COLUMBUS, Ohio — Prior to Ohio State’s 49-14 victory over Marshall, Thundering Herd head coach Charles Huff expressed his admiration for the Buckeyes, even joking about recruiting some of their players to his own team.
After the game, Huff’s compliments continued, having witnessed Ohio State’s prowess firsthand. While his team experienced some success, he readily acknowledged that OSU met all expectations.
“Offensively, they’re absolutely dominant, and defensively, they really suffocate you,” Huff noted. “They just lean on you and gradually wear you down. That’s what happened to us; I can’t comment on how they’ll play against others, but they really took control over us defensively.”
His analysis of their defense was insightful, but it was his remarks about an offense that amassed 569 yards in just 23:45 of possession that stood out. Having seen powerful offenses in the past, he clearly has discernment.
“2019 LSU, 2020 Alabama,” Huff remarked. “They belong in that category. They’re exceptionally talented. We didn’t make it easy for ourselves by missing tackles, which didn’t help. But they’re really good.”
Huff was part of the Alabama coaching staff as a running backs coach in 2020, when they defeated Ohio State in the National Championship Game. He also experienced their matchup against the Joe Burrow-led LSU Tigers the previous year, which lends credibility to his insights.
This 2024 version of the Buckeyes is aiming to measure up to teams like those, equipped with significant talent and experience. While media and fans can set high expectations for the team in the preseason, Huff’s approval carries more weight since he has firsthand experience facing top-tier teams, regardless of his role.
“Hats off to them,” Huff said. “Coach (Ryan) Day has done an excellent job building this program and keeping many players who had options to leave. They’ve brought some new talent in too. Honestly, I don’t think they even need to stay healthy; they could simply substitute in their fifth guy. They’re that good.”
Players of the Game
With games back on the schedule, Ohio State has resumed presenting Player of the Game awards. Although they stopped publicly releasing the full list of champions after a loss to Michigan in 2021, the awards continue to be given behind the scenes.
This week, the running back duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins received the offensive honor, having combined for 249 yards and four touchdowns on just 20 carries, averaging an impressive 12.45 yards per carry. For the season, they have amassed 543 yards and nine touchdowns on 60 carries.
Lorenzo Styles Jr. earned the special teams honor for the second time this season, making two tackles while participating in both kickoff coverage and as a secondary nickel safety.
Leave a Reply