It’s Game Week in Columbus, and Ohio State opens the 2026 season Saturday at home against Ball State with the No. 1 ranking in the Preseason AP Poll.
That opener is the first of three non-conference games on the schedule, and it also brings a rare wrinkle for the Buckeyes: unlike last season, they will not face an FCS opponent. In other words, zero is a number attached to this Ohio State team.
But there’s a lot more going on with this roster than that one detail. The Buckeyes bring back eight starters on offense: Julian Sayin, Bo Jackson, Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss, Phillip Daniels, Carson Hinzman, Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld.
That kind of continuity should matter. Ohio State’s offense had stretches last season where it felt like points and yards were left out there, and Sayin now gets a second season after a strong first year as the starting quarterback. Around him, the Buckeyes return Smith, Inniss and four offensive linemen, which gives this group a chance to be much sharper than it was a year ago.
The run game, in particular, should benefit. Ohio State has four returning starters up front, and Arthur Smith is in as offensive coordinator.
The line also has the most continuity in the country, with four returners who have logged at least 1,000 career snaps. In all, the Buckeyes are bringing back 85.8 percent of their snaps along the offensive line from last season.
That’s a massive number for a college offense in this era. On the other side of the ball, though, the picture is very different.
Ohio State has just three returning starters on defense. That sounds like a concern, but it’s worth remembering the Buckeyes were in a similar spot last year, when they also came into the season with only three returning starters from the 2024 national championship team.
Matt Patricia took over as defensive coordinator and still guided the unit to the top spot nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 9.3 points per game. That was the third-fewest points per game Ohio State has allowed since 1999, and one of only three teams since then to finish a season giving up fewer than 10 points per game.
There’s also plenty of star power back in the lineup. Ohio State returns four All-Americans from last season: Sayin, Smith, Hinzman and Montgomery.
Smith’s numbers are especially eye-catching. If he reaches 43 receptions, 341 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches, he would become the school’s career leader in all three categories. Those marks would move him past Emeka Egbuka in receptions, Michael Jenkins in receiving yards and Chris Olave in touchdowns.
The Buckeyes are also unusually young. They rank as the 11th youngest team in college football, fifth-youngest in the Power Four and second-youngest in the Big Ten.
The schedule is loaded, too. Ohio State has six teams currently ranked in the top 25 on its slate: Texas, Iowa, Indiana, USC, Oregon and Michigan.
Four of those games come on the road, and three are against teams currently in the top six. It’s the first time since 2005 that the Buckeyes have had six top-25 games on the schedule.
And then there’s the MAC note. Ohio State has won 39 straight games against teams from the Mid-American Conference and is 39-1 overall against MAC opponents.
As for season openers under Ryan Day, the Buckeyes have gone 8-0 in his eight games as head coach or acting head coach, winning those contests by an average of 25.4 points per game.
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Jeremiah Smiths Ohio State Record Chase Starts With A Historic Ceiling
Jeremiah Smiths place in Ohio States record chase is already starting to feel less like a possibility than a timeline. The Buckeyes standout wide receiver is tracking toward the program marks for touchdowns, catches and receiving yards, and the pace he has set makes this a conversation that could come to a head well before the season reaches its stretch run.
Smiths current averages point to a record-breaking march that could happen in the first half of the schedule, which is remarkable even by Ohio State standards. Of course, the whole thing depends on the two usual variables that can change any season in a hurry: production and health. But if Smith keeps moving at this rate, the Buckeyes may spend the fall watching one of their biggest offensive stars climb into a truly historic lane. [Read more 🡒]
Will Howard Just Bought Himself More Time In Pittsburgh
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Howards appeal has never been limited to what shows up in the box score. He is viewed as a strong character and a positive locker room presence, but the competition around him remains real, with Drew Allar also in the mix and the backup job still unsettled. For Howard, staying on the roster is a win, but the larger battle for playing time is far from over. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's New Captains Just Sent A Clear Message About 2026
Ohio State has leaned into balance with its 2026 leadership group, naming seven captains and splitting the room almost evenly between offense and defense. The list says as much about where the Buckeyes think their foundation is as it does about who has earned respect inside the building, with Jaylen McClain, Payton Pierce, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and the rest forming a group that reflects both production and presence.
For a program that expects to reload without losing its edge, the mix is telling. Brandon Inniss, Austin Siereveld, Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith give the offense a core with both star power and accountability, while the defensive side brings its own steady voices. The real message is less about individual labels than what those choices suggest about how Ohio State wants to be led heading into 2026. [Read more 🡒]