Ohio State heads into Big Ten play with a shiny 2-1 record, a top-10 ranking and a lot more uncertainty than that résumé suggests.
Saturday’s 59-3 win over Kent State clarified a few things fast. Jeremiah Smith is still the most dangerous weapon in college football.
The secondary, with Devin Sanchez, Jermaine Mathews, Jaylen McClain and Earl Little, has been exactly as advertised, and Jay Timmons has already made himself impossible to ignore as a true freshman. Bo Jackson, after being pushed all offseason to find another level, has answered that challenge even if his rise hasn’t drawn much attention.
That’s the easy part. Beyond those names, the Buckeyes are a collection of questions.
Julian Sayin has looked like a good college quarterback, but the real issue is whether he can become more than that. The offensive line brings experience, yet it still has to prove it can deliver more than what it gave this team nine months ago, when it failed miserably. The front seven on defense was always going to regress some, but the question now is whether that drop is manageable or costly.
There’s also the matter of the 2026 recruiting class, which has already produced a few players who look like future stars. The unanswered question is whether this coaching staff trusts them enough to let that potential show. And then there’s Ryan Day’s offseason claim that he has the sport’s best coaching staff - a statement that still needs evidence behind it.
Those uncertainties sit underneath bigger ambitions: a first Big Ten championship since 2020 and a second national title for Day.
The outlook depends on your mood. The optimistic read is simple enough: this is a young team still forming its identity, one that could peak at the right time and make a run in the College Football Playoff.
The darker view is less forgiving. Maybe the talent isn’t quite enough.
Maybe the coaching won’t cover the gaps. Maybe the final year of a generational wide receiver ends with too little help around him.
However you frame it, Ohio State is carrying far more questions into league play than usual. A lot of that comes with bringing in 51 new players, a number that’s easy to mention and harder to absorb. Nine months and three games may not be enough time to sort it all out.
What is clear is that the next two months should be a roller coaster. Big Ten play opens next Saturday with Illinois coming to town, and the Buckeyes, their program and their fans are about to find out a lot about what this team really is.
If you’re leaning optimistic, there’s still a chance that belief pays off in the end.
In Other News...
Jeremiah Smith Just Entered Rare Ohio State Receiver Company
Jeremiah Smith has already put himself in some rare Ohio State company, and the numbers behind it only underline how quickly he has become the centerpiece of the Buckeyes passing game. By moving past Michael Jenkins to become the schools all-time leading receiver, Smith added another mark to a resume that keeps growing even as he still has plenty of football ahead of him.
Smith has made clear he is not finished, either, saying he wants to chase more school records as Ohio State moves through the season. Ryan Day has been just as effusive, praising both Smiths production and the way he carries himself, and for a program that has seen its share of star wideouts, that combination is what makes this climb feel especially notable. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Fans Have A New Fox Frustration After Another Blowout
Ohio States latest rout gave fans another chance to notice something besides the scoreboard, and it was Foxs broadcast that drew the heat this time. During the Buckeyes 59-3 win over Kent State, play-by-play voice Gus Johnson was criticized for sounding unusually flat on several big moments, an odd fit for a game that spent most of the afternoon as a one-sided showcase.
The reaction picked up after Chris Henry Jr.s touchdown catch, when Johnson described it as Henrys first score as a Buckeye. Fans also pointed to the same muted tone on other big plays, including Jamir Perezs fumble return touchdown and earlier Ohio State scores, continuing a pattern that has followed Johnson through previous Buckeyes blowouts. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's Most Unexpected Touchdown Came From A Player Fans Didn't Expect
Ohio States defense got an unexpected jolt in its rout of Kent State, and it came from a player built more for clogging the middle than finding the end zone. Freshman defensive tackle Jamir Perez turned a fumble recovery into a touchdown in the 59-3 win, a rare scoring moment for a position group that usually measures success in tackles and quarterback pressure rather than points.
For a Buckeyes team that cruised through the afternoon, Perezs run to the end zone stood out as one of the games most memorable moments. Ryan Day even had a little fun afterward when the play and the celebration came up, a reminder that sometimes the biggest surprise of a lopsided game is the one nobody saw coming. [Read more 🡒]