Ohio State’s offense keeps taking hits, and now the Buckeyes are waiting on one of their most productive backs to work his way back.
Ja’Kobi Jackson had surgery for a Lisfranc injury in his foot and is hoping to return before the season is over. The news was first reported by Dan Hope at Eleven Warriors and confirmed by Bucknuts.
Jackson was hurt against Maryland and sat out last week’s 19-15 win over Indiana. He’s expected to miss several more games, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said Tuesday he did not know when Jackson might be back.
Ohio State would like to have him available for the regular-season finale and the postseason.
Jackson’s road to this point has already been unusual. He transferred from Florida in January after being granted a rare seventh year of eligibility.
Before arriving in Columbus, he played only four games for the Gators in 2025, rushing 27 times for 98 yards before a season-ending shoulder injury ended that stint. Then in August, he became the first Buckeye to shed his black stripe during fall camp.
Once the games started, he wasted little time making an impact. Through Ohio State’s first six games, Jackson had 59 carries for 354 yards and six touchdowns, and he was averaging six yards per attempt. He was the team’s second-leading rusher before the injury, started the last two games he played, and head coach Ryan Day has already praised both his effort and the way he runs with power.
With Jackson sidelined, Bo Jackson stepped back into the lead role against Indiana. Last season, as a true freshman, he rushed for 1,090 yards and now looks set to take most of the snaps. Isaiah West and Legend Bey are also in the mix.
The concern gets even bigger because quarterback Julian Sayin is hurt too. He left Saturday’s game in the fourth quarter and was later seen on the sideline with his arm in a sling.
Day said Tuesday that Sayin is out indefinitely. True freshman Luke Fahey is currently ahead of Tavien St.
Clair in the race to replace him, and the two will keep battling during the bye week. Before getting hurt, Sayin had thrown for 2,007 yards, 19 touchdowns and four interceptions.
That puts even more pressure on the run game. After the bye, Ohio State heads to USC on Oct. 31, then takes on Oregon, Northwestern, Nebraska and Michigan. There are no soft spots left, and a steady ground attack could matter even more with a young quarterback in the mix.
The Michigan game and the postseason may end up being especially important for a Buckeyes offense that is thinner than expected.
In Other News...
Michigan Suddenly Has A Chance To Make Saturday Matter Again
Michigans quarterback switch to Tommy Carr gave the offense a much-needed spark in the second half of its recent game, and it comes at a moment when every possession feels a little heavier. The change helped steady a unit that had been searching for rhythm, and now the Wolverines get a chance to see whether that adjustment can carry over into a matchup that suddenly matters a lot more than it did a week ago.
Indiana is headed into Saturday with CBS Sports analyst Brad Crawford putting the Hoosiers on upset alert, which only adds to the stakes on both sidelines. For Michigan, a win would keep its College Football Playoff and Big Ten hopes in play, while Indiana has the same kind of pressure on its side of the ledger, making this one of those late-season games where the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Still Has One Big Lineup Concern Ahead Of Indiana
Michigans latest availability report for Indiana brought no real surprises, but it did reinforce the same issue that has shadowed this matchup all week: the offensive line remains a major concern. The Wolverines have several players listed across the report as out, questionable or probable, and that uncertainty leaves the front five as the biggest area to watch as kickoff approaches.
There was at least some encouraging news on the injury front, with coach Kyle Whittingham suggesting safety Rod Moores issue is minor and not likely to keep him out for long. Offensive tackle Andrew Babalola also appears close to returning, which would help a group still trying to get closer to full strength at just the right time. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's Offense Has A Fit Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The fit issue around Michigans offense has become hard to overlook, especially with a roster that was built for a pro-style, gap scheme approach. Former assistant Biff Poggi recently pointed out that the Wolverines are trying to make pieces work in a system that does not naturally match what they have on hand, and he suggested the results have reflected that mismatch more than any single play call or personnel decision.
Poggi also drew a distinction between the quarterbacks and the scheme, saying Tommy Carr may be better suited to what Michigan is asking for right now, while Bryce Underwood could thrive in a different setup. His bigger point was even simpler: the Wolverines have generally looked better when they play north-south football, not when the offense leans into the east-west style that has too often defined the discussion this season. [Read more 🡒]