Ohio State opens the 2026 season in three days against Ball State, and the first tune-up should tell Ryan Day plenty about who’s ready to matter right away.
With No. 5 Texas coming to Austin in Week 2, this opener gives the Buckeyes a chance to sort through their returning stars and newer pieces before the schedule tightens up. Against a Ball State team that looks overmatched on paper, there’s real room for a few Ohio State players to put up loud numbers.
The clearest place to start is the ground game. Between new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s system and an offensive line that brings back four starters from last season, Ohio State should lean hard on the run.
Jackson and West are both coming into their second year, and the buzz around both backs has been building all through camp. Against a Ball State defense that gave up 178.8 yards per game last season, and did so mostly against MAC opponents, the Buckeyes look positioned to run downhill all day.
With the front seven projected to be one of the weakest parts of that defense, this feels like a setup for a rushing onslaught.
Jackson Jr. should also be in line for a big opening statement. He’s one of the few returning starters from Ohio State’s record-breaking defense from last year, and now he steps into a bigger role as the top edge threat on the line.
After a season in Matt Patricia’s scheme, the expectation is that he takes a major leap in 2026. Ball State allowed around 4 sacks a game last year, which ranked in the bottom three among FBS teams, and Ohio State has consistently punished MAC opponents during the Ryan Day era, averaging close to 5 sacks a game.
Ball State tackle Chris Hood is one of the better players on their roster, but Jackson Jr. is a different kind of problem. This is the kind of matchup that can turn into a huge afternoon fast.
Alliegro is another name worth watching on defense. He arrives as one of the most experienced newcomers in the Buckeyes’ lineup after three productive years at Wisconsin, and he’s set to line up next to Payton Pierce at middle linebacker.
That pairing matters because the skill sets complement each other: Pierce is strong in drop coverage, while Alliegro brings run-stopping ability and a knack for getting after the quarterback. That should put Alliegro in position to attack downhill often, especially if Ball State leans more on the run early while easing in inexperienced quarterback Kedric Luster.
The Cardinals had a bottom-10 passing attack last season, and while Luster has tools that could help them move the ball in the MAC, this opener could push Ball State toward a heavier ground approach. If that happens, Alliegro should have plenty of chances to rack up tackles, make plays on checkdowns, and even get involved in pressure situations.
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Since then, Smith-Njigba has only added to the intrigue around that missed opportunity. He has become one of the NFLs top receivers, leading the league in receiving yards and earning a contract extension, which only sharpens the old debate over how much Ohio State might have gained if he had been able to suit up. For Buckeyes fans, it is the kind of conversation that never really dies, especially when the player at the center of it has gone on to prove just how high his ceiling really was. [Read more 🡒]