Super Smith launches Buckeyes past Illinois

    Jeremiah Smith continued to stake his claim as the best player in the nation after a superhuman outing to pace the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 42-19 win over the Fighting Illini of Illinois in Columbus.

Smith finished with four touchdown receptions on 12 catches for 217 yards, while Julian Sayin threw those four touchdowns and ran for another score. 

Sayin finished with 367 passing yards for the game.

Ohio State improved to 3-1 on the year (1-0 Big Ten) and will travel to Iowa this Saturday.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Jeremiah Smith is beyond description.

Short of covering him with two or even three defenders, there isn't much a defense is going to be able to do to stop him.

2) Smith is big and strong to fight for the contested ball, but has the type of speed to run right back defenders.

Physically, he's the best WR prospect for the NFL in years and the best wideout in program history- which says it all.

3) Julian Sayin threw those four touchdowns to Smith and was impressive throwing the ball, but what really impressed me was his scramble for a touchdown.

Sayin is never going to be the runner that Ohio State has seen in the past, but he showed that he can use some movement out of the pocket when needed, which adds an extra dimension.

4) Still have some defensive concerns.

Illinois rushed for 199 yards and while Illinois is a run first club, allowing those numbers is conerning this week against another run first club in Iowa.

5) Ohio State finished with three sacks, but I still don't see a pass rush that will be a factor against better team.

While the Buckeyes have done well in developing defensive tackles in recent years, they have struggled with defensive ends since the times of the Bosa brothers and Chase Young.

6) If there is a player that could break the above narrative, it is freshman Khary Wilder, who does seem to have the potential to solve that problem.

I'd like to see more of Wilder as the season progresses.

7) My hot take- tight end Nate Roberts will be a first or second round draft pick when he moves onto the NFL.

Roberts blocks well enough but has soft hands and will be thought of highly by NFL scouts.

8) The last time Ohio State visited Iowa's Kinnick Stadium, Iowa hammered the Buckeyes 55-24 in a big upset.

I don't think the coaching staff has forgotten that night and between those memories and Iowa coming off a high with a final play win over Michigan, Ohio State will be ready.

My time just seems so limited now that I feel so far behind on my writing.

The Browns play tomorrow and I've yet to recap either of the Browns two wins.

I hope to get the Carolina game finished before tomorrow's game vs Pittsburgh

Fourth Quarter fade costs Ohio State in Texas loss

    Ohio State dominated their visit to Austin for three quarters, but allowed touchdowns on the final three drives, allowing Texas to slip by with a 24-23 win.

Julian Sayin threw for 278 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 164 yards and a touchdown to pace the skill players.

Ohio State drops to 1-1 and will host Kent State next Saturday.

Olentangy Offerings.

1) I know Texas scored on three long drives in the fourth quarter, but I have a hard time blaming the defense, which was simply gassed out on the final drive.

The defense does appear to be down a bit from last season, but that's natural considering the talent on that team.

I'm not concerned.

2) Texas did convert two key fourth downs that, if the Buckeyes had been able to stop one, would have been the difference in the game.

3) Jeremiah Smith had a huge game, but most of his damage came in the first half.

I wouldn't say I would be disappointed in his game at all, but a better second half would have helped the cause.

4) I think Ryan Day erred by allowing Texas to roll so much time off the clock before scoring their game-winning touchdown,

Ohio State only needed a field goal to win, and those seconds would have helped in the final desperation drive.

5) Julian Sayin was okay, not great, and his first-half pass was too high for a wide-open Devin McCuin and cost the Buckeyes a certain touchdown.

6) Devin McCuin was dynamic against Ball State. Still, the UTSA transfer returned to earth against Texas, missing his connection on the above pass from Julian Sayin, and finishing with only one catch for five yards.

Ohio State will need someone to step up as the second receiver to relieve some pressure on Jeremiah Smith.

7) I'm aware of Connor Hawkins ' late-game miss from 45 yards that would have clinched the game, but watching the replay, it looked like the holder didn't have a smooth handling of the snap.

Hawkins hit his other three tries, including one from 48 yards, and I think Ohio State has a top notch kicker.

8) The defeat was the first loss in Ohio State history when leading by seventeen points or more at halftime and lost for the first time in 366 games when entering the fourth quarter with a lead of twenty or more- yuck.

9)  Of all the brickbats that could be thrown at Ryan Day for the loss- conservative second-half playcalling, poor time management late in the game, etc .- one stands out above all.

Fourth and two from the Texas 13 and ahead 10-0, Day decided to go for it rather than take a chip shot for three points.

Day then called a run up the middle by Ja'Kobi Jackson for one yard and turned the ball over on downs.

Day has had a tendency to go for it in such situations and against better teams, especially on the road; taking every point might be a better idea.

10) The Buckeyes fell back in their long-standing trap of rotating their defensive linemen so much that when the game is on the line, their best players are on the sidelines.

Larry Johnson has always been a believer in that, and while I see the point (especially on a hot night in Texas) in keeping your freshest players in the lineup, I don't believe it should come at the cost of your best.

