Carnell Tate’s rookie season has been a grind, but Sunday finally gave the former Ohio State star a moment that looked and felt like a real turning point.
The Tennessee Titans’ first win against the Indianapolis Colts came with Tate’s biggest performance yet: six catches for 70 yards and his first NFL touchdown. For a player who has been fighting through a rough opening stretch, it was the kind of breakout game that had been a long time coming.
And it wasn’t just the numbers. Tate looked like himself again for the second time this season, especially on the touchdown grab. He worked his defender, got to the corner of the end zone, and tapped both feet down for a score that felt built in the Tate mold.
He kept the celebration simple, too. There was no big production after the touchdown, just a point to his mother in the sky and then a wave of teammates wrapping him up - including a long hug from quarterback Cam Ward.
That moment stood in sharp contrast to how difficult things have been for Tate so far. Just last week, he was quoted talking about how hard this season has already been. He had no individual success to lean on, and the Titans themselves have been one of the worst teams in the NFL, which is a steep drop from the kind of spotlight he lived in at Ohio State.
That’s the reality that comes with being the top receiver in the draft. The destination can be rough, even if the player is one of the best in the country. Tate landed in a tough situation because he was that highly regarded.
A couple of weeks ago, it looked like he might have turned the corner for good after catching nine passes for 145 yards against the Baltimore Ravens. Then came a one-catch, six-yard game against the Houston Texans, a reminder of how quickly the NFL can shift on a young receiver.
That’s the league Tate is trying to navigate now: constant adjustments, constant changeups, constant improvements, with every week demanding something different against the best players in the world.
For now, though, the numbers are starting to work in his favor. According to Kalshi, Tate has the second-best odds to win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, behind Cleveland Browns receiver Denzel Boston, who currently has the best odds.
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Ohio State Now Faces A Huge Offensive Reset After Indiana
Ohio State left Bloomington with a 19-15 win that snapped Indianas 22-game home unbeaten streak, but the bigger takeaway for the Buckeyes was what happened to Julian Sayin. The quarterback left with an injury and is expected to miss several weeks, which immediately shifts the focus from a gritty road result to how Ohio State manages the offense moving forward.
Luke Fahey is set to start in Sayins place, giving the Buckeyes a fresh look at the games most important position at a critical point in the season. Even with the offense now in flux, Ohio State can point to its defense and special teams as stabilizing forces after the trip to Indiana, but the real question is how quickly the next quarterback can settle in and keep the whole operation on track. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States New Quarterback Just Took An Unexpected Path Here
Luke Fahey arrived in Columbus with the profile of a developmental quarterback, a three-star freshman from California who was expected to work his way in behind the veterans. Instead, the Mission Viejo product has moved himself into the conversation far sooner than anyone likely planned, turning a quiet August into a meaningful opportunity for a player who piled up more than 7,000 passing yards in high school and committed to Ohio State in 2025.
What has stood out inside the program is how quickly Fahey climbed during preseason camp, enough to earn the trust of teammates and coaches and force his way up the depth chart. For Ohio State, the bigger picture now is less about where he started and more about how ready he looks in the moment, with a freshman who was once viewed as a depth piece suddenly carrying real weight in the quarterback room. [Read more 🡒]
Buckeyes Fans Had Two Former Stars To Watch All Over Sunday
Saturdays win over Indiana kept Ohio State rolling, but Buckeyes fans had plenty to follow once the NFL slate kicked off Sunday. Week 6 scattered former Ohio State standouts across the day, with games stretching from London to the late afternoon window and a long list of teams leaving the field with victories.
The best part for Ohio State followers was getting a reminder of how much Buckeye talent still filters through the league, even in a packed Sunday of results. Houstons trip to London added one more layer to the conversation, and Seattles game gave fans another chance to keep an eye on a former star in a tough result, which made the day feel like a cross-sport sequel to the weekend in Bloomington. [Read more 🡒]