Ohio State’s season still has the look of a team built for January, even after that ugly collapse against Texas in Week 2.
The Buckeyes gave away a 20-point fourth-quarter lead in that loss, but the response since then has been sharp. They rolled past Kent State and Illinois, and the result was a return to No. 5 in the national rankings. Now the schedule starts to tighten, and that’s where the real test begins.
Even with the Texas setback hanging over the résumé, the numbers still point to Ohio State as a serious title threat. Heather Dinich of ESPN highlighted the metrics backing that up:
Ohio State is No. 1 in Game Control, No. 3 in FPI, No. 30 in SOR and has a significantly better schedule strength (24) right now than Georgia (88) Miami (108) and Notre Dame (99).
- Heather Dinich (@CFBHeather) September 27, 2026
That’s the kind of profile that keeps a team in the championship conversation. Ohio State has dictated play in nearly every game it has played, and even in that Texas game, the Buckeyes were in charge for the first three quarters. The concern, of course, is that the adjustments have come against Kent State and Illinois, not a true heavyweight.
The next chance to find out more comes against Iowa. College GameDay will be there, and the Hawkeyes arrive unbeaten. It’s also the start of a stretch that will tell a lot about Ohio State’s season, with four ranked opponents still left on the schedule over the next five weeks.
That difficult finish could end up helping the Buckeyes if the playoff committee starts comparing résumés later on, especially if Ohio State stumbles again. Strength of schedule may wind up being one of the team’s biggest assets.
For now, the talent is still obvious. Jeremiah Smith is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, Julian Sayin is putting together a strong season, and the Buckeyes still have room to get more production from the wide receiver group around Smith.
Iowa will ask different questions than Ohio State has faced recently. The Hawkeyes play physical defense, want to control the ball and, as they showed late against TTUN, can also push the ball downfield quickly when they need to. That puts more pressure on Ohio State’s defense, which is still searching for consistency after losing so much talent.
Ryan Day knows the issues aren’t going away on their own. The Buckeyes need to run the ball better and stop the run better, because those are the kinds of details that could decide how the rest of the season plays out. Metrics can paint a flattering picture, but the games themselves will decide whether Ohio State finishes the job.
In Other News...
Ohio State Freshman Legend Bey May Have A Bigger Problem Than Playing Time
Legend Beys first season at Ohio State has already been shaped by interruption, and not just because of the usual freshman learning curve. After an earlier suspension and an ankle injury, the running back has been working from behind for playing time, and his role has stayed limited as the Buckeyes have moved through the season. Even in areas where young players can sometimes find a foothold, his path has been narrow.
The latest sign came against Illinois, when Bey did not play and another player handled his kick-return work instead. For a freshman trying to earn more than a spot in the rotation, that kind of move can say plenty about where he stands with the staff. If the concerns run deeper than health or depth-chart traffic, it could become a bigger issue for Bey as he looks to settle his future in Columbus. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Future Talent Pipeline Is Starting To Look Different
Ohio States recruiting machine is still humming, but the shape of the pipeline is starting to change. The Buckeyes already hold 19 verbal commitments in the 2027 class, a group that includes six national top 100 players and the countrys No. 1 overall prospect, DJ Jacobs, giving the staff another chance to load up early with high-end talent.
The next wave looks just as promising, if a little different in how it is forming. Ohio State has five commitments in the 2028 class, four of them top 100 prospects, led by quarterback Christopher Vargas at No. 4 nationally, and even the 2029 class already has a foothold with wide receiver Austin Miller, ranked No. 50. For a program that has long built its roster on blue-chip talent, the real question is how this early momentum will translate when the class rankings and the pressure both start to rise. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Growing Running Back Problem Behind Ja'Kobi Jackson
Ohio State got the win over Illinois in Week 4, but the running back room left Ryan Day with a lot to sort through. The group finished with 122 rushing yards, and Ja'Kobi Jackson accounted for the best of it with 56 yards and a touchdown, giving the Buckeyes a steadier presence than they got from the rest of the rotation.
What followed was more revealing than the box score. Day publicly singled out sophomores Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, questioning their effort when compared with Ja'Kobi Jackson, and the backdrop here is not just one uneven afternoon but a position group dealing with injuries and inconsistent play. For Ohio State, the bigger concern is whether there is a reliable answer behind Ja'Kobi Jackson, because right now the depth chart looks far less settled than a contender would prefer. [Read more 🡒]