Ryan Day keeps leaving Ohio State fans with the same question: where is Legend Bey?
For the second straight Big Ten game, the true freshman running back did not play. In Ohio State’s 31-14 win over Iowa at Kinnick Stadium in Week 5, Bey was again absent from the action, extending a stretch that has now kept him off the field in both conference matchups.
Day said this past week that he would “like” to see Bey play, but that was tied to how the week unfolded.
"That'll be based on how the practice goes this week, how he does. We all know his ability level. He's just got to continue to work to build trust, but we would definitely love to see him on the field," Day said.
That answer only sharpened the mystery. Day has made it clear that Bey’s talent isn’t the issue, and he continues to speak highly of what the freshman can do. Still, the snaps aren’t coming.
If Bey is still dealing with the aftermath of the Kent State game, Day hasn’t said so. And based on the way he sounded then, he appeared to want Bey back in for the end of that game. Instead, the wait goes on.
Meanwhile, Ohio State has other issues in the backfield. Isaiah West is having trouble generating push at the line of scrimmage, and Day has already called out his effort. That makes Bey’s absence even harder to explain, because the opening is right there.
Instead, Day stuck with what he had in Iowa City. Ja'Kobi Jackson scored on a seven-yard run, and Bo Jackson turned in another solid if unspectacular outing. The ground game did enough to support another huge night from Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith.
Sayin threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns. Smith was every bit the difference-maker again, finishing with 206 receiving yards and two touchdown catches.
But the run game can’t be an afterthought forever. Eventually, an opponent is going to get to Sayin with a strong pass rush, and Ohio State’s offensive line still hasn’t shown it can handle every challenge over the last two years.
Smith can drag a team a long way, but not all the way. He’s headed for the NFL after this season anyway, which only makes the running back situation more important now and going forward.
That’s where Bey matters. Ja'Kobi Jackson is a one-year rental as a Florida transfer, and he won’t be back next season.
Bo Jackson’s future is uncertain after being deprioritized in Arthur Smith’s offense. Bey, at least in theory, could be the answer in Columbus.
Right now, though, he’s still on the outside looking in. And until that changes, Ohio State fans are left wondering why a player with so much promise keeps disappearing.
In Other News...
Ohio State Just Delivered The Kind Of Road Win Fans Needed
Ohio State went into Kinnick Stadium and delivered the sort of response win its fans had been waiting for, beating Iowa 31-14 and handing the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season. The Buckeyes controlled the game on both sides of the ball, piling up 484 total yards while keeping Iowa to 238 and a paltry 39 rushing yards, which made this feel less like a tense road test and more like a statement about the gap between the two teams.
Jeremiah Smith was at the center of it, turning the trip into one of those performances that travels well beyond the box score. He finished with 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns, giving Ohio State a dynamic edge whenever it needed one and helping offset a couple of turnovers forced by the defense. For a team that needed a clean, convincing road result, this was exactly the kind of night it was looking for. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Just Put Ohio State Fans On Notice Again
Jeremiah Smith kept the Buckeyes moving in Iowa City, turning a road test against the Hawkeyes into another showcase for Ohio States passing game. The freshman wideout tied the Ohio State touchdown record while finishing with 11 catches for 206 yards and two scores, a performance that helped push the Buckeyes to a 4-1 start and add another layer to what has already become a must-watch season in Columbus.
Smiths latest breakout only raises the stakes for what comes next, because Ohio State now heads back home to face Maryland with its young star drawing even more attention. For a team that has spent the early part of the season trying to establish its identity, his ability to create production anywhere on the field has become one of the biggest reasons the Buckeyes keep looking like a contender. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Earned The Big Ten Spot Fans Wanted Most
Week 5 brought a clearer picture of the Big Ten race, and Ohio State came out of it looking like the conference team fans expected to see at the top. The Buckeyes handled Iowa in a game that carried more weight than a typical early-season road test, adding a quality win to a rsum that is starting to separate from the pack as the league standings and the national picture begin to take shape.
The rankings around them still have plenty of movement left, with Indiana continuing to push forward, Oregon and UCLA drawing attention for different reasons, and Michigan still trying to sort out its own path. But Ohio States recent momentum is the kind that can hold up as October approaches, especially if the Buckeyes keep matching style points with results in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]