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NFL preseason Week 2 scores, highlights, updates: Saints’ first-round WR Chris Olave scores first-career TD

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The NFL preseason has reached the midway point with Week 2, which serves as the de facto “dress rehearsal” for starters to prepare for the beginning of the regular season — which is just three weeks away. For teams that don’t have joint practices this week, Week 2 of the preseason is critical.

The Carolina Panthers won’t play Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold against the New England Patriots Friday, yet New England will play its starters after the joint practices this week. Jordan Love will start for the Green Bay Packers against the New Orleans Saints, who will be without Jameis Winston (foot). Capping off the night will be the Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams. 

Below, we will track all the must-see highlights from Friday’s action, the appetizer for the main course of games this weekend. 

Schedule

Thursday

Bears 27, Seahawks 11 (Takeaways)

Friday

Patriots 20, Panthers 10 (Takeaways)
Packers 20, Saints 10 (Recap)
Texans 24, Rams 20 (Recap)

Saturday

Broncos at Bills, 1 p.m. ET (Gametracker)
Lions at Colts, 1 p.m. ET (Gametracker)
Commanders at Chiefs, 4 p.m. ET (Gametracker)
Steelers at Jaguars, 7 p.m. ET (Gametracker)
Raiders at Dolphins, 7 p.m. ET (Gametracker)
49ers at Vikings, 7 p.m. ET (Gametracker)
Buccaneers at Titans, 7 p.m. ET (Gametracker)
Cowboys at Chargers, 10 p.m. ET (Gametracker)

Sunday

Eagles at Browns, 1 p.m. ET (Gametracker)
Bengals at Giants, 7 p.m. ET (Gametracker)
Ravens at Cardinals, 8 p.m. ET (Gametracker)

Monday

Falcons at Jets, 8 p.m. ET (Gametracker)

Catch of the night!

The Houston Texans played their starters for the first half of this preseason contest against the Los Angeles Rams, and were able to take a 7-6 halftime lead thanks to this pinpoint catch by Nico Collins in the end zone. Collins just upstaged Derion Kendrick for the ball and came away with the score. 

Collins is going to play a role in the Texans offense in 2022. Plays like this will get him more targets. 

What makes this Etling touchdown run special? The play occurred during an interview with Aaron Rodgers on the Packers broadcast. Rodgers’ excitement with Etling scoring makes this play even more thrilling.

Jordan Love run

Love looked the part of a NFL quarterback on Friday night, finishing with 113 yards and a touchdown pass. He also showcased his running ability with this 11-yard run for a first down.

Chris Olave scores his first touchdown

Olave is giving Saints fans a preview of what’s to come when he lines up alongside Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry this fall. The first-round pick connected with Ian Book on a 20-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left in the first half — his first in a Saints uniform. 

Olave had just one catch for four yards last week, but had two in the first half of this one. 

Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe made a dangerous throw rolling to his left, and Hayes read the pass to take the ball the other way and tie the game. Zappe hasn’t been as sharp in his second outing this preseason, one in which Matt Patricia is calling plays. 

Romeo Doubs touchdown

There’s a spot for Doubs to earn snaps with the first team this year, and this touchdown catch from Jordan Love demonstrates why. Doubs came up with this impressive four-yard touchdown reception over Brian Allen to put the Packers up, 10-3, over the Saints in the second quarter. Love is starting to show trust in the fourth-round rookie. 

59-yard field goal from Wil Lutz

Lutz missed all of 2021 with a core muscle injury, as the Saints missed his reliability in the kicking department. He certainly looked like his old self with this 59-yard field goal to close out the first quarter.

Just 13 of 23 on 50-plus yard field goals in his career, Lutz hitting this kick is very encouraging.

Romeo Doubs making his case to move up the depth chart

Doubs was one of the young wide receivers Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers criticized during the week, so he was in the spotlight with the second teamers participating in the majority of this one. A 17-yard catch on the opening drive on a Jordan Love throw makes a strong impression, even if Doubs failed to corral a third-down pass earlier. 

No longer a quarterback for the Saints, Hill has shifted his focus to tight end for the 2022 season. The No. 2 tight end in New Orleans, Hill made an early impact by catching a 10-yard pass from Ian Book. Hill adds an extra dimension to the Saints offense in his new role, and can still play wide receiver and running back in short-yardage situations. 

