The first month of Ohio State’s season has made the top of the Buckeye 20 feel pretty straightforward. After that, things get messy in a hurry.
Jeremiah Smith still sits alone at No. 1, and Julian Sayin remains the clear No. 2.
Those two were unanimous picks among the panel of eight voters, and nothing about the opening month changed that. Smith, in particular, is still being treated like the best player in college football, not just Ohio State.
The real movement starts behind them. Jaylen McClain and Austin Siereveld held onto the third and fourth spots, keeping the Buckeye 20’s top four unchanged from the preseason.
But the debate quickly widened from there, with 12 different players drawing at least one top-five vote. The Buckeyes have depth, but outside of Smith and Sayin, they don’t have quite as many obvious stars as they did last season.
That uncertainty showed up in the voting. A total of 29 Ohio State players received votes for this month’s ranking, which is Eleven Warriors’ season-long look at the Buckeyes’ top 20 players. The spread of names says plenty about how many different pieces have mattered so far.
The biggest story in the middle of the ranking is the secondary. Four preseason Buckeye 20 players climbed in the October update, and all four are defensive backs.
Jermaine Mathews Jr. jumped to No. 5, Devin Sanchez moved up to No.
6, Earl Little Jr. climbed to No. 9, and Jay Timmons surged all the way to No. 10.
That leaves all five of Ohio State’s secondary starters inside the top 10, with McClain still steady at No. 3.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. at No. 7 is the only other defender in that group.
Mathews and Timmons made the biggest statements among that group. Mathews rose nine spots from No. 14 in the preseason, while Timmons climbed 10 spots from No. 20 to crack the top 10. Sanchez and Little also moved up, even if their rises were smaller.
There were six newcomers in this month’s top 20, and Riley Pettijohn led the way at No. 11.
Pettijohn has been one of the breakout names of the first month, and the numbers back it up: four tackles for loss and two sacks through four games, both team highs. Ja’Kobi Jackson landed at No.
14, TJ Alford at No. 16, John Walker at No.
17, Jason Moore at No. 19 and Ian Moore at No. 20.
Jackson, Alford and Jason Moore have all taken on larger roles than expected off the bench, while Walker and Ian Moore have settled in as quality starters in the trenches.
The players who dropped out of the preseason top 20 tell their own story. Payton Pierce, Isaiah West, Eddrick Houston, James Smith, Phillip Daniels and Chris Henry Jr. all fell out of the rankings this time.
Pierce and Houston have started every game, but neither has delivered the impact that was expected. Daniels’ fall came after the injury he suffered against Texas, which has kept him out for Ohio State’s last two games.
Henry has shown flashes, including a 75-yard touchdown against Kent State, but his overall production has been limited. He has only three catches for 105 yards, and he’ll need to do more consistently to get back into the top 20. West and Smith didn’t draw any votes after quiet starts.
The full Buckeye 20 rankings include the complete voting breakdown, and the table shows just how wide open the conversation has become beneath the top two.
In Other News...
Julian Sayin Sends Ohio State Offense A Clear Warning Before Iowa
Julian Sayin left the Illinois game sounding more like a quarterback settling into the bigger picture than one looking for a quick victory lap. He pointed to the offense's steady progress, the value of keeping drives alive with his legs, and the growing comfort level around him as young receivers continue to take on larger roles. Jeremiah Smith has been a central part of that mix, and Sayin also credited the veteran offensive linemen for helping stabilize things up front as the Buckeyes keep building.
The next test comes with another road trip, and Sayin made it clear those spots demand sharper execution and a little more maturity from everyone involved. Iowa is the kind of place where the margin for error can shrink fast, and Ohio State's quarterback knows the offense cannot treat this as a finished product. The message from Sayin was simple enough: the Buckeyes have come a long way, but the real work is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Still Has One Passing Game Issue Jeremiah Smith Cant Solve
Jeremiah Smith has been everything Ohio State could have hoped for in the passing game, and then some. The offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, pointed to the wideouts exceptional production, with Jeremiah Smith leading the nation in receiving yards and touchdowns, while the Buckeyes continue to lean on him as the centerpiece of the aerial attack.
Still, the passing game has one lingering question beyond its star. Ohio State is trying to establish a reliable second option, with Devin McCuin currently sitting as the teams second-leading receiver, and coaches and players have kept stressing that the offense will need more than one target to keep evolving. The message from inside the program is clear enough: the Buckeyes are pleased with the production they have, but they also know the next layer of consistency has to come from somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has One Huge Chance To Make A National Statement
Ohio State heads into a rare early measuring-stick game with a chance to leave no doubt about where it stands nationally. The Buckeyes have looked sharp enough to build real momentum, and the next step comes in a difficult road setting where every possession matters and every explosive play carries extra weight.
Jeremiah Smith remains one of the biggest reasons this game has taken on added intrigue, even beyond the team stakes around him. With the matchup set against unbeaten Iowa and its stingy defense at Kinnick Stadium, Ohio State will also be watching how Julian Sayin handles the moment and whether the defense can create the kind of turnovers that turn a good win into something louder. [Read more 🡒]