Tag: J.T. Tuimoloau

Ohio State dominated Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, and this stat backs it up

The Buckeye defensive line dominated against the potential first round pick #GoBucks

We all know how well this [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] defense played against Penn State this past Saturday, but now there are some stats to back up its play.

The Buckeye defensive line had a big task in facing off against PSU offensive tackle, [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag], but it didn’t seem like it when the game concluded. Multiple Ohio State players faced off against the potential first-round NFL draft pick, and they did extremely well.

How well you ask? [autotag]Matt Miller[/autotag] of ESPN shared this info today, that Fashanu gave up five hurries and a sack, something that was out of the ordinary for him.

[autotag]J.T. Tuimoloau[/autotag] was the main culprit of Fashanu’s struggles, but it wasn’t only him. This Ohio State defensive line may not put up the sexy stats, but it sure does get the job done.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

Scouting notebook from CFB Week 8: Big Ten stars on the rise, another McCaffrey and more

2024 Scouting notebook from CFB Week 8: Big Ten stars on the rise, another McCaffrey and more

The Week 8 matchups in college football provided several key proving grounds for some prominent NFL draft prospects for 2024. Some looked worthy, while others showed more potential flaws. It also was a weekend where a couple of unheralded players shone.

Here are some notes and observations from a busy scouting weekend.

Which Ohio State football players earned their Buckeye leaves against Penn State?

Which Buckeyes earned their helmet decals against Penn State?

For 60 minutes on Saturday, Ohio State football was in a battle with visiting Penn State, and earned a gritty, hard fought 20-12 victory in front of a raucous home crowd.

With another win in the book, the Buckeyes seventh of the season, you will see plenty more Buckeye leaf decals on players helmets next week as they visit Wisconsin. (We’re getting to the point of the year where some players are almost full!)

Some of those players get them for team achievements, but these players highlighted below earned them for their individual play in our own personal grading scale. Check out who we thought played the best football for Ohio State on Saturday and deserves new helmet decals.

Five reasons Ohio State beats Penn State on Saturday

We give you five reasons why Ohio State beats Penn State on Saturday. Give us your main reason you think the Buckeyes are victorious. #GoBucks

Before the start of the 2023 college football season, there were two games on the calendar Ohio State fans — and likely players and coaches — circled. One was, of course, the Michigan game, but the other was against Penn State in October. That week is here and there’s a sea of hype surrounding what’ll take place in the ‘Shoe at high noon ET on Saturday.

This is — as they say — a “matchup” game, meaning the athleticism and skill will be fairly equal. That means execution, emotion, timely plays and intangibles will come into play to determine the winner.

There’s some worry with Ohio State fans over this one, and for good reason. The Nittany Lions have looked like one of the best teams in the country this year. But there are also reasons to believe OSU, the favored and higher ranked team (No. 3 to No. 6), will come out on top.

We’re a Buckeye homer site but do try to keep things as honest and unbiased as possible. If you’ve already read some of our preview stuff this week, you know not everyone on the site is picking the Buckeyes in this one.

Take that for what it’s worth.

However, the large majority of us do believe Ohio State will come out victorious on the banks of the Olentangy on Saturday, and we’re here to give you five reasons OSU has the victory bell ringing in late afternoon.

Olu Fashanu vs. J.T. Tuimoloau is a can’t-miss scouting matchup in CFB Week 8

Fashanu and Tuimoloau are both likely to be first-round picks in 2024 and will face off on Saturday

Saturday’s Big Ten heavyweight matchup between Ohio State and Penn State features an individual battle that has pro scouts and NFL draft analysts ready to witness. Nittany Lions left tackle Olu Fashanu and Buckeyes EDGE
J.T. Tuimoloau will have scouting eyes attuned for their matchup within the huge game between top-10 teams.

Fashanu is an elite-level prospect for the 2024 NFL draft at left tackle, a likely top-10 overall pick based on current projections. He’s been a rock in pass protection, allowing just two QB pressures and committing two penalties all season. Fashanu pitched a shutout on 44 pass protection snaps vs. the Buckeyes a year ago and looks to do the same in Columbus on Saturday.

Tuimoloau had a big game in his own right in Happy Valley in last year’s meeting, though none of his two sacks or three QB hits came at Fashanu’s expense. He’s playing great, impactful football recently with three sacks and seven QB hits in Ohio State’s last two wins. Facing Fashanu is a big step up from the likes of Purdue and Maryland, however.

