Ryan Day carried himself like the kind of coach every program wants at the top, and Ohio State’s 31-14 win at Iowa only sharpened that picture. He was praised for a letter he wrote to children at Children’s Hospital next to Kinnick Stadium, a message encouraging them to keep fighting and to approach their fight with courage. CBS sideline reporter Jenny Dell detailed the gesture, and the scene fit the larger point: even in the middle of a high-stakes game, Day made it clear he understood that some things are bigger than football.
That same sense of perspective showed up on the CBS broadcast when Day was visibly invested in “The Wave” between the first and second quarters. Balancing the pressure of leading a team with a massive target on its back while still being fully present for something more meaningful is part of what makes him stand out. He knows the weight that comes with coaching Ohio State, but he also knows when football has to take a back seat.
On the field, the Buckeyes looked more dangerous on offense than they did a year ago, and the reason goes beyond one afternoon in Iowa City. The run game is moving in the right direction, even if it still seems to have more room to grow.
Bo Jackson and Ja’Kobi Jackson are both producing, both are grinding out tough yards, and both have already come close to popping a long one. Last season, Ohio State’s rushing attack took time to find its footing and identity.
This year, the continuity at running back and along the offensive line is giving the unit a much steadier base.
Having two backs who can share the load matters, and Ohio State has already seen that formula work. It worked in 2024 with TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, and it’s working now with Jackson and Jackson.
Bo Jackson entered the season with the idea that he had to be the explosive home-run threat, but Ja’Kobi Jackson’s emergence as a runner who can burst through the hole has changed that picture. Bo Jackson looks like the kind of back who can keep moving the chains with hard-earned yards, while Ja’Kobi Jackson has added another gear to the mix.
The result is an offense that looks more balanced and more dangerous.
Arthur Smith’s influence is showing up, too. Day brought him in for a reason, and his background as an NFL coach who worked with Derrick Henry is now starting to surface as Big Ten play gets going.
Against Iowa, Ohio State had 10 possessions, punted only twice, and put together four drives of 10 or more plays. The last two possessions alone covered 10 plays and 16 plays.
Even when the Buckeyes weren’t finishing drives with points - and they scored on five of them - they were still dictating the game. One of the clearest examples came in the second quarter with 10:32 left, when Ohio State took over at its own two-yard line and still marched 43 yards in 11 plays while taking 4:52 off the clock. That sequence flipped the field and showed exactly how this offense can control a game without always needing a highlight-reel finish.
In the end, three of Ohio State’s drives ended with a missed field goal, a turnover on downs, and one that simply ran out the final 9:30 of the game. That last one said plenty on its own. It was control, plain and simple.
In Other News...
Former Ohio State Coach Brian Hartline Just Took A Brutal First Step Back
Brian Hartlines first months at South Florida had gone smoothly enough, with the former Ohio State offensive coordinator off to a 4-1 start before a stumble at UTSA snapped the momentum. The trip also came with a side note that got plenty of attention, after Hartline made comments about the noise inside the opponents stadium and then had those remarks revisited in a very public way once the game was over.
From Ohio States perspective, Hartlines next chapter is still part of the larger coaching tree story, but the Buckeyes have their own issues to sort out as the schedule rolls on. The offense has had trouble getting the rushing game where it needs to be, and while Hartline is now trying to settle in as a head coach, his rough first step back served as another reminder that the margins get small fast once conference and nonconference tests start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Elite Passing Game Is Hiding A Bigger Running Back Issue
Ohio States passing game has been humming along at a level few teams in the country can match, but the ground game is carrying a very different kind of conversation. The Buckeyes sit 81st in rushing yards per attempt, a ranking that stands out for a team with this much offensive firepower and one that has had to lean on a rotating backfield rather than finding a clear weekly answer.
The workload has bounced among Ja'Kobi Jackson, Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, with true freshman Legend Bey also part of the early mix. Beys limited role has drawn attention because of questions around why his touches have thinned out, and while there has been speculation about professionalism concerns, nothing has been officially confirmed. For a team built to pressure defenses in every way, the bigger issue may be less about who is getting the carries and more about whether Ohio State has settled on the right one. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Brings Coaching Drama And A Defense Ohio State Can Exploit
Maryland arrives with plenty of noise around the program, and not much of it has anything to do with what happens between the lines. The uncertainty around Mike Locksleys future has hung over the Terps for a while now, with the athletic director potentially waiting until after the bye week to make a call, and that backdrop only adds to the sense that Ohio State is catching Maryland at a tense moment. At the same time, the offensive side has slipped, with Malik Washingtons play trending down and the Terps searching for steadier footing.
There is still enough on the defensive front to make Maryland worth studying, especially along the line, where a few key pieces can flash and disrupt a game if the rest of the unit holds together. The problem, as Michael Howes pointed out, is that the tackling has not been dependable enough, and those misses have repeatedly undercut the defense. For Ohio State, that creates a familiar sort of opportunity, one that starts with pressure up front and can quickly turn into a longer afternoon for a defense already carrying too much uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]