The Patriots averaged just 1.9 yards per play in the first quarter with just 21 yards of offense, but Nelson Agholor changed that with this 45-yard catch on an impressive throw from Mac Jones. Going against a second-team defense or not, this is what Patriots fans want to see from their new-look offense.

New England scored a touchdown — a two-yard run from Ty Montgomery — three plays later.

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Skull Session: Former Buckeye Players Sign Fat NFL Contracts, How Soon Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave Will Be Drafted, and Former Buckeye Hits 500-Foot Homer

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Wishing a happy 4/20 to everyone who observes. My condolences to all our nation’s Taco Bell employees.

Word of the Day: Idiopathic.

 GETTING PAID. Denzel Ward inked a $100 million contract this week to make himself the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.

That would be impressive recruiting material for Ohio State even in a vacuum, but when you lump that fat number in with some other absurd Buckeye salaries, it starts to get just a little ridiculous.

Let’s take a gander.

Michael Thomas, Corey Linsley, Ezekiel Elliott, Marshon Lattimore, and Ward were all the highest-paid players in the entire league at their respective positions at the time of their most recent contract, with most of them also becoming the highest-paid player in NFL history at their respective positions. That’s borderline unrealistic.

Ohio State should just send this gif to every recruit in the country:

Well, this is close enough.

 WHERE AND WHEN? Speaking of multimillionaires, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave will be joining those ranks a week from today.

They’re both going to be first-round picks – I’d wager both of my testicles on that – it’s now just a matter of how high both go. And like most things in life these days, you can bet on it, if you’re so inclined.

  • Chris Olave Draft Position: Over/Under 17½
  • Garrett Wilson Draft Position: Over/Under 10
  • Jameson Williams Draft Position: Over/Under 12½

Give me the under on both of the current Buckeye receivers – 10th is the absolute latest Wilson will be going and I think Olave will be gone quite a bit earlier than No. 18. As for Jamo, I ain’t touching that. He could go anywhere from top-5 to No. 20 overall and I would not be surprised.

Regardless, all of these guys are going to be top-20 picks. Throw in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and that 2020/2021 Ohio State receivers room was without a doubt the most absurdly talented receiving unit in college football history.

 MONSTER HOMER. Former Ohio State outfielder Dominic Canzone made the right kinds of headlines yesterday afternoon, smashing a baseball so far it may not have even landed yet.

Behold!

My Google machine tells me that had this been in a Major League game, a 504-foot homer would put him inside the top-10 for longest homers in MLB history. To be clear, the fact that this monster happened in the minor leagues doesn’t make it any less impressive – just more difficult to compare.

Imagine parking your car in that parking lot, not even considering it remotely possible for a ball to end up smashing your windshield. Little did you know that Thor was suited up for the home team.

Better call Safelite.

 BUCKEYES IN BLUE. Well, this just doesn’t look quite right.

Hey, at least it’s not maize and blue.

In all seriousness, it sucks that those guys won’t be working with the Buckeyes, but it makes all the sense in the world that they would want to work as support staffers under their former college coach.

I’m sure they’d have no qualms coming back and working for the Buckeyes in a more full-time capacity down the line.

 SONG OF THE DAY. “As It Was” by Harry Styles.

 NOT STICKING TO SPORTS. Looking back at the absolutely unexpected and totally wild origin of 420… The life and confessions of mob chef David Ruggerio… The incredible plot that tricked Hitler… Scientists invent a device for optimally separating an Oreo… Farts definitely smell worse in the shower… Japanese researchers develop electric chopsticks to enhance salty tastes… 



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Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson Show Why They’re First-Round Picks With Standout Performances at NFL Scouting Combine

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It took less than 4.4 seconds for Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson to solidify their status as first-round draft picks at the NFL Scouting Combine.

As soon as each of the former Ohio State receivers had completed their one and only attempts at the 40-yard dash inside Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday night, both of them had already made their case for why they are two of the best receivers – if not the two best receivers – in the 2022 NFL draft class.

Officially, Wilson clocked in with a 40-yard dash time of 4.38 seconds while Olave posted an official time of 4.39 seconds, the eighth- and ninth-fastest times among all wide receivers at this year’s combine. While the official times weren’t quite as fast as the unofficial times clocked by NFL Network, which had Olave running a 4.26-second 40, both times nonetheless confirmed the elite speed that both of them showed during their Ohio State careers.

Of course, Wilson and Olave showed far more than just straight-line speed during their years playing in scarlet and gray, and they showcased that at the combine too, as both of them went full on-field workouts in which they also ran routes and caught passes from the quarterbacks participating in the combine.

