The Ohio State football team raises their arms in unison before the game against Ohio Sept. 13. Credit: Liam Ahern | Sports Photo Editor
While many teams stumble through September seeking early-season rhythm, Ohio State football has been emphatic from the start.
Fresh off its ninth championship and slotted at No. 3 in the AP preseason poll, Ohio State looked every bit the reigning heavyweight. Following a week one takedown of No.1 Texas, the Buckeyes vaulted to the top spot in the rankings and haven’t let go.
The Buckeyes cruised past Grambling State and pulled away in the second half against Ohio University to wrap up the program’s seventh straight unbeaten non-conference slate.
Now idle before the Big Ten grind, Ryan Day’s team feels like the country’s pace-setter. The offense is stacked with future pros, and the defense has been nothing short of excellent— letting up just 118.3 passing yards per game and 16 total points.
They have not, however, been perfect and head coach Ryan Day has noted several areas the Buckeyes will need to work on as it turns to conference play.
Red Zone Offense
The Buckeyes came into Saturday’s matchup with Ohio dominating the red zone, resulting in eight touchdowns from nine opportunities. Admittedly, seven of those came against Grambling, but the team struggled to find red-zone success against Ohio, scoring touchdowns on just two of six chances inside the 20 against.
Day left no question red-zone execution must sharpen.
“I felt like we were moving the ball well,” Day said after the Ohio win. “But we just had to finish these drives off, which is frustrating….We learned a lot of lessons tonight.”
Quarterback Julian Sayin struggled in tight spaces, completing just four of eight passes. He was late on reads and didn’t show the pinpoint accuracy he displayed elsewhere on the field — a common challenge for young quarterbacks as the field shrinks.
Day experimented with using backup quarterback Lincoln Kienholz near the endzone for a dual-threat wrinkle and hinted that more surprises could follow.
“We do have more things for [Lincoln],” Day said. “But the whole offense will be available when we get in there.”
There isn’t enough evidence to consider the red-zone offense a serious issue, but it’s certainly something to monitor.
Punt Return
Ohio State showed the impact an explosive punt return can make last year, when Caleb Downs’ 79-yard touchdown broke open a win over No. 5 Indiana.
The Buckeyes are still searching for that spark.
So far, they’ve returned just four of 18 punts for a total of 28 yards. Wide receiver Brandon Innis has handled most of the chances, with Jeremiah Smith also rotating in.
After the Grambling game, Day called the punt return a “red flag” and emphasized the need for more consistency and discipline.
“That’s an area coming out of the game that we’ve got to improve on, for sure,” he said. “I think we lost 47 hidden yards with the ball bouncing around.”
The group didn’t improve much against Ohio. Both Smith and Innis lost yards on one return apiece. Innis did flash with a 28-yard burst — the team’s longest of the year — but it was a rare highlight.
Whether it’s Smith, Innis or Downs back deep, the Buckeyes are still seeking a steady, game-changing answer in the return game.
Sayin’s Third Weapon?
Carnell Tate and Smith are the best pass-catching tandem in the Big Ten — if not the country. The duo has combined for 534 receiving yards and caught six of Sayin’s eight touchdown passes.
Beyond them, production has been limited. Tight ends Max Klare and Innis have yet to eclipse 50 receiving yards, and the next leading target is fellow tight end Will Kacmarek with just 67. Klare grabbed his first Buckeye touchdown last week, but otherwise, the passing game has leaned heavily on Tate and Smith.
Though Innis is yet to find his rhythm, the coaching staff continues to express full confidence in his potential.
“Brandon has done a great job,” offensive coordinator Brian Hartline said. “He’s a guy that, whatever his job description is, it’s done at a high level.”
Ohio State doesn’t need every pass-catcher to post Tate- or Smith-like numbers, but establishing a steady third option would help balance the offense and keep defenses from zeroing in on its star duo.
