Just a few hours before Ohio State opens fall camp, the Buckeyes are sitting in a familiar spot: at the top of the conversation and, according to yesterday’s AFCA Coaches poll, at No. 1.
That ranking only sharpens the focus as Ryan Day’s team gets ready to begin work Thursday, Aug. 6, at 9:00 a.m. inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. And with camp about to start, three areas stand out as the biggest questions facing Ohio State.
The first is Julian Sayin, and not because he lacks promise. Quite the opposite.
There was a stretch last season when Sayin looked like the best quarterback in football, even becoming the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy before eventually finishing fourth in the voting. Now he enters Year 2 at the controls of the offense with expectations turned all the way up.
Sayin has already shown he can handle the moment in big games. The next step is proving he can keep that level going for the full ride. Day sounded eager to have him back in that role, especially with so many pieces returning around him.
“For us on offense, we do have a lot of pieces coming back. As you said, we have Julian and Jeremiah [Smith], Brandon Inniss on the outside.
But also, our offensive line. We need to build off of last year.
I thought there was certain things that we did early on that was good, bringing Julian along, young player. But now this is Year 2 for him, which since I’ve been here, it’s only the third time we’ve had that, you know with Justin [Fields] and then with C.J.
Stroud.
"We do have a lot of pieces coming back on offense and we need to build off of last year..This is year two for Julian Sayin and that's exciting"@ryandaytime #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/rGUNv06vkz
So that’s exciting because as we go into this year, not everything’s for the first time with Julian, and he’s gonna have an experienced offensive line.”
The second issue is the running back room, and Day made it clear he sees that group as a preseason priority. During Big Ten Media Day, he said, “To me, a position group that's got to have a great preseason is the running back group.
If we're going to get to where we need to go, we need a high level of play at that running back position. So this is critical.”
Bo Jackson returns as the starter after rushing for more than 1,000 yards as a true freshman last season, but he comes into camp after a shoulder injury in the spring. Isaiah West, expected to be the top backup, is also working back from a spring shoulder injury.
True freshman Legend Bey has generated buzz, though he missed valuable time because of his own spring injury. That leaves the door open for transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson to seize important reps, while Anthony “Turbo” Rogers, who redshirted last season, adds another name to a group loaded with talent but light on experience.
Then there’s the defense, where the challenge is not just replacing players, but replacing a massive chunk of them. Ohio State lost Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese, Kayden McDonald, Caden Curry, Lorenzo Styles Jr. and Davison Igbinosun in one NFL Draft, and that kind of turnover is no small thing.
The Buckeyes have reloaded before, but nothing about staying on top is automatic. They’ll need immediate production from a set of experienced transfers, including linebacker Christian Alliegro, safeties Earl Little and Terry Moore, and defensive linemen James Smith, Qua Russaw and John Walker.
Those newcomers have to settle into defensive coordinator Matt Patricia’s system quickly, and they also have to fit alongside key returners such as Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Will Smith Jr., Eddrick Houston, Payton Pierce, Riley Pettijohn, Devin Sanchez, Jermaine Mathews Jr. and Jaylen McClain. Ohio State has talent. Now camp is where the Buckeyes find out how fast all those pieces can come together.
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Julian Sayin is drawing plenty of attention before the 2026 season, and FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt is among those who think Ohio States offense can climb another level if the quarterback expands his game. Klatt ranked Sayin as the No. 10 player nationally and pointed to the Buckeyes new setup under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith as a possible boost, especially with a transfer target like Kyle Parker giving Sayin another weapon to work with.
What Klatt wants to see next is more aggression from Sayin as the offense leans into a bigger passing menu and more chances for plays to develop. He also raised questions about how Sayins size and mobility could show up in short-yardage moments, which puts a little more pressure on Ohio State to find answers around him if the passing game is going to reach its ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Just Gave Indiana Fans A New Reason To Brag
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For Ohio State, the placement is sure to draw attention because Day is still very much part of the conferences top-tier debate, and these rankings are being shaped by recent performance and head-to-head results. Cignettis rise is a reminder of how quickly the Big Ten hierarchy can shift when a coach starts winning immediately, and it gives Indiana one more way to measure itself against the leagues established powers. [Read more 🡒]
Will Howard Is Already Giving Ohio State Fans Another Reason To Smile
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For Ohio State followers, it is another reminder of why Howard left such a solid impression in Columbus: the work ethic, the leadership, the steady approach that made him easy to root for. The challenge now is different, and a lot less forgiving, because turning that reputation into a real NFL role means adjusting his game to a faster level and proving he can keep climbing while the noise around him keeps growing. [Read more 🡒]