Ohio State punter Drue Chrisman named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award

For the second year in a row, Drue Chrisman has been named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, given annually by the Augusta Sports Council to the nation’s best punter. The honor comes after Chrisman had his best performance as a Buckeye, pinning Michigan State inside their own 20-yard line on six of his nine punts on Saturday.

While Chrisman is only averaging 42.8 yards per punt after averaging 44.2 yards per punt last year, he has 24 punts that have been downed inside the 20-yard line this year, which is already just one shy of his total from last year. Chrisman is the only punter of the 10 semifinalists named to come from the Big Ten.

Chrisman will have one more chance to impress this weekend against Maryland before the finalists are announced on Nov. 20. The winner of the award will be revealed on Dec. 6 at the Home Depot College Football Awards in Atlanta on ESPN.

“I think it’s better to have more straightforward runs. That way, there’s no confusion or no timidity. If we run at guys like we’ve been doing, old-style football, then eventually the defense could break.”

Ohio State running back Mike Weber via Bill Rabinowitz, The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio State’s running game has been non-existent for most of the year, but the Buckeyes are starting to find success on the ground as the regular season winds down. While the Buckeyes were able to mask the ineffectiveness on the ground throughout the year with an outstanding passing attack that has been led by quarterback Dwayne Haskins, the issues with the Ohio State ground game became apparent in the loss to Purdue.

The biggest problem the Buckeyes had running the ball before the calendar turned to November was they were trying to use a run/pass option, which didn’t work as much with Haskins as it did with quarterbacks Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett. Opposing defenses didn’t respect the ability of Haskins to beat them with his legs, which allowed them to focus on the running backs when a run was called.

After the loss to Purdue, Ohio State refocused their running game, becoming more of a downhill running team that scrapped the RPO. Now the Ohio State offensive linemen don’t have to play on their heels because of the possibility of a pass with the RPO. The change in offensive philosophy when it comes to running the football allows the offensive linemen to come off the line with more force on running plans to try and create holes for the running backs.

Last week’s win over Michigan State showed the kind of tough running game Ohio State fans have become accustomed to over the years. Against the top rushing defense in the country, Mike Weber was able to crack 100 yards against the Spartans in the win. The Buckeyes will have to try and continue to build momentum with Michigan on deck next week, but it’s evident Ohio State is headed in the right direction.

“He’s way ahead of schedule. He’s going to be a fine player. He’s tough, he’s smart and very mature for his age.”

Ohio State football head coach on freshman wide receiver Chris Olave via Stephen Means, Cleveland.com

He has only four catches for 60 yards so far this year, but wide receiver Chris Olave is starting to create some buzz as to what might lie ahead for the freshman. After Austin Mack was lost for the rest of the regular season after suffering a foot injury against Purdue, Olave was tabbed as the backup to Binjimen Victor.

It’s easy to have missed Ohio State recruiting Olave since he was a late addition to the 2018 class. The wide receiver from California transferred high schools prior to his junior season. Because of the transfer, Olave wasn’t eligible to play during his junior year, which didn’t allow the Buckeyes to see much tape on him. The only reason Olave was noticed by the Ohio State coaching staff was because co-offensive coordinator Ryan Day was at a Mission Hills game to check out a quarterback.

Despite being largely overlooked by most schools in recruiting, Olave’s Ohio State teammates knew he had talent from the first day they saw him. Fellow wide receiver Parris Campbell thinks big things are in store for Olave, and he’ll be even better after working with Mickey Marotti over the winter. With the Buckeyes losing at least Campbell, Johnnie Dixon, and Terry McLaurin after this season, the time for Olave is sooner rather than later

“He’s a great player. Obviously he’s new to the team, so we’re still getting used to each other a little bit, but over time I assume more goals will come and he makes it real easy on me.”

Ohio State men’s ice hockey forward Mason Jobst on Carson Meyer via Braden Moles, The Lantern

Carson Meyer started his college hockey career at Miami (OH) and he looked to be on the path to success after his first season with the Redhawks. Not only had Meyer posted 10 goals and 26 points as a freshman, but he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Meyer’s sophomore season was the exact opposite, though. Meyer recorded just 10 points for the RedHawks, and he wasn’t sure what the problem was. It was discovered that a 25-inch tapeworm was in his small intestine. Meyer took time to recover physically and mentally, and decided to transfer to Ohio State.

Not only is the Powell, Ohio, native closer to home now that he has transferred to Ohio State, but he is also closer to the team that drafted him, who he has been a fan of since he was young. Despite having to adjust to a new team, Meyer has found some early success with the Buckeyes, scoring four goals and tying for the team-lead with eight points. Expectations are high for Meyer, but it looks as if he is ready to reach them.

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