Welcome back into The Morning Bell. We are 4 days away from the biggest test of the season at Penn State. The Buckeyes are 9-1 in their last 10 meetings with the Nittany Lions, and look to push their win streak to 6 wins in a row against the B1G East foe.
A lot of stuff happened over the weekend, so let's sift through some of the things we saw.
Zach Harrison Arrives
One of the first major wins for Ryan Day after being handed the keys to the Ohio State program was the commitment of local 5-Star DE Zach Harrison. Since then, Buckeye fans have been waiting for a truly dominant game from the 4th year player, and on Saturday, they finally got it. From the jump, Harrison was nearly unblock able, winning on 44% of his pass rush attempts. When he wasn't getting past his blocker, he was getting his long arms up and in the throwing lanes of Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla.
Harrison ended the game with 1 Sack, 1 Forced Fumble, 2 TFLs, and 1 PBU and looked like a true force of nature. If this game was a turning point for a more consistent Zach Harrison, then the Buckeyes defense just got even scarier.
Damon Wilson Down To 2 Schools
5-Star DE Damon Wilson out of Florida has been one of the main focal points of recruiting talk for the past few months. The 6'-4" 230 lb DE is one of the most coveted prospects in the country, and had previously named a Top 5 of Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Ohio State, and Miami.
As of yesterday, that list is down to 2, Ohio State and Georgia. The Buckeyes and Bulldogs have been going back and forth in this recruitment for the past few weeks, as Wilson has taken official visits to both schools. Ryan Day made Wilson a priority on the Bye Week as he was one of the first recruits he went to visit. A week later, Kirby Smart did the same thing, as reports of Ohio State being the team to beat started to trickle in.
The predictions for Ohio State to land Wilson still remain, and with the 2023 prospect now in "decision mode", many in Columbus are optimistic that they will ultimately land his commitment.
Justin Fields Takes The Stage On MNF
Am I biased as an Ohio State fan in judging Justin Fields? 100%. He is perfect and I will not tolerate slander. In all seriousness though, it is hard to accurately grade the 2nd year QB because his supporting cast on offense is so damn bad. The offensive line acts like Fields owes them money with the amount of free rushers he sees every game, and most of his WRs would not be on 75% of the NFL Rosters.
Despite all this, Fields did his best to carry Chicago to a 33-14 win over the Patriots on Monday night. He finished 13/21 with 179 Yds 1 TD and 1 INT, with an additional 82 Yds and 1 TD on the ground. It wasn't an MVP level performance, but it was good enough to get the job done with his turnstile offensive line and WR group that probably wouldn't start at Ohio State right now.
Fields was constantly fighting for his life out there, but he continued to make plays like the one above with his legs. I wouldn't be surprised to see Chicago start to become sellers as the trade deadline approaches. They need to start compiling picks to get him weapons, and they should probably look to Jaxon Smith-Njigba or TCU's Quentin Johnston. Either of those players would make Justin's life a lot easier.
Thanks for stopping in. Try to enjoy your Tuesday, which in my opinion is the shittiest day of the week. We are one more day closer to Saturday. GO BUCKS!