Ohio State’s 4-1 start has come with plenty of proof that this team can light up a scoreboard, but the numbers heading into Week 6 also tell a more complicated story.
The Buckeyes have one of the country’s most dangerous offenses, and that starts with Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith. Through five games, the pair has looked like the kind of connection that can carry an entire season.
Sayin’s accuracy has been on display, Smith has been nearly impossible to stop, and the offense has piled up 42.2 points per game while leading the Big Ten in total yards per game. That production has them sitting inside the top 10 nationally.
Smith’s junior-year surge has already rewritten the record book. He has broken Ohio State program records in receiving yards, receptions and touchdowns, and he is currently the Heisman favorite. Sayin has been sharp, but most of the damage has come through Smith, which leaves one big question as the schedule tightens: how often will Sayin need to lean on other targets?
That matters because Ohio State’s passing game has been carrying more than its share of the load. The run game, by contrast, has not cracked the top 50 nationally, which is a red flag for an offense that has otherwise been electric.
The Buckeyes have faced only two true good defenses so far, and in those games they averaged under 4 yards a rush. With as many as four ranked opponents still ahead, that imbalance could become a real issue.
There is also the matter of big plays. They have helped fuel the scoring binge, but they can only do so much if the ground game stays inconsistent and if the rest of the passing attack does not keep expanding. Devin McCuin showed a little more on Saturday, and that development could matter if Ohio State wants more balance against stronger competition.
Defensively, the Buckeyes are solid, just not quite at the elite standard of last year’s No. 1 scoring unit. The group took a hit in the eyes of many after the Illinois game, but it responded by holding Iowa to six points through three quarters in a top-15 matchup. That’s the kind of bounce-back that suggests the floor is still pretty high.
What Ohio State still needs, though, is a pass rush that can shut a drive down in a hurry. That kind of pressure becomes essential later in the year, especially against elite quarterbacks.
The rush defense has been strong outside of the Illinois game, and the linebackers rotating through the middle have been productive. Up front, the defensive line has done a good job of preventing much push, but the Buckeyes still need more turnovers from the run game.
The secondary has done its part so far. It returned the most production from last season’s defense, and that experience has shown.
The coverage has made quarterbacks uncomfortable and has helped clean up some of the big-play issues that showed up in the first four weeks. Devin Sanchez is a name to keep watching, though the penalties have been an issue.
If he settles in, he could help lift that unit even higher.
A few of Ohio State’s special teams numbers are harder to judge because of how little volume there has been. The Buckeyes have had only three kick return chances, and two of those were first-game mistakes by freshman Legend Bey.
They have also only returned three punts as a group. The last Ohio State punt return for a touchdown came in 2024, when NFL safety Caleb Downs did it against Indiana, and it will be interesting to see whether someone from the talented wide receiver room can break one this year.
In Other News...
Jeremiah Smith Is Giving Ohio State Fans New Rivalry Ammo
Jeremiah Smith has done more than look like Ohio States most dangerous pass-catcher. Through five games, the sophomore wideout has piled up 823 receiving yards, 44 catches and nine touchdowns, production that has made him the national leader among wide receivers and given Buckeyes fans plenty of ammunition in a rivalry that rarely needs extra fuel. With Ohio State humming near the top of the sport in scoring, passing and total offense, Smith has been a centerpiece of an attack that looks every bit as imposing as advertised.
Across the border, Michigans offense has had a harder time finding that kind of rhythm. Bryce Underwoods passing numbers have been modest by comparison, and the Wolverines have lingered near the bottom of the national rankings in several offensive categories, a sharp contrast to Ohio States efficiency. For Buckeyes fans, Smiths emergence adds another layer to the annual debate over which side has the better firepower, even if the most important chapter in that argument still waits to be written. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A New PFF Debate As O-Line Questions Linger
As Ohio State keeps sorting out its offensive front, the conversation has spilled into an old debate about how to judge line play in the first place. Left guard Luke Montgomery pushed back on Pro Football Focus, arguing that offensive linemen are too dependent on each other for individual grades to tell the full story. It is a familiar complaint in football circles, but it lands differently when the Buckeyes are still working through personnel and continuity issues up front.
Ryan Day has already acknowledged the line is in a stretch of adjustment because of Phillip Daniels' injury, and the staff is still trying to integrate him back into the mix. For Ohio State, that leaves the spotlight on both performance and perception, with the Buckeyes trying to stabilize a unit where communication and cohesion matter as much as any single snap. The grading debate may never go away, but it is especially loud when the line itself is still very much a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Growing Devin Sanchez Problem To Fix Fast
Devin Sanchez has been drawing too much attention for the wrong reasons over the last two games, with the sophomore cornerback flagged multiple times for pass interference and now sitting at five penalties on the season. It has become a real issue for Ohio States secondary, because the Buckeyes can live with aggressive coverage, but not the kind that repeatedly hands opponents free yardage and extends drives.
Ryan Day has already made clear the answer starts with better composure and cleaner technique, and secondary coach Tim Walton is working on a plan to address it in practice. The timing matters with Maryland coming next and a passing offense that will put Sanchez back in the spotlight, giving him a chance to show the kind of correction Ohio State needs fast. [Read more 🡒]