The Buckeyes move the 6-foot-4, 277-pound junior around the formation, so Tuimoloau and Fashanu won’t go head-to-head on every rep. Ohio State’s other primary pass rusher, Jack Sawyer, is also a 2024 prospect in his own right, generally projected in the 75-125 overall range at this point. It’s a nice proving ground for Fashanu, who has a chance to be the first non-QB selected in April.

The day after: Lasting thoughts on Ohio State football’s win over Purdue

What still sticks out in your head Buckeye fans? #GoBucks

It wasn’t the biggest win in [autotag]Ohio State footbal[/autotag]l history, but it’s win on the road against Purdue did carry some significance.

It somewhat exorcized some West Lafayette demons, kept the Buckeyes undefeated and was a great tune up ahead of their tilt at home against Penn State. Both major pregame shows will be in attendance, so you know it’s a big game.

We wait six days every week for Buckeye football to return on Saturday during the season, so there is always plenty of time to think about what transpired the previous game. Here are my day after thoughts following Ohio State football’s impressive road 41-7 win against Purdue.

Ten Ohio State football players who earned their Buckeye leaves against Maryland

Which Buckeyes stood out to you today? #GoBucks

[autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] shook off their first half bland play to surge ahead of [autotag]Maryland[/autotag] in the second half, to earn a 37-17 win in front of a home crowd.

While the score looks good, there were still aspects of the game that have left much more to be desired. With that said, there was still plenty of good to come out of this win. That does happen when you still come out victorious, while not playing your best.

We will see more Buckeye decals on Ohio State players helmet’s next week against [autotag]Purdue[/autotag] and here are ten players that earned their’s for their play against Maryland.

Watch: Ohio State football arrives to Notre Dame Stadium

The Buckeyes are in the building #GoBucks

As we continue to wait for [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] to finally take the field on this Saturday, we now know that they have entered the building.

The Buckeyes social media account shared a video of head coach [autotag]Ryan Day[/autotag], multiple players including [autotag]Marvin Harrison Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]J.T. Tuimoloau[/autotag] getting off the bus as they arrive to Notre Dame Stadium.

The anticipation has been building for this top-10 contest, as we now know which Buckeyes will be missed, along with which ESPN GameDay personality has picked Ohio State to come out victorious.

Check out the video shared on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, of the Buckeyes arriving to the stadium, ready to take care of business.

Contact/Follow @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on X.

Ohio State defensive player-by-player PFF grades for Indiana game

We know the defense shined with the eye test on Saturday, but how did it grade out according to Pro Football Focus? #GoBucks

The season kicked off for Ohio State on Saturday afternoon with a 23-3 victory over Indiana. The performance left Buckeyes fans very satisfied with what they saw from the defense. The offense — not so much.

On Indiana’s nine drives, it kicked just one field goal, punted six times and turned the ball over on downs twice. The Buckeyes defended the run and pass very well, limiting the Hoosiers to 2.2 yards per rush and allowing  9-of-20 completed passes passes for 82 yards.

It was a great performance from a unit that was expected to improve under second-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, especially with a great deal of talent returning across the defense.

We break down each offensive position group’s performance using Pro Football Focus grades for each player. Though not the ultimate measuring stick, PFF is a good tool because it gradse every player on every play.

Titans select edge rusher in Draft Wire’s 2024 mock

Draft Wire has the Titans picking inside the top 10 in their recent 2024 mock draft.

We’re exactly one week away from the Tennessee Titans kicking off the 2023 season against the New Orleans Saints on September 10th.

This should be a time full of excitement and intrigue toward the upcoming season. Yet, some choose to spend their time attempting to predict the future, more specifically, when it comes to the NFL draft.

Curt Popejoy of Draft Wire was recently tasked with creating a first-round 2024 mock draft for all 32 teams, and it’s evident by his having the Titans picking inside the top 10 that he’s not expecting much out of them this season.

Popejoy has Tennessee selecting “the powerful strong-side edge rusher from Ohio State,” J.T. Tuimoloau, with the No. 8 overall pick.

Here’s some strengths and weaknesses for 6-foot-4, 270-pound pass rusher, per Damian Parson of The Draft Network:

Strengths:

Blend of size, strength, and athleticism

Instincts

Versatility

Concerns:

Pass-rush plan

Pad level

Hip flexibility

I personally have minimal interest in trying to predict next year’s draft before the season even begins, but there’s no denying that this is the type of addition that could take Tennessee’s already stout defense to an entirely different level.

With that said, let’s hope the Titans aren’t picking anywhere near the range where Tuimoloau will likely get drafted next April. Otherwise, that likely means something went terribly wrong throughout the 2023 campaign.

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