Offense wins games, but defense wins championships.
The Ohio State faithful hope this age-old aphorism rings loud and true in the 2024 college football season, because if it does, their Buckeyes have as good a chance as any of being the last team standing in January and taking home the program’s first national title since 2014.
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Ohio State is currently ranked No. 3 in the country and, as experts predicted, has been one of the best teams this fall. The Buckeyes’ offense is certainly explosive, ranked No. 15 as it generates an average of 37.8 points per game. Yet despite playmakers like receiver Emeka Egbuka and running back TreVeyon Henderson on the offensive side of the ball, it’s Ohio State’s defense that has perhaps garnered the most attention.
In Saturday’s 20-13 win at then-No. 3 Penn State, the Ohio State defense didn’t surrender a touchdown (although the Nittany Lions scored on an interception return). Penn State twice had first-and-goal situations, and twice came up empty. The second occurrence came with just more than five minutes remaining and the Buckeyes clinging to seven-point lead.
BUCKEYES😤📈
pic.twitter.com/VyDDhTZiIb— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) November 2, 2024
Leading the Buckeyes’ defensive charge is senior defensive end JT Tuimoloau with 26 total tackles and 4.5 sacks on the season. He’s on pace to eclipse his career highs in both categories. With Tuimoloau often leaving opposing quarterbacks under duress, Ohio State’s defense is third in the country in points allowed (12.0) and second in the country in yards allowed per game (256.4).
“I’m proud of my guys. I’m proud of my brothers next to me,” Tuimoloau said of his defensive teammates after the Penn State game while wearing a “Jesus Won” shirt.
He continued later: “We gotta stay faithful. Give all the glory to God always for a beautiful day and just all the times we are blessed with.”
In addition to his crucial role on the Buckeyes’ defensive front, Tuimoloau has also been part of the spiritual revival that has seemed to spread throughout Ohio State’s locker room this season.
In August, Tuimoloau participated in an on-campus faith event organized by former Buckeyes receiver Kamryn Babb and attended by thousands of OSU students and others from around the United States. The event featured prayer, at least 60 baptisms, player testimonies and worship of God through song. The Lantern — Ohio State’s independent student newspaper — reported that the players came equipped with 10,000 Bibles to give away.
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Egbuka, Henderson, tight end Gee Scott and Tuimoloau were the current Buckeyes who gave powerful testimonies of the work God had done in their lives to bring them to Himself.
“The Lord God is the foundation of who we are as Polynesians,” Tuimoloau said as he explained how his walk with Christ began.
He said the idea for such a large-scale event praising Jesus had been brewing amongst the team for months.
“It’s one of those visions that the boys had and that I was blessed to be a part of,” Tuimoloau told The Lantern. “Just being able to allow people to understand that we are more than football players, and there’s more that goes into our [lives] than getting a sack or getting a touchdown or getting a great catch — just understanding that this is what it’s all about.
“… I don’t think anything I accomplish on that field compares to what is happening right now.”
For Tuimoloau, that’s saying a lot. With 15.5 career sacks and 109 career tackles, his on-field accomplishments have been notable. He was so good through three seasons at Ohio State that he was graded the second-best defensive end in the 2024 NFL Draft by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. Tuimoloau, however, knew God wanted him in the scarlet and grey for another season.
“With heartfelt gratitude to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a sense of unfinished business and an unbreakable bond with my Buckeye brothers, I am standing firm in my decision to return,” Tuimoloau wrote in a post on Instagram as he also quoted Psalm 139:14 (NLT).
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In his Instagram bio, Tuimoloau cites the Bible verse Romans 8:18, which reads, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” He frequently utilizes the social media site to talk about his faith in Jesus.
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Ohio State’s 32-31 loss to now-No. 1 Oregon on Oct. 12 seems like a distant memory, and the Buckeyes are once again in the driver’s seat as they attempt to secure their spot in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
The next team in Ohio State’s path to the playoff is Purdue (1-7). The Buckeyes will host the Boilermakers on Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.
Whatever happens, Tuimoloau knows that — just like his shirt on Saturday declared — ultimate victory comes only by trusting in the blood of Christ and His finished work on the cross.
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