Ohio State’s first trip on the road this season turned into the kind of night that sends grades tumbling across the board.
Against fourth-ranked Texas in Austin, the Buckeyes didn’t just suffer a stunning collapse - they also snapped a pair of staggering streaks, losing for the first time in program history after leading by 17 or more at halftime and falling for the first time in 366 games when they entered the fourth quarter with a 20-plus-point lead.
Pro Football Focus took a snap-by-snap look at the performance and, when the dust settled, Jeremiah Smith stood alone at the top of the Buckeyes’ grade sheet. He was the only Ohio State player to land above 80, and he led a trio of standouts that also included linebacker Payton Pierce and running back Bo Jackson.
Smith was the clear offensive bright spot. PFF credited him with eight catches on 16 targets, and those 16 looks tied Illinois’ Collin Dixon for the most in Week 2.
He finished with 164 yards and a touchdown, which accounted for 44% of Ohio State’s offensive yards. He is now 26 yards shy of breaking Michael Jenkins' career record of 2,898 yards.
Payton Pierce’s grade was just as notable on the other side of the ball. The linebacker posted the Buckeyes’ top defensive mark at 75.9 and also led the team with a 73.9 coverage grade. He finished with six solo tackles, nine total tackles and a forced fumble, all while continuing to fuel the debate over whether he should be starting over Riley Pettijohn and TJ Alford.
Bo Jackson rounded out the top three after a strong day on the ground. He led Ohio State with 74 rushing yards and had the longest carry by any Buckeye against Texas, even if it only went for 11 yards. PFF also gave him the highest Ohio State marks among the backs in offense, running and ball security, and he was the only running back on the roster to reach the 70s in any of those categories.
Beyond the top three, the numbers painted a sharp picture of where Ohio State held up and where it didn’t. Brandon Inniss was the second-highest graded wide receiver at 59.8, while Devin McCuin, who logged the second-most snaps in the receiver room, checked in at 52.7. That drop-off from Smith to the rest of the group was steep.
Up front, Phillip Daniels posted the best pass-blocking grade at 82.9. At the other end of the scale, tight end Mason Williams finished with a 16.5 pass-blocking grade, and Bennett Christian carried the lowest overall grade of any Buckeye with at least 10 snaps at 41.6.
On defense, Earl Little Jr. earned the top run-defense grade at 74.9. Jaylen McClain and Devin Sanchez were Ohio State’s best tacklers, grading out at 83.7 and 83.2, respectively. In the trenches, John Walker led the defensive tackles with a 70.7 grade, while Beau Atkinson topped the defensive ends at 66.7.
A few of the individual grades also stood out in ways that don’t always line up neatly with the box score. Riley Pettijohn logged a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and three tackles, yet PFF still had him nearly seven points behind Pierce. Khary Wilder, meanwhile, posted the lowest defensive grade on the team at 43.8 despite recording two quarterback pressures on just five snaps.
Here’s how the Buckeyes graded out by position against Texas:
Julian Sayin: 64.1 (65 snaps)
Bo Jackson: 74.6 (42 snaps)
Isaiah West: 67.7 (2 snaps)
Ja'Kobi Jackson: 67.3 (21 snaps)
Legend Bey: 60.0 (1 snap)
Jeremiah Smith: 84.0 (56 snaps)
Brandon Inniss: 59.8 (33 snaps)
Chris Henry Jr.: 59.1 (9 snaps)
Brock Boyd: 54.9 (12 snaps)
Devin McCuin: 52.7 (50 snaps)
Phillip Bell: 45.9 (9 snaps)
Nate Roberts: 57.3 (42 snaps)
Mason Williams: 54.3 (23 snaps)
Bennett Christian: 41.6 (56 snaps)
Gabe VanSickle: 68.9 (7 snaps)
Phillip Daniels: 68.3 (58 snaps)
Ian Moore: 66.3 (65 snaps)
Austin Siereveld: 63.3 (65 snaps)
Carson Hinzman: 61.6 (65 snaps)
Luke Montgomery: 54.7 (65 snaps)
Beau Atkinson: 66.7 (11 snaps)
Kenyatta Jackson Jr.: 61.9 (68 snaps)
Epi Sitanilei: 56.7 (7 snaps)
Qua Russaw: 56.2 (36 snaps)
Zion Grady: 51.4 (6 snaps)
Khary Wilder: 43.8 (5 snaps)
John Walker: 70.7 (54 snaps)
Jason Moore: 65.7 (27 snaps)
Will Smith Jr.: 59.4 (14 snaps)
Eddrick Houston: 57.9 (54 snaps)
James Smith: 51.9 (40 snaps)
Payton Pierce: 75.9 (67 snaps)
Riley Pettijohn: 69.1 (37 snaps)
TJ Alford: 64.4 (26 snaps)
Christian Alliegro: 58.6 (51 snaps)
Jermaine Mathews Jr.: 70.3 (76 snaps)
Cam Calhoun: 66.0 (1 snap)
Jay Timmons: 65.3 (62 snaps)
Devin Sanchez: 60.7 (76 snaps)
Earl Little Jr.: 64.1 (71 snaps)
Simeon Caldwell: 61.2 (5 snaps)
Leroy Roker III: 61.1 (5 snaps)
Jaylen McClain: 60.4 (80 snaps)
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Ohio State Has A Bigger Texas Concern Beyond Jeremiah Smith
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One of the clearest early signs that plan can work has been Jay Timmons, who entered the class after originally being tied to Florida State and has wasted little time making an impact. Some younger players from that group are expected to contribute this season while others settle into depth roles, and Timmons early production has only sharpened the attention on how quickly these late additions can matter. [Read more 🡒]