Ohio State opened the 2026 season the way Ohio State is supposed to open seasons like this: with a 56-3 pounding of Ball State in the Shoe on Saturday.
And still, there was plenty to pick at.
That’s the curse - or the hobby - of watching a team with this much talent. A blowout can be lopsided and still leave a grumpy fan with a notebook full of annoyances. In this case, the Buckeyes gave up some ugly field position, took too many penalties and had a few protection issues that will not fly when Texas shows up in Austin on Saturday.
The return game offered one of the early headaches. Freshman Legend Bey had a rough afternoon as a kick returner, even if he later flashed plenty of juice at running back, especially as a receiver out of the backfield.
Twice, Ohio State ended up with poor field position on kickoffs that Bey should have let die in the end zone. There’s obvious upside there, but the first game also showed there’s work to do.
If Brandon Inniss tells you to stay in the end zone, the instruction is simple: stay in the end zone and take a knee.
The Buckeyes also left some sacks on the field. On Ball State’s second drive, two Ohio State defenders had a chance to bring down quarterback Keldric Luster on the same play, and neither finished it.
With Caden Curry gone to the NFL, Kenyatta Jackson and the rest of that group need to cash in when they get there. Jackson was one of the players who missed on that chance.
Pass protection had its own problems. Julian Sayin wasn’t under constant siege in 2025 until late in the year, but Ball State still managed to land some shots.
Early on, Sayin was sacked after Ja’Kobi Jackson and Ian Moore both missed their blocks. Later, Phillip Daniels got beat badly by his man on a three-man rush and allowed a hard hit on the quarterback.
Those are the kind of breakdowns that can get a passer hurt, and with the line Ohio State has, this was supposed to be a strength. It needs to be better than it was on Saturday.
Then came the flags. Ohio State was tagged nine times for 81 yards, and a lot of those came once the backups were in the game.
James Smith gave Ball State a first down on what should have been a sack on third and long, turning it into a horse collar tackle instead. Terry Moore Jr. was also called for pass interference.
Ball State, by comparison, had just three penalties for 15 yards.
One penalty mattered especially because of where it landed. Phillip Bell had a punt return erased by a flag, and with it went a chance to improve field position.
In a game where Ohio State already had some kickoff issues, that kind of mistake is the sort that can make a drive feel like it starts in a ditch. The Buckeyes won’t want to be pinned inside their own 10-yard line in Austin.
Ball State did manage to avoid the shutout. Jay Timmons’ coverage mistake opened the door on a third-and-long conversion, and Jermaine Mathews Jr. let him hear it after the play.
Even if the assignment belonged to Mathews, the result was the same: the Cardinals got a fresh set of downs. The defense then got crossed up on a flea flicker, though Luster’s throw was off, and Ohio State also gave up a run of more than 10 yards on the next snap.
That sequence ended with Ball State kicking a field goal before halftime, spoiling the shutout.
For all the nitpicking, there was still a lot to like.
Jeremiah Smith kept being Jeremiah Smith. Julian Sayin shook off an opening stretch in which he missed his first two passes and settled in to have a strong game.
Devin McCuin looked like he could be the next great Ohio State receiver. Chris Henry Jr., even while dealing with some jitters, kept getting open, and that’s usually the hard part for a young wideout.
The defense also came away with an interception and made some solid plays.
So yes, Ohio State rolled. Yes, the scoreboard was never in doubt. And yes, there were still enough little irritations to keep the grumpy old Buckeye busy.
In Other News...
Ohio State Faces A More Dangerous Texas Test Than Last Year
The rematch on the schedule already carries enough weight, but this one comes with a different feel for Ohio State. The Buckeyes and Texas are meeting for the third straight year, only this time it is in Austin at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, with ESPNs College GameDay on hand and the Longhorns carrying a 1.5-point edge. After the last two seasons gave both programs a fresh look at each other, the matchup now arrives with even more attention and a bigger stage.
For Ohio State, the challenge is not just the venue or the buildup, but the version of Texas waiting on the other side. Arch Manning gives the Longhorns a new layer at quarterback, while new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp adds a familiar edge to that side of the ball. For a Buckeye team used to measuring itself against the nations best, this one feels less like another early heavyweight game and more like a true test of how much has changed since the last time these teams lined up. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Kienholz Just Sparked An Ohio State QB Debate
Lincoln Kienholz spent enough time around Ohio State to know how unforgiving the quarterback conversation can be there, and his latest outing at Louisville gave the discussion a fresh jolt. In his debut against Ole Miss, the former Buckeye showed the kind of production that turns heads quickly, topping 300 yards and throwing three touchdowns while looking comfortable as both a passer and a runner.
For Ohio State fans, the appeal is obvious because it feeds into the never-ending question of what might have been and what the Buckeyes missed when Kienholz moved on. His path also says something about the fit in college football: sometimes a player needs a different setup, a cleaner runway and a coach like Jeff Brohm to let the full skill set show up on game day, even as the foundation built in Columbus still shapes how he leads and handles the position. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's QB Uncertainty Just Added Intrigue To The Game
Ohio State opened its season with a comfortable win over Ball State, while Michigan had a far less reassuring afternoon in a narrow escape against Western Michigan. That alone would have been enough to keep Buckeyes fans watching closely, but the storyline got more interesting when Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham left the door open on Bryce Underwoods status at quarterback, a notable twist for a position that usually settles the tone for the rest of the rivalry week chatter.
Underwoods uneven play has only deepened the questions around Michigans offense, and it carries extra weight because of what this game means beyond one Saturday in September. For Ohio State, any uncertainty on the other sideline only adds to the intrigue heading into a meeting where the Buckeyes will be paying attention to whether Michigan can steady itself, or whether the Wolverines are heading toward a bigger change than anyone expected. [Read more 🡒]