Both of them looked the part in those drills, which I watched from inside Lucas Oil Stadium as part of a small group of Pro Football Writers of America members who were granted access to watch the receiving portion of the workout, allowing us to see every route they ran and pass they caught.

RELATED Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave Grateful to Ohio State, Brian Hartline and Each Other for Helping Them Become Top NFL Draft Prospects

From my eyes – which might be a bit biased because I was focusing more on Olave and Wilson than any of the other receivers – Olave looked the best of any wideout in their group during the deep-ball portion of the workout, as he effortlessly tracked several long passes with his speed and hands just like he did during his Buckeye career.

Wilson showed his ability to adjust to the ball and make challenging catches as he made a pair of toe-tapping grabs at the sideline as well as a spinning deep-ball grab. He didn’t get as many well-placed throws on his deep balls as Olave did, but was able to catch multiple deep balls that were underthrown.

Although each of them had at least one pass go off of their hands for drops, their overall workouts could be described as smooth, as the majority of their routes and catches were clean. Combining what they did in receiver drills with their 40 times, their draft stocks should have only improved on Thursday night.

Although there were seven other wide receivers who also broke 4.4 in the 40, Wilson and Olave were the fastest of the wide receivers who have been widely projected as first-round picks. Penn State’s Jahan Dotson wasn’t far off with a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, but there is a clear difference between the times run by Olave and Wilson and the 4.55-second 40 run by Arkansas’ Treylon Burks. Alabama’s Jameson Williams likely would have ran a blazing-fast time of his own if he had been able to work out at the combine, but he’s recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in the national championship game; USC’s Drake London, another projected top wideout, also did not work out in Indianapolis after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in October.

Except for the vertical jump, where Wilson (36”) out-leaped Olave (32”) by four inches, their combine measurables were very comparable to each other. While Wilson beat Olave by just one one-hundredth of a second on the official 40 times, Olave beat Wilson by just one inch in the broad jump, leaping 10-foot-4 to Wilson’s 10-foot-3. At 6 feet and 3/8 of an inch and 187 pounds, Olave measured in just slightly larger than Wilson, who measured in at 5-foot-11 and 3/4 inches and 183 pounds, though Wilson’s hand width (9 7/8” to 9 1/2”), arm length (32” to 31 1/8”) and wingspan (76 1/2” to 73 1/8”) are all bigger than Olave.

RELATED 2022 NFL Scouting Combine Central: Measurables, Workout Results and More from Ohio State’s Seven Draft Prospects in Indianapolis

None of those numbers are going to blow scouts away, but with as well as they played during their Ohio State careers, as fast as they ran their 40s and as fluid as their receiving workouts were, they didn’t need to do anything spectacular in the other drills to leave the combine with their first-round draft stocks secure.

They’ll have one more opportunity to work out for NFL teams before next month’s draft at Ohio State’s pro day on March 23, but at this point, there aren’t many boxes left they really need to check. If they weren’t already both locks to be selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft on April 28, they should be now.



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Watch Chris Olave Run a Blistering 4.26 Second 40-Yard Dash – Fastest Time in Ohio State History at NFL Combine

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We knew Chris Olave was fast, and now he proved it – and then some.

In his first 40-yard dash attempt of the night, Olave turned on the afterburners, posting a blistering time of 4.26 seconds – the fastest time at the combine so far.

Olave’s 4.26 seconds is the fastest time of any Ohio State player in the history of the NFL Combine, passing Curtis Samuel and Parris Campbell, who each posted times of 4.31 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Olave, known as a deep threat, was always expected to put up a fast time, but 4.26 will certainly help his draft stock.



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Rose Bowl Practice Observations: Several Notable Defenders Absent, Cade Stover at Linebacker and Chris Olave Still Practicing for Ohio State

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For the first time since preseason camp, members of the Ohio State press corps had the opportunity to watch practice for about 30 minutes on Tuesday afternoon as the Buckeyes held their second practice of Rose Bowl week in Southern California.

A total of 63 scholarship players were spotted by Eleven Warriors during the portion of practice that was open to the media. Not including players who have entered the transfer portal since the end of the regular season, that meant that 18 scholarship players were not seen at practice.

