Terry Glenn’s single-season receiving touchdowns record (17 in 1995) in his first year with a regular role on the Buckeye offense.
Ryan Day said he was in awe of Marvin Harrison Jr.'s third TD catch.
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) October 8, 2022
"That was a tremendous catch by Marvin," he said. "I was amazed. He jumped up and caught it by his ankles, so it was an acrobatic catch by a tremendously talented player."pic.twitter.com/krRR4dtjBI
Julian Fleming’s TD streak
All he does is catch touchdowns. Every third Julian Fleming catch has ended in six points for the Buckeyes this year, and the third-year wideout has now hauled in a touchdown pass in every game he’s played in 2022. Since making his season debut against Toledo, Fleming’s pulled down five touchdowns, with his latest going 51 yards to paydirt against Michigan State. Fleming also had a career-high 81 yards on his four catches against the Spartans as he continues to shine as the third option in the Buckeye receiving corps.
It's a good thing when Julian Fleming catches touchdowns.pic.twitter.com/xnX6Y0RqJH
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 8, 2022
Mike Hall
It looked as though Mike Hall might be held out of Saturday’s contest entirely as he works his way back to full health after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 2, but the Buckeye coaching staff might think twice about limiting Hall’s role after what he showed in East Lansing. Despite playing what he estimated as 10 snaps against the Spartans, Hall finished with 2.5 sacks to add to his team-leading total on the season.
Just as Hall’s production started to slow over the past two weeks, he reminded everyone he’s still primed to be the breakout star of the Buckeye defense in 2022, and the bye week should give him a shot to get closer to 100%.
Mike Hall Jr. was a menace to the Spartans. pic.twitter.com/DFq8LWPhvv
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) October 9, 2022
Quinn Ewers
The man with the million-dollar mullet might be onto something in Austin. In Ewers’ first game back from injury since suffering an injury against Alabama in Week 2, the former Buckeye quarterback torched Oklahoma for 289 yards, four touchdowns and an interception in an all-out domination in Saturday’s Red River Rivalry. Texas led 28-0 at halftime after a three-touchdown third quarter from Ewers and finished with a 49-0 win. Ewers tossed touchdowns of 10, 15, 18 and 24 yards and proved the Longhorns might be a real player in the upper echelon of college football with him under center.
Stock Down
Cam Brown
Brown’s return to the Buckeye lineup was a welcome sight for Ohio State after several weeks of limited depth at the cornerback position. But Brown’s shaky performance against Michigan State was not what Buckeye coaches, fans – or even Brown himself – expected to see. Brown gave up multiple big plays in the passing game and was flagged for three penalties on the night, including two pass interference calls. The Ohio State defense still limited Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne to 113 yards through the air, but the Buckeyes will want to shore up their play at cornerback in the back half of the season.
Running back health
Last week the Buckeyes were without TreVeyon Henderson, and this week it was Miyan Williams shelved due to injury. Back in the lineup against Michigan State, Henderson ran for 118 yards and a score on 19 carries but went limping back to the sideline in the third quarter after taking a heavy hit to the lower body. Luckily for Ohio State, true freshman Dallan Hayden has been rock solid in relief duty, rushing for 250 yards on 52 carries so far this year.
But even though Day expects Henderson’s health to be fine moving forward, questions remain at running back as injuries continue to pop up in Tony Alford’s position room.
Iowa offense
Iowa might have one of the best defenses in the FBS this season. On offense, though, it’s quite literally the opposite. When the Hawkeyes’ offensive stock didn’t seem like it could get any lower, Spencer Petras and company were held without a touchdown in a 222-yard performance against Illinois that resulted in a 9-6 loss on the road. But as much heat as Petas has taken, the running game was even worse for the Hawkeyes, as it finished with an average of 1.7 yards per carry against the Fighting Illini.
Now facing a Buckeye team with no problem putting up points after the bye week, Iowa appears to be in trouble in its next matchup with Ohio State.
Iowa has held five of its six opponents to 10 points or fewer.
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 9, 2022
They're 3-3 this season. pic.twitter.com/xWj47zBLVk
Alabama
The Crimson Tide cheated defeat once more on Saturday, holding Texas A&M without points on what would’ve been the go-ahead game-winning touchdown on a goal-to-go play in the waning seconds over the weekend. The 24-20 win was Alabama’s second sub-touchdown margin of victory of the season, and despite holding a 6-0 record, Nick Saban and company have appeared far from unbeatable halfway through the regular season.
Lets discuss pic.twitter.com/jKoD7kI8cY
— Tim England (@tengland_150) October 9, 2022
Brent Venables
Oklahoma gave up 41 points to Kansas State, 55 to TCU and – most recently – 49 points to Texas in the Sooners’ worst shutout loss in program history. No matter how good your offense is, no college football team will win many games with those numbers being given up on the other side of the ball. Only, the Sooner offense couldn’t muster a single point against the Longhorns, which entered the weekend with just the 42nd-ranked scoring defense in the country.
It’s been bad from all angles for Venables, who will be feeling some heat after a 3-3 start to his first year in Norman.
Oklahoma has been shutout for the first time this millennium. It is the worst shutout loss in program history, and the 3rd worst margin of defeat.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) October 8, 2022
LSU
Brian Kelly and company were holding onto the No. 25 ranking in the AP poll entering the weekend, but they’ll likely drop out of the polls entirely after suffering their second loss of the season to the surging Volunteers. The Tigers are now just one game above .500 since winning the national championship in 2019-20, and Kelly has failed to turn things around in Baton Rouge halfway through his first year with the program.
