{"id":494766,"date":"2026-01-05T19:39:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T19:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/494766\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T19:39:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T19:39:09","slug":"payton-pierce-jeremiah-smith-and-caleb-downs-on-top-three-offensive-linemen-at-bottom-of-pro-football-focus-grades-for-ohio-states-loss-to-miami","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/494766\/","title":{"rendered":"Payton Pierce, Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs on Top, Three Offensive Linemen at Bottom of Pro Football Focus\u2019 Grades for Ohio State\u2019s Loss to Miami"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tFollowing Ohio State’s last game\u00a0of the season, a disappointing 24-14\u00a0defeat<\/a> <\/a>to Miami,\u00a0we share the game\u2019s grades\u00a0from\u00a0Pro Football Focus<\/a>, which\u00a0grades every player after every game based on how they perform on a snap-to-snap basis.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWe compiled the PFF grades for every Buckeye who played on either offense or defense in the 14th game of the season and highlight\u00a0the three\u00a0highest-graded players who played at least 10 snaps against the Hurricanes. For the first\u00a0time this season, Payton Pierce\u00a0graded out as Ohio State\u2019s best player.\n<\/p>\n

\t\tPFF’s Grading Scale<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\tELITE<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tGOOD<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tABOVE AVG.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tAVG.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tBELOW AVG.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tPOOR<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tVERY POOR<\/p>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t90-100\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n\n\t\t\t\t80-89\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n\n\t\t\t\t70-79\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n\n\t\t\t\t60-69\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n\n\t\t\t\t50-59\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n\n\t\t\t\t40-49\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n\n\t\t\t\tBelow 40\n\t\t\t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\t1. LB Payton Pierce (97.5)<\/p>\n

\n\tPierce’s score of 97.5 is the highest for a Buckeye player in any game this season. In fact, his grade against Miami was the highest of any offensive or defensive player during the bowl season. Pierce’s 97.5 is almost six points higher than the second-highest graded linebacker, Pittsburgh’s Rasheem Biles, who had a 91.7 against East Carolina.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tPerhaps more impressive is Pierce’s 99.9 grade in rush defense against Miami. This number is a full nine points higher than Hawaii\u00a0defensive lineman Carsen Stockinksi, who graded out at 90.9 against the run.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThis marks the first time this season for a linebacker to take the top spot among Ohio State’s players for a game. Surprisingly, Pierce is the only linebacker to be rated in the top three among Buckeye players this season, despite backing up Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles all season.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED<\/strong>\u00a0Breaking Down Julian Sayin\u2019s Performance in Ohio State\u2019s Cotton Bowl Loss to Miami<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\t2. WR Jeremiah Smith\u00a0(84.1)<\/p>\n

\n\tDuring bowl season, Smith led all Big Ten receivers with seven catches\u00a0and only trailed USC’s Tanook Hines (90.5) for the highest grade among the conference’s\u00a0receivers with at least two\u00a0catches in a bowl game.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSmith finished the season with an overall offensive grade of 90.7. That is one-tenth of a point behind USC’s Makai Lemon for the best overall grade among receivers this year.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\t3. S Caleb Downs\u00a0(83.3)<\/p>\n

\n\tDowns finished as one of Ohio State\u2019s three highest-graded players for the second time in three games to end the season.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe unanimous All-American led Ohio State’s defenders in coverage (87.2) against Miami and\u00a0also had the best grade in run defense among the Buckeyes in the\u00a0secondary. \u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\tExtra Points<\/p>\n