The list of absences from practices included several notable defenders. Defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson, linebacker Cody Simon, cornerback Sevyn Banks and safety Marcus Williamson – all of whom started games during the regular season – were not present on Tuesday afternoon, leaving their availability uncertain for Saturday’s game. Simon battled a shoulder injury for most of the regular season, while Banks missed the final two games of the regular season with an undisclosed injury.

Other players who were not seen at practices included three of the four Buckeyes who have opted out of the Rose Bowl – wide receiver Garrett Wilson, offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and defensive tackle Haskell Garrett – as well as running back Marcus Crowley, wide receiver Kamryn Babb, offensive linemen Harry Miller and Josh Fryar, defensive end Tyler Friday, defensive tackles Jaden McKenzie and Noah Potter, linebacker Mitchell Melton and safeties Josh Proctor, Jantzen Dunn and Jaylen Johnson.

Crowley, Babb, Miller, Friday, Melton, Proctor, Dunn and Johnson are all out for the season due to injuries.

Despite also opting out of the Rose Bowl, wide receiver Chris Olave was an active participant during the portion of Tuesday’s practice that was open to the media. While he did not participate in every drill, he was seen fielding punts along with wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and defensive backs Cameron Martinez and Demario McCall.

Ryan Day said Monday that Olave has been practicing with the team throughout bowl practices.

“I have an unbelievable amount of respect for Chris and what he’s done here and everything he’s done for this program,” Day said. “He still wanted to be part of the team and everything like that. Certainly he came out with the team and just wanted to be part of it for the next week.”

RELATED Five Players Who Ohio State Will Need to Step Up Following Rose Bowl Opt-Outs

Stover practices at linebacker

Cade Stover could be on the move again. After playing one snap at linebacker in a goal-line package against Michigan, Stover was seen practicing with the linebackers for the entirety of Tuesday’s open practice window.

Wearing a white defensive jersey rather than the red offensive jersey he would wear as a tight end, Stover was lining up as a Sam linebacker – the position he was initially recruited to play for the Buckeyes out of high school.

Stover began his Ohio State career as a linebacker in 2019 before moving to defensive end later that season. Stover moved to tight end during the 2020 offseason and has played that position for the past two years, but now, it appears he could be making at least a temporary move back to the defensive side of the ball.

Tackling practice

During his interview session Tuesday morning, Ohio State defensive play caller and secondary coach Matt Barnes said the Buckeyes had been placing an extra emphasis on tackling and fundamentals during bowl practices.

“At the end of the day, X’s and O’s are great, but it usually comes down to running fast, hitting hard, getting off blocks, making tackles, particularly in a bowl game,” Barnes said.

RELATED Matt Barnes Hoping to Remain on Ohio State’s Defensive Coaching Staff Next Season

We got to see that in action during Tuesday’s practice when the Buckeyes’ defensive backs spent one period of the open viewing window running through a tackling drill.

Other observations

  • With Wilson opting out, Smith-Njigba was Ohio State’s first-team punt returner while Martinez was fielding punts with the second unit.
  • After missing four of the final six games of the regular season, including Ohio State’s most recent game against Michigan, Master Teague appeared healthy at practice for the Buckeyes. Teague was third in the running back line in multiple drills Tuesday, behind TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams, with Evan Pryor occupying the fourth spot.
  • Freshman wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who missed the final two games of the regular season, appeared healthy and active at practice for the Buckeyes on Tuesday. Day said Monday he expected to have the five-star recruit available for Saturday’s game.
  • There were several notable jersey number switches on the practice field Tuesday, with Stover switching from No. 8 to No. 5 – the number normally worn by Williamson on defense – and Jeremy Ruckert and Gee Scott Jr. swapping jerseys during the session. Ruckert wore No. 13, and Scott wore No. 88.
  • Freshman cornerback Denzel Burke, who wore a bulky shoulder brace against Michigan after suffering an injury against Michigan State, was not wearing the brace on practice Tuesday.
  • With Simon absent from practice, Tommy Eichenberg appeared to be the first-string middle linebacker next to Steele Chambers, while Teradja Mitchell and Palaie Gaoteote comprised the second unit in a couple drills. Mitchell, who did not play at all against Michigan and only played on special teams against Michigan State, was wearing a brace on his right knee.



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Michigan State Debriefing: Ohio State Defense Shuts Down Michigan State While C.J. Stroud and Chris Olave Have Record Days

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Dominant. Commanding. Authoritative. Transcendent.

