Prior to Nov. 24, 2018, few outside of Columbus, Ohio had ever heard the name Chris Olave. Hell, there were plenty of people in Columbus at the time who would have been unable to pick him out of a lineup. And that is because he rarely saw Ohio State’s (football) lineup.
Olave was a three-star wide receiver out of California – recruited by Ryan Day – who had joined the Buckeyes’ roster to little fanfare. He sat behind the likes of Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, Johnnie Dixon, and Austin Mack, and totaled just five catches and 70 yards through the first 11 games of OSU’s 2018 season.
Prior to Rivalry Week, Olave hadn’t really provided any hints or clues that he would eventually become ‘a guy’. But his special teams prowess and overall effort had at least earned praise from coaches, setting him up for additional opportunities should they arise… And boy did they.
When Mack went down with an injury in late October, Olave moved up on the Buckeyes’ depth chart. He only tallied three catches in his first three games running (part-time) with the ones, but more importantly, he began to earn additional trust from Ohio State coaches and the team’s quarterback, Dwayne Haskins. Then on Nov. 24, when real opportunity came-a-knockin’, Olave was there to answer the door. And/or kick it down, landing on top of the *ichigan Wolverines.
TTUN rolled into Columbus as the No. 4 team in the country in 2018, while OSU was ranked No. 10. But you never would have known had you been tasked with ‘sorting out the bodies’ post-game. Because the Buckeyes decimated their rival 62-39, thanks to a scoring barrage initiated by Olave.
Ohio State’s freshman WR scored the first two TDs of the game, putting the football world – and the Wolverines – on notice. Both tuddies came on 24-yard receptions, which would prove to be Olave’s only catches of the day. But he was not done making an impact. With just under five minutes left in the third quarter, Olave also blocked a punt that was then scooped up by Sevyn Banks and returned 33 yards for another Buckeye TD.
It was the pièce de resistance of Olave’s breakout performance, and just one of many memorable plays/performances the OSU legend would be a part of during his time in Columbus.
Now, you likely already knew about The Legend of Olave… Olave ’18… 2 Tuddies, a Punt Block and a Pizza Place. But I thought that I needed to re-live it, re-tell it, whatever, in order to A) once again recognize a truly legendary performance in The Game and B) remind people of the backstory before I reveal candidates for this year’s Olave Award — created by me and given to the Ohio State Buckeye who enjoys an out-of-nowhere, unexpected, breakout performance against TTUN.
**UM players and/or players who benefitted from cheating are not eligible, apologies to retroactive snubs Hassan Haskins and Donovan Edwards
Without further ado, here are your 2023 Olave Award candidates
WR Carnell Tate
Tate is/was an obvious choice. True freshman WR, behind a few guys on the depth chart. However, unlike Olave, Tate was a coveted recruit and carved out a role rather quickly in Columbus, catching at least one pass in 10 (different) games. But he has yet to experience a true breakout. He has just 17 total receptions and a single TD, to go with 260 yards. Nice numbers for a freshman – and he is clearly going to be a stud – but not enough to make Tate a household name… Yet.
That could all change come Saturday. TTUN will be focused on Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson and others, potentially opening the door for Tate to make an impact. The latter has already proven that he is Ohio State’s third most dangerous WR (will circle back), much like Olave did or was in 2018. So go nuts, young man. Show everyone that you are the next great Buckeye wideout.
WR Julian Fleming
This is me circling back… Admittedly, I am nominating Fleming for an award for which he may or may not qualify. But has he ever experienced a breakout? Does the common football fan outside of Columbus and/or Catawissa, PA know his name? I don’t think so. So he gets the nod.
And you can all stop wondering if I’ll ever give up on Fleming. I’m not goin’ to, so quit askin’. Sure, it’s been a disappointing four years. But JF4 is my ride or die. I can’t help myself. And I would not be shocked if he came up big against the Wolverine
Why? Because I still believe in Fleming’s talent. And because nobody on TTUN is worried about him, that’s why. Also, I just really want it to happen for this guy who has been through so much. So c’mon, Julian. Let’s do this! One time.
QB Devin Brown
Oh yeah. I’m going there. Brown is the backup to Ohio State’s starting QB Kyle McCord. If he (Brown) plays a bunch of snaps or is called upon to throw several passes, well then, OSU might be in trouble. But if not… If McCord plays fine and makes it through four quarters in one piece… Brown could still have a positive impact on Saturday’s game.
Because Brown can run the ball. He has potential to be a goal line guy, and that is an area in which the Buckeyes have struggled. The Wolverines have a very stingy defense, so points likely won’t come easy in Ann Arbor. If healthy, Brown could be a four-point player (TD over FG).
DT Hero Kanu
It sounds like Ohio State will have Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton, AND Mike Hall Jr. against TTUN. But I want a dozen defensive tackles available, if at all possible. Because the Wolverines are going to run, run, and run again. It’s what they do.
Well, Kanu is a mountain of a man. And the thing about mountains is that they can be very difficult to run around. Hence the reason I believe Kanu could be of use on Saturday. The Buckeyes’ second-year DT has played sparingly but flashed potential while doing so. Interior linemen rarely get credit for turning the tide of a game, but what if German big man gets a timely stop or forces a game-altering turnover?
LB C.J. Hicks
Likely? No, not even a little bit. Possible? I guess. But I’m not holding my breath. Because it seems like the OSU coaching staff is vehemently against putting their freaky-athletic LB on the field. But (this) Saturday afternoon between noon and whenever sure seems like a hell of a time to use all the tools at the team’s disposal.
We know that TTUN loves to run the ball and throw to their TEs. Which means that Ohio State will need guys playing at a high level — at the second level. Even better if said guys boast coverage skills and/or the ability to chase down ball carriers. Has Hicks proven that he possesses either? No, not yet. But I haven’t been enamored with the play of Steele Chambers or Cody Simon, and who knows how banged up Tommy Eichenberg is going to be come kickoff.
Hicks seems like the closest thing the Buckeyes have had to Ryan Shazier since Ryan Shazier. And last time I checked, the latter was pretty damn special during his time in Columbus. So maybe we finally see the young Buck(eye) unleashed against the Wolverines. I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to it.
Does Ohio State NEED an unexpected breakout performance to defeat TTUN this weekend? No, I don’t believe that they do. This is a very, very good Scarlet and Gray squad with potential to be great. I think The Game ultimately comes down to QB play and which defense can make timely stops, perhaps in the red zone.
But I guess we shall see… Saturday is shaping up to be an epic battle, and yours truly is hoping for several special performances. Unexpected or not. Just give me a dub in that state up north!
