After Ohio State’s loss to Texas, the Buckeyes’ passing game has an obvious problem: too much of it runs through Jeremiah Smith. That leaves Brandon Inniss in the middle of a bigger question for Ryan Day’s offense - how do the Buckeyes get more out of the receivers around him?
Inniss is hardly an unknown quantity. The two-time captain and Block "O" recipient has shown he can deliver when the moment gets big.
In 2025, he finished with 36 catches for 271 yards and three touchdowns, including a 4-yard touchdown from Julian Sayin just before halftime in Ohio State’s 27-9 win over Michigan. But even with that kind of clutch resume, his numbers still lagged behind Smith and Carnell Tate.
Now Tate is gone, and that opens the door for Inniss to take on a larger role.
He spent fall camp talking about sharpening his speed, explosiveness and versatility, and he said he felt good about the way he was developing as a complete receiver. So far, though, that offseason work has not shown up in the box score.
In Ohio State’s blowout over Ball State, Inniss caught three passes for 36 yards. Against Texas, he had one catch for 19 yards.
The Buckeyes do not need Inniss to become the centerpiece. They do need a more balanced offense, and the Texas game made that plain. Sayin threw for 278 yards, but Smith piled up 164 of them, which was nearly 60% of Ohio State’s passing output.
Smith remains the most dangerous target in the room, but that kind of dependence puts the spotlight on everyone else, especially Inniss.
“We gotta get that going, there’s no question,” Day said about getting receivers other than Smith involved. “Between Devin, Brandon, Brock, Chris … we gotta get that going. This next month, we’ve got to build chemistry there.”
Day said the push for more balance is not limited to the wideouts. He wants the tight ends and running backs involved too, and he said practice since the Texas loss has shown encouraging progress in those areas.
Saturday’s game against Kent State gives Ohio State a chance to clean up its passing-game issues before Big Ten play starts.
Day also wants freshmen Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd to get more snaps, while continuing to build on what UTSA transfer Devin McCuin has already shown. Through two games, McCuin has seven receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown.
Still, Inniss feels like the key piece here. With just four catches for 55 yards this season, the veteran captain needs more chances to matter. Ohio State needs another dependable weapon beside Smith, and Inniss is the clearest candidate to become that guy.
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Ryan Days program has been especially vulnerable when opponents keep pushing the pace and the defense is forced to hold up under pressure. The loss to Texas only sharpened the concern, since the Longhorns have brought a steadier offensive identity over multiple seasons while Ohio State has struggled to adjust and protect leads when games turn critical. [Read more 🡒]
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Robby Discher was brought in this offseason as special teams coordinator with the expectation that this phase would get cleaner, and Days comments suggested the Buckeyes are watching closely to see whether that happens. If the operation stays inconsistent, the comfort level on similar fourth-down decisions may start to change, especially in the kinds of high-leverage spots that can swing a top-end game. The message was clear enough: the punts are not automatic if the returns keep coming up short. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State May Have Found A Young Defensive Difference Maker
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Ryan Day has already signaled that Pettijohns workload should keep growing, and it is easy to see why the staff is intrigued. The linebacker has shown a knack for slipping blocks and finding the football, the kind of trait that can change how a defense feels from one week to the next. Ohio State still has to sort out the bigger picture after the loss, but Pettijohns emergence gives the Buckeyes something real to build on. [Read more 🡒]