Ohio State welcomed the No. 7 team in the country Saturday and delivered on senior defensive tackle Haskell Garrett’s pregame promise to “whoop their ass.” The Buckeyes delivered a 56-7 beating of Michigan State in a statement game on Senior Day.

Michigan State never had a prayer after an opening quarter in which C.J. Stroud threw a trio of touchdown passes and the Buckeye defense held Heisman contender Kenneth Walker III to just 24 yards of rushing while totally smothering the Spartan wide receivers.

On a day when Georgia beat up on an FCS team, Alabama had all it could handle from Arkansas and Oregon lost to Utah on the road, the game in Columbus proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ohio State is the No. 2 team in the country and that Stroud is a certified Heisman contender.

TL;DR: Just the Facts, Ma’am

C.J. Stroud and his wide receivers went off against the Spartans. Stroud completed – and this is not a typo – 91% of his 35 passing attempts for 432 yards and six touchdowns… in one half plus one drive. Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Garrett Wilson each crossed the 100-yard mark on a day when the Buckeyes tallied an astounding 655 yards of total offense.

Kenneth Walker III was a non-factor in the game for Michigan State, as the former Heisman  contender rushed for only 25 yards… 24 of which came in the first quarter. The Buckeye  defense blanketed the Spartan receivers, and Payton Thorne finished the day with an abysmal 39% completion rate on 36 attempts.

Michigan State was unable to score until the fourth quarter, capitalizing on a Kyle McCord interception to engineer their second sustained drive of the day. It was far too little, far too late on a day when Ohio State could do no wrong, and the visitors could do no right.

How It Went Down

Offense

Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown. Touchdown.

That was Ohio State’s drive chart in the first half. Seven touchdowns in seven drives as the home team took the ball on the opening kickoff and never looked back. Stroud was flawless, reeling off at one point a school record 17 consecutive completions.

Michigan State’s passing defense is the worst in the FBS (literally No. 130 out of 130 teams), and Ryan Day’s gameplan took advantage of that fact by passing on 31 of the team’s first 49 plays. The Buckeyes accumulated 500 yards of total offense in the first half, with Olave, Smith-Njiba, Wilson and Julian Fleming each reeling in a touchdown catch and Miyan Williams punching one in at the goalline for good measure.

Stroud averaged more than 12.3 yards per passing attempt and established himself as the Heisman frontrunner, tieing a school record with six touchdowns in a single game and throwing for the sixth-most passing yards (432) in a single game in Ohio State history.

Master Teague III got the bulk of the carries out of the backfield on senior day, toting the rock 21 times for 95 yards and a touchdown. TreVeyon Henderson got nine carries for 63 yards and Miyan Williams added 35 yards on four carries with a touchdown to his credit, as well.

The Buckeyes finished the day averaging just shy of five yards per carry and 12.5 yards per completion. With Stroud and the starters still orchestrating the offense, Ohio State averaged a point per play in the first half, a remarkably efficient performance against a team that was No. 3 in the country earlier this month.

Helmet Stickers
  • C.J. Stroud: Flawless. This man will be in New York next month without question.
  • Chris Olave: Olave did it all Saturday, from breaking David Boston’s career touchdown record to making eye-popping sideline catches.
  • The Offensive Line: Stroud had all day to throw the ball. The big men kept him clean and upright, and it paid off handsomely for the home team.

Defense

Punt. Missed field goal. Fumble. Punt. Punt. Punt. Punt.

That was Michigan State’s drive chart in the first half. Mel “The 95 Million Dollar Man” Tucker apparently knew he couldn’t rely on Kenneth Walker III to run all over Ohio State, because only eight of his team’s 22 first-quarter plays were running plays. Walker would record 24  of his 25 total yards on the day in the first quarter, and from there out he was a non-factor.

…not that the Spartan receivers were a factor, either. Michigan State threw the ball 38 times, completing just 42%. The Buckeye defense was smothering, holding their opponent scoreless through three quarters, and limiting them to an average of 3.8 yards per play for the game.

While the front seven only recorded two sacks, the team added nine tackles for loss, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble. The defense broke up 11 passes according to the stat book, one of their best performances of the season.

 Five of Michigan State’s 12 drives went three-and-out, and only three went for more than 20 yards. It was a complete performance from a defense that looks night-and-day different from where they started the season.

Helmet Stickers
  • Ronnie “The Rocket” Hickman: Forced a fumble in the second quarter, recovered by Ty Hamilton.
  • Kourt Williams: Leading tackler on the day, with five solo stops, including two for loss; broke up a pass, too.
  • Zach Harrison: Broke up two passes on the day.
  • Haskell Garrett: Called his shot before the game and the team delivered. Gotta love the confidence.

