COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A look at three Ohio State players who will be critical as the program hits the midway point of Big Ten play with a home date against Purdue and how they might impact the outcome on Saturday (TV: ABC, noon).
Jake Stoneburner
Jake Stoneburner
- The basics: After three quiet games in the passing game, the Buckeyes got reacquainted with the senior as more than a blocker against Indiana. Stoneburner was once again a target, and he responded with four catches for 41 yards -- seemingly modest totals, but plays that still helped keep drives moving and got him involved once again.
- By the numbers: Each of Stoneburner’s first three catches moved the chains, and the fourth came up just a yard shy of converting a second-and-11 in the third quarter against the Hoosiers. The Buckeyes picked up the necessary yardage on the next snap after Stoneburner got them back ahead of schedule.
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ABOUT BUCKEYE NATION
Austin Ward
Austin Ward joined ESPN.com in 2012 after five years as a college football writer at the Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune and the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel. The award-winning journalist lives with his wife in Columbus, Ohio. Email him at ajward.espn@gmail.com.
Brad Bournival
Brad Bournival, a lifetime Northeast Ohio resident, joined ESPN in 2012 and is the recruiting writer for BuckeyeNation. He has covered sports at the professional, college and high school level for 16 years. Recently, Bournival was a freelance writer for The Plain Dealer, The Medina Gazette and SportsInk.com. Email him at bradbournival.espn@gmail.com.