Buckeye Breakfast: Ohio State football ramps up their Marvin Harrison Jr. Heisman Trophy campaign
Marvin Harrison Jr. was largely silent during that game until the fourth quarter, when he was spotted by Kyle McCord twice for scores. Not much happens with four receptions for 25 yards, by the third-year receiver’s standards. However, those final two points enabled the Buckeyes to proceed with a prearranged rollout.
A new motto, “Here Comes the Son,” was placed beneath a poster featuring Harrison and the Heisman Trophy in an email sent by the program to the media. There’s no excuse to avoid the NFL Hall of Fame heritage. However, it’s evident from the program that it wants to convince voters that Harrison’s résumé is more than just name recognition.
Gene Smith, the athletic director, joined the effort a few minutes later with a post of his own on X.com (previously known as Twitter).
“As a player, coach, and administrator, I have had the honor of seeing players reach greatness,” Smith wrote. “Marvin Harrison Jr. is without a doubt among the greatest players of all time and the best player in all of college football this year,” the author said.
With 35 receptions for 578 yards and seven touchdowns during the last five games, Harrison has quickly returned to form.
All five of the top five favorites are quarterbacks, with Michael Penix Jr. of Washington (+140) and Bo Nix of Oregon (+210) leading the pack. Harrison is ranked sixth at +1800, although he is well behind Ollie Garden II of Oklahoma State, who is ranked seventh on the list at +4000.
Harrison was ranked about 12th in the Heisman odds going into the season. That was also due to the fact that recipients have not often competed for the prize—just one has placed in the top 10 throughout the previous five years of voting.
But in 2020, DeVonta Smith of Alabama took home the prize.
Regardless of OSU’s public relations machine, Harrison still has three games left, maybe including a Big Ten championship game, to establish his own case.
Users of the App
Ohio State’s players of the match were chosen following their 35-16 triumph over Rutgers.
• OFFENSE: TreVeyon Henderson racked up 208 yards, of which 133 came from the ground with a touchdown and 75 from five grabs as a receiver.
• DEFENSE: Jordan Hancock had five tackles, but it’s likely that his award selection was influenced by the 93-yard interception return touchdown that sealed OSU’s victory.
• SPECIAL TEAMS: No selection process was disclosed.
NFL Buckeyes QB C.J. Stroud set yet another rookie record as the Houston Texans defeated the Buccaneers, throwing for 470 yards and five touchdowns. That featured a touchdown pass of 75 yards to Noah Brown, a different former Buckeye.