Jim Tressel’s Least Favorite Moment of the Game

President Tressel was a little nervous Saturday. Fresh off a night cheering for the Youngstown State Bowling Team at the Eastern Shore Hawk Classic (few know that the former quarterback throws a mean strike himself), he was concerned that with the Buckeyes kicking off at noon he was in a pickle as the Penguins basketball team hosted Southern Illinois from the Beeghly Center at 2 p.m.

“Thank goodness the game isn’t on Fox this week,” Tressel confided in his wife Ellen over Eggs Benedict that morning, “They wouldn’t even be at halftime before tipoff!”

Surreptitiously listening to Paul Keels calling the game via an earbud while he mingled with donors, the five-time national champion coach was impressed not only with how incredibly efficient Ohio State was on offense, but with how well the Buckeye defense bottled up the Spartans.

After Stroud threw for his fourth touchdown, Tressel thought to himself, “I’m a little surprised at how poor the Spartans are at defending the pass. Melvin’s a better coach than that.”

With the Buckeyes rolling at halftime, Tressel finally convinced one of the stewards to turn the Ohio State game on one of the televisions in his suite at the basketball game. He was excited at the idea that the backups were coming in, which would surely mean a chance to see Noah Ruggles and Jesse Mirco at work.

Just this week, in fact, he’d found one of those online shops that would print a custom “RUGGLES 4 HEISMAN” t-shirt and was expecting delivery Monday. So when Ohio State’s first drive of the half bogged down at Michigan State’s 21 yardline, he was practically giddy as Ruggles led the field goal unit onto the field.

“This is money in the bank,” he said to a YSU booster, “This kid doesn’t miss.”

But miss he did, pushing a 38-yard attempt wide to the right, snapping his streak of 18-consecutive field goals dating back to last season, including all 16 of his previous attempts since transferring to Ohio State.

“Well snickerdoodles,” Tressel muttered to himself. “I guess nothing lasts forever.”

It Was Over When…

…Stroud threw his fourth touchdown pass of the day less than a minute into the second quarter, a four-yard toss to Julian Fleming that put the Buckeyes up 28-0. Michigan State, with the worst passing defense in the FBS, simply isn’t built to come back from a four-score deficit against an offense as potent as Ohio State’s.

The game was a laugher by intermission and the second half was pretty much all garbage time.

Up Next: THE GAME. Ohio State travels to Ann Arbor for a high-noon showdown with That Team Up North, currently No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings and sure to move up with Oregon’s loss to the Utes. This would make the 12th time in history that The Game features a Top 5 matchup (spoiler alert: Ohio State is 7-3-1 when both teams are ranked in the Top 5).



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Indiana Notebook: Chris Olave and Jeremy Ruckert Moving Up Ohio State’s Record Book, Evan Pryor Sees First Extended Playing Time and Trey Leroux, Jakob James Make Offensive Line Debuts

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Two senior playmakers on Ohio State’s offense are closing in on all-time school records for touchdown receptions.

Chris Olave caught his 30th touchdown pass as a Buckeye in Saturday night’s 54-7 win over Indiana to move into a tie with Devin Smith for the second-most touchdown receptions in Ohio State history. He’s now only five touchdown catches from setting a new school record, as David Boston currently holds the mark with 34 career touchdown receptions.

Jeremy Ruckert, meanwhile, caught the 11th and 12th touchdown passes of his Ohio State career in Bloomington to move ahead of John Lumpkin for the second-most touchdown catches by a tight end in Ohio State history. He’s now just one touchdown reception away from tying Jake Stoneburner’s school record of 13 career touchdown catches for a tight end.

While Olave has now caught eight touchdown receptions in seven games this season, including at least one in each of Ohio State’s last four games, Ruckert had his most productive game of the season to date with five catches for 47 yards and two touchdowns against Indiana. It was the fourth two-touchdown game of Ruckert’s Ohio State career – he’s had as many two-touchdown games as he’s had one-touchdown games as a Buckeye – but his five catches were a career-high, while his 47 receiving yards were the second-highest total of his Ohio State career.

Ruckert actually could have had three touchdown receptions against the Hoosiers, but one of them was called back due to an ineligible receiver downfield penalty against Matt Jones. Olave’s touchdown reception came two plays later.

