John Simon, Big 10 Defensive Player of the Week

The Big 10 conference announced today that John Simon is their defensive Player of the Week after the Buckeyes defeated Illinois 17-7 on the road Saturday. The Buckeyes were in need of a win to keep their season respectable after two losses in a row against Nebraska and Michigan State. Ohio State didn’t put the ball in the air except for 4 attempts but ran the ball and depended on their defensive and turnovers to make the difference.

Simon, from Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, had 8 tackles and 4 tackles for loss on the day. He also recorded 2 sacks against Nathan Steelhaase who was unable to keep the ball in the Illini hands long enough to score more than once this past weekend. This is the first time Simon has won the award. The OSU defense limited the Illinois offensive to only 285 yards and took running back Jason Ford out of the game literally and figuratively.

The Buckeyes ran 51 times with a combination of Dan Herron, Jordan Hall, and Braxton Miller getting the majority of the work. The running accounted for 211 yards compared to just 1 pass completion for 17 yards to tight end Jake Stoneburner. This was the first game back for Herron who faced NCAA suspension for selling memorabilia for tattoos and cash last season.

Luke Fickell didn’t mind the way Ohio State won as the team needed to win and the stadium in Champaign is none for swirling wind that limits a quarterback 2 out of 4 quarters. The defense was able to secure three turnovers that provided great field position for Ohio State and allowed their tailbacks to run and consume the clock.