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ESPN analyst names Ohio State’s midseason MVP following 5-0 start
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ESPN’s Bill Connelly ranked all 12 remaining unbeaten teams in a new story for the World Wide Leader on Tuesday.
Ohio State landed at No. 2 in that ranking, just one spot behind Texas. The Longhorns earned the No. 1 spot as they are No. 1 overall in Connelly’s SP+ model.
Through 5 games, Ohio State has been dominant on both sides of the ball. The Buckeyes lead all Big Ten teams with 7.66 yards per play on offense 3.61 yards per play allowed on defense.
For Ohio State’s midseason MVP, Connelly chose to focus on the defensive side of the ball. He gave the nod to defensive lineman Jack Sawyer. Here’s an excerpt of his analysis on Sawyer’s impact:
“At the heart of this unit is a defensive front that has been as dominant as expected. Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau and Ty Hamilton have all been fantastic, but Sawyer has been just about the best pass rusher in the country. He entered the Iowa game with 15 pass pressures and a 25.8% pressure rate (anything over about 15% is great), and he had 1.5 sacks against the Hawkeyes.”
Sawyer has been credited with 17 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 2 sacks so far this season. However, his elite pressure rates suggest even more production could be coming over the next few weeks.
Ohio State will need another strong performance out of Sawyer and the entire Buckeyes’ defense this weekend against Oregon. OSU is a 3.5-point favorite over the undefeated Ducks in Eugene, per the latest lines from DraftKings.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night.
Attention Ohio residents! Interested in betting on the game this weekend? Here’s a breakdown of all the top OH sports bettings apps on the market!
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.