Ohio State’s offense has been rolling early, and the numbers back up the eye test. The Buckeyes are putting up 503.5 yards per game and 42.7 points per game entering Saturday’s trip to face No. 5 Indiana in Bloomington, with both figures sitting inside the top 10 nationally.
Jeremiah Smith has been the headliner inside that machine. The sophomore star is second in the country in receiving yards with 916, receptions with 48 and touchdowns with 11, and his explosive production has helped set the tone for everything Ohio State is doing through six games. But this attack has not been a one-man show, even if Smith has sucked up plenty of the spotlight.
At quarterback, Sayin has put together a season worthy of a true A. Through six weeks, he ranks in the top 5 nationally in passing yards, touchdowns and passer rating.
He has stretched the field, shown better pocket feel and not shied away from using his legs when needed, all of which has helped the Buckeyes’ offense hum. Still, there have been rough edges.
Sayin has leaned heavily on Smith at times, forced some throws into tight coverage and has not fully cleaned up the turnover issues from last year. That showed up again in last week’s blowout win over Maryland, when he had a fumble and a pick-six.
The backfield has been more uneven. Jackson arrived with plenty of buzz, especially after Ryan Day pointed to his ability to create more big plays in the run game.
So far, though, the sophomore has only produced two runs of more than 20 yards in six games. His running game has looked better in recent weeks, and his 25-yard touchdown against Maryland was a welcome sign, but the overall lack of consistency and explosiveness remains a concern.
Indiana’s front seven will offer a real test of whether the room is settling in or still searching.
Smith, of course, keeps doing Smith things - and then some. Even with all the hype and all the expectations that came with him, he keeps finding another level.
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti went so far as to call him a ,"freak," heading into this matchup, and it is easy to see why. If there were a grade above A+, he would get it.
Smith remains the standard for receiver play in the country. Last year against Indiana, he caught 8 passes for 144 yards, and it will be fascinating to see what kind of day he can have with extra attention coming his way.
McCuin has been one of the toughest players to pin down in this offense. In two of his five games played, he has looked exactly like the kind of weapon Ohio State hoped he would become, using his speed over the middle to change the shape of the passing game.
In the other three, he has barely made a dent. That earns him a B- here, especially with Smith commanding such a massive share of the targets.
When McCuin has the ball, he has shown the ability to win one-on-one and create after the catch, and there is still room for that grade to climb if the volume follows.
Inniss has been quiet for most of the season. Remove the 49-yard hail-mary touchdown catch before halftime against Kent State, and he has less than 100 yards on the year.
That is a disappointment for the senior Block O recipient, who was expected to be a bigger part of the passing game. He has handled the leadership role assigned to him and has avoided the kind of drops or mistakes that swing a game the wrong way, but the big-play impact has not arrived.
With younger receivers pushing for snaps, his role may shrink even when he is healthy unless he starts making more plays down the stretch.
At tight end, Roberts has also had to fight through the reality of Smith’s target share. Even so, he has flashed the kind of versatility Ohio State wants there, serving as a safety valve while also making plays down the seam.
His 68-yard touchdown against Maryland was the best example yet, showing the speed to separate from defenders in the secondary. That kind of burst could help him earn more looks as the schedule gets tougher.
Up front, the offensive line has been a bit of a moving target, so it makes more sense to judge the group as a whole. Pass protection has generally held up well, with the Buckeyes allowing fewer than two sacks per game despite throwing often.
The run blocking has lagged behind, though the last two weeks have helped soften that criticism. The group seems to be finding a rhythm at the right time, but Saturday’s matchup at Indiana should reveal whether that is real progress or just a temporary spike.
In Other News...
Ohio State Gets Pulled Into A High-Stakes Fight Over Eligibility
The eligibility fight surrounding fifth-year athletes in Ohio has now spilled into federal court, with the NCAA suing Gov. Mike DeWine over the executive order that lets state universities challenge the associations ruling. For Ohio State and the rest of the states Division I programs, the issue is more than paperwork. It goes straight to how coaches build rosters, manage scholarship spots and weigh whether a veteran player can give them one more season.
The NCAA argues the order violates the Commerce Clause and the First Amendment by giving Ohio schools an unfair edge and allowing them to sidestep NCAA rules. Ohios Division I programs reportedly support the directive, and coaches have said they will make decisions based on what helps the team most. For a Buckeyes program always balancing immediate ambitions against long-term roster planning, the legal standoff adds another layer of uncertainty to an already delicate eligibility question. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces Two Pressing Questions In Huge Indiana Test
Jeremiah Smith has become one of the most important pieces in Ohio States offense, and his involvement figures to be a major storyline in Bloomington. The Buckeyes have been looking for ways to keep their passing game balanced and dangerous, and getting Smith the ball is part of that equation as they head into a matchup that carries real weight after last seasons Big Ten title game loss to Indiana.
Julian Sayins protection will matter just as much, because Indiana can make life uncomfortable if Ohio State lets pressure reach the quarterback too often. On the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes also need to close quickly on Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover and create enough disruption to tilt the game their way, with this trip offering both a chance at revenge and a test of whether Ohio State can handle the kind of pressure that usually decides big conference games. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Has A Chance To Shake Up The Big Ten Race
The Big Ten race is tightening at exactly the moment Ohio State would prefer some breathing room, and Indiana suddenly has a chance to make the leagues path a lot more complicated. The weekend slate comes with plenty of moving parts, from quarterback uncertainty elsewhere in the national picture to Ohio States own offensive line questions, but the Hoosiers are now positioned as one of the teams that could force the conversation to shift in a hurry.
For Buckeyes fans, that makes this a scoreboard-watching weekend as much as anything else. Alongside the predictions for the games themselves, the broadcasts are also expected to stir up talk about a possible 24-team College Football Playoff expansion, adding another layer to a week already loaded with speculation. If Indiana does its part, Ohio State may find the margin for error in the conference race getting thinner than it already is. [Read more 🡒]