Ohio State Safety Tanner McCalister In Right Spot At Right Time Against Iowa

McCalister is the first Buckeye with two interceptions in a game since former cornerback Jeff Okudah in 2019.

Tanner McCalister never imagined he would have two interceptions in a game, but now seven games into his only season with the Buckeyes, the fifth-year senior safety is showing exactly why he decided to follow defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State to Ohio State this offseason.

“Tanner’s like a son to me,” Knowles said after the 54-10 win over Iowa on Saturday. “You become very close to these guys, so to see him take the challenge – there’s nothing easy about coming to The Ohio State – and him earning and proving himself all over again, it’s always good to see someone succeed who you care about and know who’s put himself on the line, and he’s invested a lot in me by coming here.”

👆🏾 https://t.co/j4s2aJf5Bt

— Tanner McCalister (@McCalister_Dos2) October 22, 2022

McCalister intercepted Hawkeyes quarterback Spencer Petras on the first play from scrimmage, as the Buckeyes disguised their coverage and the pass went directly to him as if he was the intended receiver. He returned it 13 yards to put the Buckeyes in great field position early.

The second came on a deflection, as tight end Sam LaPorta couldn’t haul in a pass from backup quarterback Alex Padilla and it bounced right into McCallister’s hands for his second interception of the game. It marked the first multi-interception game of his career, be it high school or college.

“Anytime as a defensive player you get your hands on the ball or if you’re always around the ball, that’s kind of a tell somebody’s playing good football,” McCalister said. “They weren’t the toughest interceptions, but I’m blessed to be in the right spot at the right time.”

✌🏾 https://t.co/PYQwMqPqOf

— Tanner McCalister (@McCalister_Dos2) October 22, 2022

More News From Sports Illustrated: College Football Schedule | College Football Bowl Projections | SI’s Top 10: Week Of Upheaval Leaves Nine Remaining Teams | CFP Leaders Frustrated As NFL Encroaches on Schedule | Lee Corso Discusses Health Scare, Return To College GameDay

McCalister now has three interceptions on the season after recording a pick on the first defensive series of the 52-21 win over Wisconsin on Sept. 24. He’s also the first Ohio State player to record multiple interceptions in the same game since former cornerback Jeff Okudah in the 48-7 win at Nebraska in 2019.

“He's always been a very heads-up player, always very coachable in terms of understanding the game plan and the scheme we’re going to face,” Knowles said. “I saw him really take off last year in terms of playing with confidence. It takes a lot of confidence to do some of the things that he does.

“The fact that he came here just showed me he wanted to elevate his game even more, so it's great to see him making plays.”

-----

Get your Ohio State football tickets from SI Tickets. Also, be sure to check out our new message boards, Buckeye Forums. We'd love to have you part of the conversation during the season.

-----

You may also like:

Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba Was On “Pitch Count” Against Iowa

Instant Analysis From Ohio State's Destruction Of Iowa

Ohio State Overwhelms Iowa In All Phases, Wins 54-10

Klatt: Marvin Harrison Jr. Could Be Best Receiver In The World In 5-6 Years

What To Watch For In Week 8 Of The 2022 College Football Season

Game Prediction: No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Iowa Hawkeyes

-----

Be sure to stay locked into BuckeyesNow all the time!

Join the BuckeyesNow community!
Subscribe to the BuckeyesNow YouTube channel
Follow Andrew Lind on Twitter: @AndrewMLind
Follow BuckeyesNow on Twitter: @BuckeyesNow_FN
Follow BuckeyesNow on Instagram: @BuckeyesNow_FN

Like and follow BuckeyesNow on Facebook!