Ohio State’s climb to No. 4 in the AP Poll says plenty, but not everything.
The Buckeyes moved up one spot in the latest rankings, yet their season has already taken on a shape that a simple number can’t quite capture. The loss to Texas still hangs over the picture, even if the fall in the rankings after that game wasn’t dramatic. Since then, Ohio State has answered with a run of big wins to open Big Ten play, and another major test arrives this weekend.
What’s been most striking is how dangerous the offense has looked from the start. Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith have been part of the Heisman conversation since early in the season, and Smith has now become the favorite through the opening stretch. The attack has looked good enough to make a strong case as the best in the country.
The defense has been a different story. It hasn’t consistently matched the standard Ohio State has carried in recent seasons, and Maryland was the first game that really felt like the unit was back at full strength. That uneven start on that side of the ball is a big reason the Buckeyes’ ranking doesn’t fully match the feel of their season.
There’s also the landscape around them to consider. Texas took its first loss, which pushed Georgia into the top spot.
Meanwhile, the Big Ten has looked weaker this season than it has in recent years, even though the conference has won the last three national championships. Indiana, Ohio State’s next opponent, is No. 5, and UCLA has also surprised people with the way it has played.
If Ohio State keeps rolling the way it has lately, the path is obvious: a Big Ten title and a real shot at reaching playoff time as the No. 1 team in the nation.
A big reason for the offensive surge is that new coordinator Arthur Smith has settled in with the group. He and Sayin appear to be on the same wavelength now, and that matters. So does having Jeremiah Smith on the outside, where he can change a game no matter how much attention he draws.
The run game was the last piece Ohio State needed to solve, and the Terrapins game felt like a step toward that answer. Earlier in the season, tough run defenses kept the Buckeyes from fully opening things up, which slowed the offense at times.
All of that makes Saturday’s matchup with Indiana feel like a revealing one. Curt Cignetti seems to see it that way too.
"They're a great football team with a lot of great players."
That’s the challenge ahead, and it’s why Ohio State’s No. 4 ranking feels like only part of the story.
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Indiana, though, gives Ohio State little margin for error. Day pointed to the Hoosiers recent success and made clear they are not the kind of opponent to take lightly, especially with lineup questions still hanging over his own side. The Buckeyes should be closer to full strength, but this matchup still comes with one obvious layer of uncertainty: exactly how quickly those returning starters can settle back in and how much of the rotation changes with them. [Read more 🡒]