Ohio State walked out of a week of noise and frustration with a lopsided win and a fresh look at what this team is and isn’t.
The Buckeyes beat Kent State 59-3 on Saturday afternoon in Ohio Stadium, giving more than 100,000 fans plenty to celebrate before the attention turns to Big Ten play. And that next stretch matters, because Ohio State is headed into what the source calls the best conference in college football with a tough draw. The question now is simple: what can this team lean on, and what has to get better fast?
The clearest answer on the plus side is Jeremiah Smith. On Saturday, he became Ohio State’s all-time leading receiver, passing the mark held by Michael Jenkins.
At this point, there really isn’t much left to say about college football’s best player. He’s the Buckeyes’ biggest edge every time they take the field, and if Ohio State reaches its goals this season, Smith will be a huge reason why.
But the flip side is just as obvious. Beyond Smith, the receiver room has not looked as dangerous as it has in some of the recent past.
That doesn’t mean the group lacks talent - the source says it still might be good enough to be a strength - but the chemistry with Julian Sayin hasn’t shown up consistently. That has been true in every game so far, and especially in the loss at Texas.
Smith can’t be overused, even if the temptation is obvious. Somebody else has to step forward if this offense is going to hit its ceiling.
There’s also real strength in the middle of the offensive line. With Austin Siereveld and Luke Montgomery working next to center Carson Hinzman, Ohio State has been able to create movement in the interior run game and keep defensive tackles from collapsing the pocket on Sayin.
That kind of push matters. It keeps the offense on schedule and helps the Buckeyes stay ahead of the sticks.
Still, the short-yardage and red zone issues keep hanging around. The source points to a problem that has been around for a few years now, and last week against Texas brought another example when Ohio State failed to convert a key fourth-and-two deep in Longhorn territory.
Instead of putting the game away, the Buckeyes settled for field goals. Against Kent State, the same issue surfaced again with back-to-back turnover-on-downs drives, including one that started at the Kent State 13 and another where Ohio State had second and one but still couldn’t finish the job.
The fix, according to the source, may come from different formations and a little more creativity in those spots.
Then there’s the youth on this roster, which cuts both ways. Ohio State has a strong blend of young players and experienced ones.
That gives the Buckeyes a high floor right now and, if the younger players keep developing, a national championship ceiling. But the depth chart also comes with a complication: the Buckeyes don’t always seem to know who their best players are.
At some point, the constant rotation has to tighten up. If a staff can’t settle on who it wants to play, game-planning gets harder.
And with tough opponents waiting when the calendar turns to October, finding an identity becomes just as important as having talent.
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 🡒]