Ohio State reporters roundtable on Marvin Harrison Jr., Heisman Trophy
Editor's note: After each Ohio State football game, beat reporters Joey Kaufman and Bill Rabinowitz discuss the lasting storylines and other key developments.
No. 1 Ohio State has had no shortage of contenders for the Heisman Trophy in recent seasons.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud was a finalist for college football’s most prestigious individual award in 2022 and 2021, as were Justin Fields and Dwayne Haskins Jr., his immediate predecessors behind center, in 2019 and 2018.
Even star defensive end Chase Young joined Fields on the trip to New York four years ago.
The latest candidate to emerge is Marvin Harrison Jr. In a 38-3 rout of Michigan State on Saturday night, the Buckeyes’ superstar wide receiver was as impressive as he’s been all year with seven catches for 149 yards and two touchdowns in addition to running for a 19-yard score off a reverse.
Updated odds from DraftKings leave Harrison with the fourth-best shot at winning the hardware, behind only a trio of quarterbacks in Oregon's Bo Nix, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. and LSU's Jayden Daniels.
How viable is Harrison’s candidacy?
Kaufman: It is no small feat for a receiver to lift the stiff-arm trophy. Only four have ever done it — Alabama’s DeVonta Smith in 2021, Michigan’s Desmond Howard in 1991, Notre Dame’s Tim Brown in 1987 and Nebraska’s Johnny Rodgers in 1972. Ten of the last 12 winners have been quarterbacks. But if Harrison continues this stretch, he’s going to be in the mix.
Rabinowitz: Barring injury, I think he can book his trip to New York City now. (I have.) When Smith was in contention three years ago, the Crimson Tide had three viable candidates. I asked an Alabama media guy I trusted, and he told me Smith made the Tide's offense go. I voted for Smith as a result. I feel the same about Harrison. He makes everyone around him more effective because of the unique threat he is.
Kaufman: He is the most valuable player for the Buckeyes. Their offense is not as high-scoring or flashy as in previous seasons, but they might have multiple losses if not for Harrison. Ohio State probably needs to make the College Football Playoff for him to win it. Only two winners in the playoff era were not on teams that made the postseason, and those were Louisville's Lamar Jackson and Southern California's Caleb Williams, two quarterbacks with gaudy stat lines.
Rabinowitz: He's definitely in contention, which is an impressive feat for a non-quarterback. Let's talk briefly about Saturday's win over Michigan State. You could argue that it was the most complete victory of the season, even if the Spartans are quite depleted. The offense scored touchdowns on five of six first-half possessions. Kyle McCord played superbly. The defense allowed only a 53-yard field goal despite missing Tommy Eichenberg and safeties Josh Proctor and Lathan Ransom. It wasn't dominant at the start, but it got better as the game went on.
Kaufman: The Buckeyes don't have a flashy defense. They force few turnovers, ranking 118th out of 133 Football Bowl Subdivision teams with nine takeaways, and generate minimal sacks with a total of 19 that puts them 84th nationally. But they are fundamentally sound. They limit big plays, allowing the fourth-fewest plays of 20 yards or more. Most of all, they get stops, led by a third-down defense that is 14th nationally. Opponents have a 29.5% conversion percentage against them on third down, as Michigan State found out last weekend when it converted only two of 14 chances in that situation.
Rabinowitz: Michigan State did gash the Buckeyes a few times early before they clamped down. And they really clamped down. I wrote in my analysis that OSU allowed only 55 yards in the Spartans' final 30 snaps. As you pointed out, the Buckeyes are doing it in a way that seems almost the opposite of the way Jim Knowles' reputation would suggest. Knowles came from Oklahoma State with a history of taking chances, especially with blitzes. In his second year at Ohio State, he knows he doesn't need to use a lot of gimmicks. His players are talented and experienced enough to rely on sound fundamental defense.
Kaufman: Now will their defensive progress materialize in "The Game" in two weeks? It's interesting to compare the Buckeyes to Michigan now that both have played Penn State, the only other Big Ten near their weight class. The Wolverines left State College with a 24-15 win on Saturday, grinding out a win over the Nittany Lions as Ohio State did in October.
Rabinowitz: We would be remiss if we didn't at least mention Minnesota, this week's opponent. P.J. Fleck's boat has run ashore. The Golden Gophers (5-5 overall) are 3-4 in the awful Big Ten West, lost to last-place Purdue last week, and are riddled with injuries on defense. This figures to be another tuneup for Ohio State in preparation for Michigan. But it is Senior Day and it's always special for those Buckeyes to be recognized in their final game at the Horseshoe.
