The Buckeyes don’t need their freshmen to become stars overnight, but Ohio State does need more from that group, and Saturday against Iowa looks like the right stage for it.
The message in Columbus is clear: the waiting period is over. If this team is going to make the kind of run it wants to make, the young players have to start contributing in a real way, not just flashing here and there.
On defense, Jay Timmons has already given Ohio State a reason to believe. He made the first play of the game against Texas, forcing and recovering a fumble right out of the gate. That kind of instant impact is exactly what the Buckeyes need more of from their first-year players.
The offense has been more uneven. Ohio State has teased three freshmen, but one of them needs to separate himself soon.
Legend Bey has become the wild card in the backfield, though not in a good way so far. His season has been a disappointment, and he has repeatedly seemed to get in his own way. The trust issue between him and Ryan Day is obvious, and that matters because the Buckeyes could use help in the run game.
Out wide, Brock Boyd is another freshman who deserves a bigger role. Day has kept him on a short leash, but every time Boyd gets on the field, he seems to do something useful.
He can help in the run game, and he has also shown he can make a clean catch. Ohio State needs more than Jeremiah Smith, and Boyd has shown enough to earn more chances.
Then there is Chris Henry Jr., who already has two touchdown catches this season. One of them was the 75-yard score against Kent State that showed exactly what he can do when he gets loose. Still, he did not get much of a chance last week against Illinois, and now the question is whether he can make a statement against Iowa and start doing it against stronger competition.
Ohio State looks like one of the best rosters in the country, and the way it wins makes it hard to beat. But there is a vulnerability here.
The Buckeyes need more depth at the skill spots, and until that happens, they are living dangerously. One Jeremiah Smith injury could change the whole look of the offense.
In Other News...
Ohio State Just Delivered The Kind Of Road Win Fans Needed
Ohio State went into Kinnick Stadium and delivered the sort of response win its fans had been waiting for, beating Iowa 31-14 and handing the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season. The Buckeyes controlled the game on both sides of the ball, piling up 484 total yards while keeping Iowa to 238 and a paltry 39 rushing yards, which made this feel less like a tense road test and more like a statement about the gap between the two teams.
Jeremiah Smith was at the center of it, turning the trip into one of those performances that travels well beyond the box score. He finished with 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns, giving Ohio State a dynamic edge whenever it needed one and helping offset a couple of turnovers forced by the defense. For a team that needed a clean, convincing road result, this was exactly the kind of night it was looking for. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Just Put Ohio State Fans On Notice Again
Jeremiah Smith kept the Buckeyes moving in Iowa City, turning a road test against the Hawkeyes into another showcase for Ohio States passing game. The freshman wideout tied the Ohio State touchdown record while finishing with 11 catches for 206 yards and two scores, a performance that helped push the Buckeyes to a 4-1 start and add another layer to what has already become a must-watch season in Columbus.
Smiths latest breakout only raises the stakes for what comes next, because Ohio State now heads back home to face Maryland with its young star drawing even more attention. For a team that has spent the early part of the season trying to establish its identity, his ability to create production anywhere on the field has become one of the biggest reasons the Buckeyes keep looking like a contender. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Earned The Big Ten Spot Fans Wanted Most
Week 5 brought a clearer picture of the Big Ten race, and Ohio State came out of it looking like the conference team fans expected to see at the top. The Buckeyes handled Iowa in a game that carried more weight than a typical early-season road test, adding a quality win to a rsum that is starting to separate from the pack as the league standings and the national picture begin to take shape.
The rankings around them still have plenty of movement left, with Indiana continuing to push forward, Oregon and UCLA drawing attention for different reasons, and Michigan still trying to sort out its own path. But Ohio States recent momentum is the kind that can hold up as October approaches, especially if the Buckeyes keep matching style points with results in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]