Ohio State, Big Ten, college football: September winners, losers and surprises

Doug and Bill run through the best, worst and most surprising of the first month of the season

COLUMBUS — How did the first month of the college football season go? Pretty fun, eh?

Here are our biggest winners, losers and surprises for September, for Ohio State, the Big Ten and the national college football picture. And we give you a few things to watch in October as well.

OHIO STATE

Biggest winner

Bill: Matt Patricia. More than a few eyebrows were raised when Ryan Day hired him as defensive coordinator, and he’s squashed every bit of skepticism with how he’s run Ohio State’s defense so far. The Buckeyes have great defensive talent, but this scheme has also proven to be a bear for opposing offenses to handle. OSU’s defense is No. 1 in scoring, having allowed two touchdowns all season, and is No. 8 in yards per play allowed.

Doug: Arvell Reese. The first-year starter and third-year linebacker has turned the heads of everyone who has even heard of the NFL Draft. At 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds, Reese can rush the passer, track down running backs, cover and spy with equal skill. He’s been the disruptive force elevating the rock solid nature of the OSU defense. And seriously, everyone is freaking out.

Dane Brugler, the NFL Draft expert for The Athletic, wrote on Twitter that he believes Reese in a Top 15 prospect.

“Based on the first month of the season … Arvell Reese is the type of talent a lot of NFL teams covet for their scheme. Long, athletic, versatile. Don’t be surprised if he is the first OSU player drafted in April!”

Biggest loser

Bill: Ethan Onianwa. He surely received a nice payday to come to Columbus, but he did so thinking he’d be a starting tackle. Instead, he’s a backup guard. He can still play an important role for the Buckeyes, but this path isn’t what anyone imagined. And Ohio State doesn’t want to be in the business of missing like this on offensive line portal swings in the future.

Doug: Eddrick Houston. There’s time to rebound, but a guy who went No. 6 in our preseason draft of the top Buckeyes didn’t make our Top 22 at this point. The No. 26 recruit in the Class of 2024, the five-star has seen his snaps drop since the opener at Texas. There are flashes, but little consistency, and it’s worth watching if his role continues to shrink.