Midseason Awards: What is the Biggest Surprise of the Season?

Ohio State has reached the midway point of the season, so it’s time to take stock of what has surprised us most about the Buckeyes so far.

On this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr hand out some unofficial midseason “awards” and discuss the biggest surprises from the first half of the year.

They start with Julian Sayin, whose overall numbers were strong despite some uncharacteristic misses and accuracy issues. Tony and Tom discuss whether injuries, an increased workload, or the punishment Sayin has taken behind the offensive line may have played a role.

From there, they get into the emergence of Ohio State’s defensive tackles, Jason Moore’s breakout season, Ja'Kobi Jackson’s impact at running back, the development of the linebackers, Jay Timmons becoming a major contributor as a freshman, and the very uneven first half of the season for Ohio State’s special teams.

0:02 — Midseason awards and Ohio State’s biggest surprises
0:27 — Julian Sayin’s surprising first half
2:23 — Has Sayin been dealing with more than we realized?
3:33 — The defensive line has become a strength
5:20 — Jason Moore’s breakout season
6:05 — Ja'Kobi Jackson’s impact at running back
8:01 — Ohio State’s linebackers keep getting better
9:55 — Why the linebacker rotation is working
11:20 — Jay Timmons has exceeded expectations
12:02 — Ohio State’s special teams remain a concern
13:13 — Why special teams matter even more now
14:00 — Final thoughts and biggest-surprise picks

One of the biggest positive developments has been the interior defensive line. Jason Moore, Eddrick Houston, Will Smith and James Smith have helped turn what looked like a major question mark early in the year into one of the defense’s strengths.

Ja'Kobi Jackson has also been one of the more pleasant surprises, giving Ohio State a different running style, challenging Bo Jackson for carries, and establishing himself as a legitimate part of the offense before suffering a foot injury.

Meanwhile, the linebackers have continued to improve as the season has progressed, with Payton Pierce, Christian Alliegro, Riley Pettijohn and T.J. Alford all carving out meaningful roles.

The biggest negative surprise? Special teams. Despite an offseason coaching change and the addition of a transfer kicker, Ohio State has struggled in that phase for much of the first half and will need improvement as the games get tighter down the stretch.

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