You’re Nuts: Which Ohio State player did you think played well against USC?

Ohio State’s 30-18 loss to USC on Saturday night was a tough loss. Ryan Day and Arthur Smith didn’t do Luke Fahey any favors in his first start at quarterback for the Buckeyes. Matt Patricia’s defense was repeatedly gashed by the Trojans on the ground and through the air. There were also numerous penalties by Ohio State which put the Buckeyes in holes they weren’t able to dig themselves out of.

While Ohio State fans could write a novel about their disgust for the game plan against the Trojans and players who didn’t perform up to expectations on Saturday night, instead of focusing on the negative today, we are going to highlight some of the positive performances from the Buckeyes on Halloween. Even though it might be hard to believe, there were some players who did some good things against USC.

Before fully turning our attention to Oregon, we might as well finish up our recap of the USC game on a bit of a high note. Let us know which Buckeye stood out against USC. Hopefully those Ohio State players who did play well against the Trojans can continue their solid play this week and during the rest of the regular season.

Today’s question: Which Ohio State player did you think played well against USC?

We’d love to hear your choices. Either respond to us on Twitter at @Landgrant33 or leave your choice in the comments.

Brett’s answer: Connor Hawkins

It feels like forever since Ohio State has had a reliable kicker. Buckeye Nation will be haunted by misses from Jayden Fielding, Noah Ruggles, and a number of other kickers for quite some time. That’s why Ohio State fans were elated when it was announced Connor Hawkins was transferring into the program after hitting 18 of his 22 field goal attempts at Baylor last season.

Hawkins had a rough start to his Ohio State career, missing a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter at Texas that would have given the Buckeyes a two-score lead over the Longhorns. Entering Saturday night’s game, Hawkins had made five of his last six field goal attempts, with the only miss coming at Iowa. Even though the sample size has been small, Hawkins has been mostly reliable when his number has been called.

Hawkins ended up being Ohio State’s main source of points on Saturday night against USC, with the kicker making all four of his field goal attempts in the loss. Three of Hawkins’ field goals coming from under 40 yards should tell you all you need to know about the failures of the Buckeyes when they were in the red zone. Then on his final field goal of the night, Hawkins hit from 47 yards, which was his second-longest field goal this year.

Even though Ohio State fans were likely disappointed to settle for all those field goals, Hawkins did his job when he was called upon. While his field goals didn’t lead to a Buckeye victory against USC, at least the kicker did gain some more confidence for the rest of the season. It’s possible a game could come down to the leg of Hawkins. At least the more kicks he hits, the less doubt fans will have that it will be a repeat of the Texas game when Hawkins didn’t rise to the moment.

Matt’s answer: Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

Finding positives in Ohio State’s 30-18 loss to USC is neither easy nor fun. Between the penalties, missed opportunities, defensive breakdowns, lack of any urgency, and general poor execution, there was more than enough blame to go around on Saturday night. However, even in a game as frustrating as this one, there were individual performances worth recognizing, and defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. deserves to be near the top of that list.

After suffering an injury late in the Buckeyes’ win over Indiana two weeks earlier, there was some uncertainty about just how much Jackson would be able to contribute against the Trojans. But not only was the veteran defensive end back on the field, but he was also one of the few Ohio State defenders consistently making his presence felt.

Jackson finished with four tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble while playing 47 of the team’s 51 defensive snaps. For a player whose availability had been in question coming out of the bye week, that’s an encouraging workload, especially considering how desperately the Buckeyes needed someone along the defensive front to step up.

His biggest contribution came in the fourth quarter, when he forced a fumble by USC running back King Miller that was recovered by Earl Little Jr. With Ohio State trailing 27-12 at the time, the turnover gave the Buckeyes possession near midfield and an opportunity to make things interesting. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t capitalize (a painfully recurring theme on the evening), but Jackson had done exactly what the defense needed him to do: create an opportunity for his team to get back into the game.

And that’s what makes his performance particularly gratifying. Throughout much of this season, Ohio State’s defense has been good at limiting opponents but hasn’t always been particularly effective at creating the kind of game-changing plays that can swing momentum in its favor. Against USC, the Buckeyes needed more than simply getting stops; they needed defenders willing and able to make something happen, and the veteran delivered.

Of course, that doesn’t erase the defensive breakdowns that contributed to the loss, nor does it suddenly make Ohio State’s pass rush anything close to the disruptive force it needs to become. But with the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff hopes hanging by a thread, the defense is going to have to take on an even greater responsibility over the final month of the regular season.

If Jackson can continue playing with the physicality and aggressiveness he showed against USC, he has an opportunity to help lead that effort. Saturday’s result was undoubtedly disappointing, but his performance was a reminder that there are still players on this roster capable of making the kinds of plays Ohio State needs to turn its season around.