Because Ohio State has a reputation for not throwing the ball to its tight ends regularly, a productive night like Ruckert had on Saturday always generates attention – and subsequent questions about the tight end finally getting his chance to shine. That said, Ruckert told reporters after Saturday’s game that his approach against the Hoosiers was no different than it’s been all year.

“Like I’ve always said since I’ve been here, some days it’s in the run game, some days it’s in the pass game. Whatever it is, just being able to make the plays when your name’s called is the culture here,” Ruckert said. “Some days the game plan’s different than the others, and like I said before, not forcing anything and just playing free, the ball’s gonna come your way.”

Pryor sees extended playing time

During his radio show on the Ohio State Sports Network on Thursday, Ryan Day hinted at the possibility that true freshman running back Evan Pryor could see more playing time against Indiana than he had in previous games.

“Evan has now done some good things in practice, so he’s gonna get some opportunities in the game as well,” Day said.

When Ohio State released its status report for the Indiana game on Saturday afternoon, it became clear why Pryor could see more playing time. Master Teague and Marcus Crowley were both unavailable for Saturday night’s game, leaving just three running backs on the travel roster: TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams and Pryor.

Henderson and Williams played all of the snaps at running back in Saturday’s first half, but Henderson (who had nine carries for 81 yards, one catch for 14 yards and three total touchdowns against Indiana) did not play at all in the second half for precautionary reasons and Williams (who had eight carries for 60 yards and a touchdown) only played on Ohio State’s first two possessions of the second half, giving Pryor for the opportunity to play for the rest of the game.

Pryor had played only 18 snaps as a Buckeye entering Saturday’s game, and his inexperience showed at times against the Hoosiers, like on one play shortly after he entered the game on which he was bull-rushed back into C.J. Stroud on a blitz by Indiana linebacker Micah McFadden, nearly leading to an interception. A couple plays later, though, Pryor effectively picked up a blitz in pass protection on 3rd-and-4 to give Stroud time to complete a downfield pass to Cade Stover for an 18-yard gain.

With the ball in his hands, Pryor ran for 48 yards on 11 carries – highlighted by an 16-yard run – and caught two passes for eight yards after getting just 10 carries (on which he gained 50 yards and a touchdown) in his previous three game appearances for the Buckeyes. And Day was encouraged by what he saw from Pryor in his first extended action.

“I was impressed with the way Evan ran down the stretch, and that’s good,” Day said. “We’re gonna need some of the depth there.”

Evan Pryor played 27 offensive snaps for Ohio State against Indiana.

Day was not asked after the game about why Teague and Crowley were unavailable, so it’s unclear when they will be able to return. Stroud’s postgame comments about the running backs, however, suggested that Crowley’s injury could be the more serious of the two.

“I feel like Miyan did a great job when he was in, when Evan was in he did a great job and of course Trey, he had a great game,” Stroud said. “When you have three great backs like that, and then when we get Teague back, and I feel bad for Crow, but whenever he comes back, we have great backs. So that kind of just makes our job easier.”

RELATED Ohio State’s Offense Maintains Astounding Consistency While Defense Controls Field-Position Battle in Indiana Rout

James, Leroux play first offensive snaps

While Ohio State’s travel roster for the Indiana game mostly consisted of players who had already seen playing time this season, two second-year offensive linemen played the first offensive snaps of their Buckeye careers during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game.

As has been the case for the past few games, Ohio State used several different offensive line combinations against Indiana. Matt Jones mixed in with the starters at both left and right guard. Early in the first half, Thayer Munford moved to his old position of left tackle and Nicholas Petit-Frere moved to his old position of right tackle with Dawand Jones coming out of the game. With Enokk Vimahi and Harry Miller both unavailable, Dawand Jones later returned to the game at right tackle to play on the second-team offensive line with Josh Fryar at left tackle, Matt Jones at left guard, Toby Wilson at center and Donovan Jackson at right tackle.

Then, on Ohio State’s final possession of the game, Jakob James entered the game at left guard for his first-ever snaps as a Buckeye while Trey Leroux, who played his first-ever snaps as a Buckeye on the field goal team against Maryland, checked in at right guard with Jackson moving outside to right tackle.

Including Leroux and James, 14 different offensive linemen have now played snaps for Ohio State this season. The only scholarship offensive linemen who haven’t yet played at all this season are redshirt freshman Grant Toutant and true freshmen Ben Christman and Zen Michalski.



