The Ohio State Buckeyes continued their winning ways, moving to 4-0 on the year after defeating the Michigan State Spartans 38-7 in East Lansing. Returning to Columbus with a convincing Big Ten victory in the Buckeyes’ first road game of the season is a nice step in this season’s journey.

Here are the players who saw their stock rise and the players who saw their stock fall for Ohio State.

The freshman wide receiver has already set the bar high for three games, but managed to raise it again. Not only did Smith have five receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown, but his extraordinary catches wowed every spectator.

On the same touchdown scoring drive, Smith hauled in two one-handed catches. The first came via Will Howard and the second was from Devin Brown after Howard briefly left the match due to a hard hit.

Smith continues to look professional, which is great news for the Buckeyes as he won’t be draft ready for a few more years.

Will Howard has played pretty well so far this season. That said, Akron, Western Michigan and Marshall weren’t necessarily the toughest tests.

Howard may not have the highest ceiling of any quarterback in college football, but his experience and weapons around him should make for a strong season. He had some good moments against the Spartans, but this was his worst game in red and gray to date.

The quarterback went 21 of 31 for 244 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. On that interception, Howard stared down Emeka Egbuka and threw the ball straight to two defenders in front of the receiver. This interception and great starting position allowed the Spartans to score their only touchdown of the night.

This wasn’t the only time Howard stared down a receiver and paid for his mistake. Prior to Gee Scott Jr.’s touchdown reception. to make it 10-0, Howard threw one over the middle and the safety slid right under the route into the end zone. That should have led to an interception. However, the Spartans’ missed opportunity allowed Ohio State to score.

Howard has a few things to work on this week as the team prepares to host the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Devin Brown deserves some credit for his performance against Michigan State. Despite losing the starting quarterback battle for the second year in a row, Brown is patiently waiting for his opportunity. That opportunity came sooner than expected against the Spartans.

After taking a big hit, Howard had to leave the game. Brown came in and still helped the Buckeyes score a touchdown. The Spartans applied some pressure, Brown stayed calm in the pocket and delivered a hit to Smith (who scored on the one-handed catch).

Brown’s five for seven nights for 54 yards and one touchdown could be a sign that his game is evolving and the Buckeyes could be fine if something happens and he has to play extended time at some point this season.

The Ohio State run game has been explosive and dominant over the last two games. After putting up more than 500 yards on the ground combined against Western Michigan and Marshall, the Buckeyes took a step back against Michigan State.

The offensive line didn’t generate nearly the same kind of push, which must go to some credit for Michigan State’s front seven. Henderson led the way with 69 yards on seven carries. Quinshon Judkins had just 54 yards on 11 carries.

Even though Ohio State had two rushing touchdowns that night, neither came from a running back. Jeremiah Smith scored on a 19-yard reverse and Will Howard also knocked one in.

If the Buckeyes can mount a strong offense against Iowa in the next game, it would be huge for the offensive line’s confidence. Iowa won’t be a pushover, but a more efficient game would be nice.

Downs was all over the field against the Spartans and proved why he might be the best safety in all of college football. Not only did he lead the way with six total tackles (three solo), but he also had a tackle for loss and made some excellent plays in the open field.

The way he flies around but doesn’t miss tackles is quite impressive. It’s safe to assume that Downs will continue to make an impact as the year progresses.