These 8 B1G players are off to slow starts, but I’m not bailing on them yet
It’s a long season, so it’s important not to overreact to a slow start. But nearly a month in, there are a handful of star players off to slow starts — at least statistically speaking.
But it’s too early to panic. The lack of productivity could be due to the current situation (like with Ohio State’s QBs) or due to a tough schedule (like Indiana). With over 2 months left in the regular season, I’m not bailing on these 8 guys:
WR Chris Olave (Ohio State)
You’d have to go all the way back to 2018, Olave’s true freshman season, to find a 2-game stretch in which he had stats an anemic as 2 catches for 12 yards, which is what the star wideout has totaled the last 2 weeks. His average receiving yards per game is down from 104.1 last year to 63.8 this year.
But there’s no cause for concern. Those 2 down games were against Tulsa and Akron, for one. Secondly, there was always going to be a bump or two in the road this season without Justin Fields and with a first-time starter; there simply isn’t the same chemistry. And lastly, there are so many mouths to feed on Ohio State, with Garrett Wilson also being a likely first-rounder and top recruits Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Emeka Egbuka and Julian Fleming waiting in the wings.
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I don’t think Olave would’ve come back for his senior season if he didn’t have a ton of confidence in Ohio State’s QB situation. He could’ve been a first-rounder last year, so he must’ve felt strongly about this year’s team and CJ Stroud. It may just take some time to get on track.
You can’t hold a WR as smooth as this down for too long.
CHRIS OLAVE HAS HAD ENOUGH OF MINNESOTA pic.twitter.com/dlCbZdKB2C
— Arrogant Ryan Day (@ArrogantBuckeye) September 3, 2021
QB Michael Penix Jr. and WR Ty Fryfogle (Indiana)
Remember when this was the norm from these 2?
Wow. Ty Fryfogle’s 3rd TD of the day. #Devy pic.twitter.com/ll6Wv5BLCc
— Greg Brandt (@devywarehouse) November 21, 2020
There hasn’t been much of that between one of the top QB-WR duos in the B1G last year. After combining for 7 TDs in 6 games together last year (including 3 at Ohio State), one would’ve thought these guys would’ve picked up where they left off. To say 2021 has been a letdown would be an understatement. Penix has 6 INTs and only 4 TD passes — with just 1 going to Fryfogle. But I’m not selling my stock in these 2 just yet. In fact, I’m buying more while the price is low. They have faced 2 elite defenses in Iowa and Cincinnati (and have another this week in Penn State), but the arrow is pointing up after Fryfogle caught 10 passes for 98 yards at Western Kentucky.
RB Noah Cain (Penn State)
Cain hasn’t been able to build upon that promise he showed as a true freshman and top recruit. He is averaging only 3.4 yards per carry, down from the 5.3 he averaged in 2019. He only had 1 carry against Villanova, as he was reportedly hurt and missed practice leading up to the game. While Cain’s numbers have been disappointing this season and his health is a concern, I’m betting on a few things in Cain’s favor: the offensive line is talented on paper (even if it hasn’t performed all that well), offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is creative and will figure out how to maximize Cain, and Penn State has a great track record of developing RBs (Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders and Journey Brown all had huge seasons with the Nittany Lions in the last 5 years).
RB Jalen Berger (Wisconsin)
It’s a mystery why Berger remains in Paul Chryst’s doghouse. The No. 5 rusher in the B1G last season in terms of yards per game, Berger has a whopping 1 carry in the Badgers’ 2 games against Power 5 opponents (and it went for 8 yards). Clemson transfer Chez Mellusi secured the starting job in the preseason, but he hasn’t been anything special. Whenever Berger does get some extended run in the backfield, the guess here is that he’ll make it count.
S Brandon Joseph (Northwestern)
Joseph was an All-American last year after leading the country with 6 interceptions. It’s been a relatively slow start for the sophomore, partly due to a change of circumstance. The Wildcats played with the lead most of last season in winning the West. This year, they have quickly fallen behind teams like Michigan State and Duke, and when that happens, opportunities are limited for a ball-hawking safety like Joseph. Not to worry, though, he got his first INT of the year against Ohio. Even though Joseph ranks 26th out of 33 B1G safeties in terms of PFF grade, it’s a small sample size. Water always finds it level.
CB Faion Hicks (Wisconsin)
Take a guess who PFF’s lowest-graded B1G cornerback is through 4 weeks … it’s Hicks. But that doesn’t quite tell the whole story for a player who had to sit out against Eastern Michigan due to injury and rebounded from a tough season opener with a very good performance against Notre Dame, even though he gave up a TD in tight coverage. Even defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said, ”He got tested early, he got tested often and he did a tremendous job.” That sort of endorsement tells me Hicks, a player with 30 career starts, won’t be down for long.
DE George Karlaftis (Purdue)
The guy that many (including me) predicted would lead the B1G in sacks has just 2 through 4 games, hardly the sort of pace one would expect out of a likely first-round NFL Draft pick. But don’t worry, Karlaftis is still being his usual dominant self — he just commands a ton of attention from offensive lines, as they typically give the tackle plenty of help. PFF has Karlaftis as its No. 10 edge rusher in terms of overall grade. The sacks will come.
BALL!!!
George Karlaftis doin' what George Karlaftis does for @BoilerFootball 💪 pic.twitter.com/ZOSxGdR9gF
— Purdue On BTN (@PurdueOnBTN) September 25, 2021