Ryan Day didn’t exactly dial back the hype for Ohio State’s defense this week. He went straight at the ceiling.
“Their goal is to be the best defense in the country. That’s it. … They want to be the next great defense in the Silver Bullet history," Day said Wednesday of Illinois week.
That’s a heavy standard for Matt Patricia’s group to chase, and right now the Buckeyes still have some proving to do before that conversation really sticks.
The biggest reason? The pass rush hasn’t looked like a classic Silver Bullets unit yet.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. is the one edge presence who can point to that kind of standard, though even he would likely say there’s more work ahead. Khary Wilder flashed in Week 3, but that came against Kent State, so the true freshman EDGE still sits more in the intriguing-prospect category than the finished-product one.
The Alabama transfer pair of Qua Russaw and James Smith has also fallen short of expectations so far. And while Larry Johnson may be the most reliable position coach on the roster with Brian Hartline gone, this front still needs time to catch up to the kind of label Day put on it.
That said, the picture isn’t all bad. Outside of a disastrous 17-minute stretch in Austin, Ohio State’s rush has looked dangerous.
Against Texas, the Buckeyes were able to collapse Arch Manning’s pocket again and again against a strong offensive line. The problem is that comeback still lingers, and it lingers hard.
When you pair that with underwhelming performances against MAC opponents, the “Silver Bullets” talk loses some of its punch.
The linebackers are part of that unfinished feel, too. Christian Alliegro and Payton Pierce have shown flashes, but tackling has been an issue early. Riley Pettijohn and TJ Alford, though, have helped change the discussion by giving the room more depth.
“They’re a big part of our defense. I’m not surprised all those guys are playing. They’re good football players," Day said.
That depth matters because this defense is built on rotation, and rotation only works when everybody does their job. For Ohio State to reach the level Day is talking about, the linebackers have to keep growing together.
For now, the clearest strength is the secondary. Ohio State has allowed just 126 passing yards per game, and opponents are completing only 53.7% of their throws. Even in the Texas game, outside of that ugly final stretch, Manning finished at 57.7% completions, which is close to the Buckeyes’ season norm.
If those numbers hold, then the Silver Bullets comparisons will start to make a lot more sense. But after three weeks - and especially after what happened in the easiest stretch on the 2026 slate - the label still feels a little ahead of the reality.
In Other News...
Ohio State Enters Big Ten Play With Its Playoff Path Already Tightening
Ohio State heads into Big Ten play already feeling the pressure that comes with a September loss, as the Buckeyes fell 24-23 to Texas in their second game of the 2026 season. It was their first nonconference loss since 2021, and the AP top 25 reflected the hit right away, dropping Ohio State from No. 1 to No. 7.
Now the margin for error gets much slimmer. The Buckeyes still have several ranked opponents ahead of them as conference play begins, which means every week carries added weight for a team that was built with playoff expectations from the start. The path is still there, but it is no longer wide open. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has Two Injury Concerns Fans Will Watch Closely Saturday
Ohio States first availability report for Saturdays game at Illinois gave fans a clearer look at the early injury picture, and it included a mix of expected absences and a couple of names worth tracking. The Big Tens weekly reporting system put three Buckeyes out and three more in the questionable category, with the most attention naturally falling on Phillip Daniels and Zion Grady, two players whose status could affect the defensive rotation.
Kyle Parker is also listed as questionable after yet to make his season debut, adding another layer to the Buckeyes depth concerns. The players already ruled out are not key contributors, and Ohio State may be able to stick with a similar offensive line combination to the one it used last game, but the next update will be the one that really matters for anyone watching how the lineup settles in by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Klatt Just Framed Ohio State's Arch Manning Problem Perfectly
Arch Manning has spent most of this college football season living under a microscope, and Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt recently put a sharper point on why. Klatt said the Texas quarterback has been okay overall, with one burst against Ohio State standing out from a body of work that has otherwise looked far more ordinary than the hype around his name.
For Buckeyes fans, that evaluation hits close to home because it frames the matchup in Columbus as the outlier in Mannings season rather than the rule. Since then, Manning has been productive but not overwhelming, and the spotlight only figures to get brighter with Tennessee next on the schedule, a game that could go a long way toward defining how his season is remembered. [Read more 🡒]