Ohio State spent most of Friday night looking like a team still searching for its footing, then flipped the script late and left its home opener with a much better feeling.
The Buckeyes beat Youngstown State 89-65, but the final score doesn’t tell the whole story. For roughly 30 minutes, Ohio State was in a real fight. In the last 10, the Buckeyes finally started to look like the group Jake Diebler has been talking up.
That surge was powered by a pair of transfers. Andrija Jelavic gave Ohio State a big lift with 21 points, doing most of his damage around the rim while also knocking down a 3-pointer. He added nine rebounds and showed the kind of versatility that makes him valuable, even with him starting at center despite being better suited as a stretch four.
John Mobley Jr. delivered the other big scoring punch, finishing with 25 points. He had to work through early foul trouble, but once he settled in, he found his rhythm at the right time.
The Buckeyes still have issues to clean up, though, and the freshmen are right at the center of that conversation. Anthony Thompson, a five-star recruit, struggled again and finished with four points on 1-of-6 shooting. LJ Smith, another five-star freshman, was just as quiet, scoring five points on 1-of-6 shooting.
Those are the kinds of nights Ohio State can survive against a team like Youngstown State. They won’t be able to get away with them for long.
There are other options, and that’s part of why the Buckeyes still have a high ceiling. Amare Bynum has taken a noticeable step forward from his freshman season, showing more comfort on the perimeter while still bringing the driving ability and athleticism that have always stood out.
Mobley remains a dangerous scorer. Jelavic, if this keeps up, could become a steady threat game to game.
But the schedule is about to ask a lot more from this team. Ohio State gets UConn, a top-five team, in a week. Vandy, Kansas, and Notre Dame are still waiting in the non-conference slate before Big Ten play begins.
Diebler knows the freshmen have to come along quickly. A 3-of-19 start from Thompson and Smith is not what he wants to see, and if that kind of production continues, their minutes will shrink in the games that matter most.
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Jeremiah Smith Can Add Another Big Ten Milestone Against Oregon
Jeremiah Smith keeps turning milestone games into routine business, and the next one on the schedule gives him another chance to add to a record book he already owns in just about every meaningful way at Ohio State. The Buckeyes star receiver has become the standard for production in Columbus, and his latest stretch has him positioned to keep climbing the Big Ten lists while the spotlight only gets brighter.
Oregon is the next opponent, and with it comes another opportunity for Smith to keep stacking history against a high-profile defense. The yards record is still within reach, and with every big catch he makes, the conversation around him shifts a little more from what he has done to what he might finish with before this run is over. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces A Familiar Threat In A High-Stakes Rematch
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For Ohio State, the challenge is as much about discipline as it is about disruption. The Buckeyes have to keep Raiola from getting into rhythm and make Oregon earn every clean look, because once he settles in, the Ducks offense can move quickly. It sets up a familiar kind of test for Ohio State, one that asks the defense to turn pressure into control before a familiar threat turns the rematch into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Heads Into Ohio State With Key Offensive Questions
Oregons injury report is already shaping the conversation around its trip to Columbus, with the Ducks confirming that running back Jordon Davison and tight end Andrew Olesh will not be available against Ohio State. The latest updates also leave wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan in line for a possible return after a long injury layoff, giving the Ducks at least a little hope as they sort through the final pieces of their offensive plan.
The rest of the availability picture is still fluid, with other players carrying out or probable designations as Oregon prepares for one of its biggest tests of the season. For Ohio State, that means the focus is not just on who the Ducks will have, but on how much of their offense can be pieced together in time for a game where every healthy option matters. [Read more 🡒]