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Chris Olave Says Oregon Was “Dream School” Growing Up, Remembers Rooting Against Buckeyes in 2015 Title Game

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Chris Olave will have a starring role in Saturday’s Ohio State-Oregon matchup, but it won’t be the first time the star wideout has had a vested interest in a contest between the two programs.

It’ll just be the first time he wants the Buckeyes to win that game.

The California native vividly recalls tuning into the 2015 College Football Playoff national championship game, the most recent meeting between the Buckeyes and Ducks, and Olave couldn’t help but pause, grin and laugh when asked Tuesday which team he was rooting for at the time.

“I was young, I remember watching it at home with my family. I was definitely an Oregon fan,” Olave said. “I remember they beat Florida State before that, so I was going for Oregon, but Ohio State came in and kind of put the bang on them. They were hitting hard, and kind of messed up Oregon’s game. That’s what I remember about it. Ohio State came to play that game, they had a real good team.”

Olave’s Oregon fandom might not make immediate sense, given that he grew up just a couple hours from USC in his own home state. However, between the 2010 and 2014 seasons – at which point Olave went from fifth grade to his freshman year at Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, California – the Ducks finished in the AP Poll top 10 every year, with four top-five finishes.

USC, on the other hand, finished two of those seasons unranked while juggling four different head coaches in that five-year window.

“Oregon was really like a powerhouse growing up,” Olave said. “Chip Kelly, I remember just watching Oregon growing up with my family. We were all Oregon fans, me and my brother, so just to be able to play against them. All the different jerseys, they were a powerhouse, top five in the country every year, so just to be able to play against them and have the opportunity to step on the field with them is gonna be huge.”

RELATED Five Things to Know About Oregon Before Saturday’s Top-15 Matchup with Ohio State

It was Kelly’s successor, Mark Helfrich, that was running the show at Oregon by the time Olave transferred to Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, California, as a junior, and Willie Taggart took over the program while Olave began climbing the recruiting ranks as a senior.

While Ohio State caught onto Olave’s talents earlier than most by happenstance when then-quarterbacks coach Ryan Day went to California to watch Mission Hills quarterback Jack Tuttle work out in 2017, Oregon was late to the party.

Olave said he had some contact with the Ducks, who wanted him to visit the program in late January of 2018, but Olave’s “mind was already set on Ohio State” by then, and he committed to the Buckeyes on Jan. 28 of that year.

Few could argue that things have not worked out for the best for Olave, a three-star recruit that has a real chance to set the Buckeyes’ all-time career receiving touchdowns record this season en route to a potential first-round NFL draft selection, but things could have gone differently had Oregon shown interest early in his recruitment.

“It was my dream school, but I don’t know. We’ll never know,” Olave said. “They never came, so I guess we’ll never know.”

If Olave is still harboring any resentment, he’ll have a shot to show the Ducks what they missed out on this weekend. Even without Justin Fields at quarterback, Olave didn’t skip a beat in the season opener to his senior season, racking up 117 yards on just four catches, with touchdown receptions of 38 and 61 yards in the second half against Minnesota.

In fact, Olave actually sees quite a few similarities between the prolific Ohio State offense of which he has long been a featured star and the one operated by Kelly at Oregon back when he watched the Ducks religiously.

“Coach Day and Chip Kelly, I think they’re real close,” Olave said. “They both worked together. I think Coach Day gets a lot of concepts from him and that tempo. We definitely have a similar offense to that, and that’s huge.”

Kelly’s mentorship of Day has been well-documented, and the latter does not deny the influence that the current UCLA Bruin head coach has had on both him and college football as a whole throughout the years.

“When that spread offense was making its run and the no-huddle was making its run, he was really on the forefront of that,” Day said. “And then to see what he did at Oregon, and then from there, I think he was one of the guys who I guess you could say could be responsible for the spread offense, for the no-huddle offense – one of the pioneers in that area.”

Kelly isn’t at Oregon anymore, and the Ducks have only made the final AP Poll in one of the last five seasons. However, Mario Cristobal’s team is top-15 competition for Ohio State this weekend, and it’s a matchup that many have been anticipating for quite some time.

Olave not least of which.

“It’s a childhood dream to play in a game like this, Ohio State vs. Oregon Week 2,” Olave said. “I grew up an Oregon fan, I always wanted to go to Oregon. But just to play against them, one of the best teams in the Pac-12, excited. So I can’t wait to be able to play against them.”



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