Ohio State rolls past Ball State

    Unlike that school up North that won over Western Michigan in the biggest injustice since the 1972 Olympic Gold Medal game in basketball, Ohio State dispatched its MAC opponent with ease as the Buckeyes scored two touchdowns in each quarter in a 56-3 thrashing of Ball State. 

Julian Sayin threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns, with Jeremiah Smith catching eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns.

Ohio State will travel to Texas next Saturday for a rematch of last season's Buckeye win.

Honestly, I fell asleep during the game, so I'm not offering a recap.

I do plan on watching an edited replay, and if time permits, I may write about the reserve quarterbacks who each played and threw a touchdown in the win: Luke Fahey and Tavian St.Clair

One missed block, one missed boot costs Buckeyes in Cotton Bowl defeat

    The Ohio State Buckeyes missed execution on a few key plays, and it was too much to overcome against a well-prepared Miami Hurricanes team, who upset the Buckeyes 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Julian Sayin finished with 287 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, with Jeremiah Smith catching seven passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.

Ohio State ends its season with a 12-2 record and will start its 2026 season in September at home against Ball State.

Olentangy Offerings

1) The one missed block came in the first half when a play developed in slow motion (it seemed) as Julian Sayin attempted a screen pass.

Jeremiah Smith didn't block his man, so Kelonte Scott shot through to grab the lob and race seventy-two yards for the score that Ohio State never really recovered from.

2) Watching the replay. It's hard to see whether Smith missed the block or just thought he could get away with minimal contact.

Either way, that missed block set the tone for the remainder of the game.

3) The first half saw the Buckeye offense struggle until the final drive of the half, and Jayden Fielding trotted onto the field for his first field goal attempt since his catastrophic short miss against Indiana in the Big Ten title game.

Forty-nine yards is hardly a chip shot, especially for a college kicker, but you need your kicker to come through when needed, especially when 14-3 and some momentum would have meant so much compared to 14-0.

Fielding missed.

4) Another underrated play of note happened in the final quarter when punter Joe McGuire smashed a fifty-three-yard punt and forced a Hurricane fair catch at their own eleven.

This would have been a great chance for Ohio State, then trailing 17-14, to get a stop and the ball back for a potential winning drive.

Ohio State was called for illegal formation, McGuire's second punt traveled twenty yards less, and Miami started at their own thirty-one instead.

5) Ryan Day needs to re-evaluate the program's acquisitions of kickers and punters because, far too often in recent years, the kicking game in Columbus has come up short against good teams.

I know the theory against using scholarships, etc., on kickers who so seldom make a difference during the season at powerful programs, but they can make a tremendous difference in big games and often cost one.

6) And sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way.

In the third quarter, Miami's Malachi Toney took a tremendous lick from Caleb Downs, causing him to fumble.

However, the ball bounced right back into the arms of a stumbling Toney, who recovered the ball and allowed Miami to kick a field goal on the next play.

Honestly, that might have been the biggest play in the game, as a turnover would have resulted in three fewer points for the Canes and kept momentum rolling for Ohio State, who had scored their first touchdown on the previous drive.

7) On the final scoring drive of the game, when Ohio State needed a stop, it was the Hurricane offensive line that made the difference as they physically pounded the Buckeye defense with their running game.

Miami moved seventy yards and threw the ball only twice on the drive that put the game in the Miami column.

8) The offensive line struggled to keep the Miami pass rush off Julian Sayin, especially in the first half.

Miami does have two defensive linemen who are expected to be high first-rounders (Reuben Bain and Akheem Mesidor) in the NFL Draft, and the Buckeyes did a better job protecting Sayin in the second half. The Hurricanes sacked Sayin five times, equalling Indiana's sack haul against Ohio State.

9) Now we head to the silly season of the transfer portal, where the Buckeyes will bring in players and lose others.

Ohio State will lose several defensive starters, and especially the back seven will take its share of new arrivals.

Face it, the bottom third of the roster is going to churn over constantly in the new world of college football, and whether we like it or not, college football has changed, and Ohio State has to be prepared to change with it.

10) I'm disappointed with the end of the season, but I'd grade it as an average season.

Had you asked me before the season if I would take two regular-season losses, a CFP berth, and a dominating win over Michigan if offered?

I would have.

Remember, Texas and Penn State were regarded as top-five teams entering the season, and losses to each of those teams weren't out of the realm of possibility, so I would have taken the offer.

Still, losing the final two games was a bit galling, I can't lie, but I've felt worse at the end of seasons.

11) Watch for the CFP to move to sixteen teams without byes.

I don't blame rust for the defeat to Miami, who outplayed OSU and deserved the win, but it's fair to wonder if that will change after seven of the eight teams that received byes in the first two years of the CFP were defeated.

I'm okay with sixteen, although there will be even more non-competitive first-round games. However, I would prefer that the first two rounds be held at campus locations.

I'm not sure if the current contract for the playoffs would allow so many non-neutral games, but that's my hope.

Late thoughts on a Lost Weekend

   A few thoughts on the lost football weekend.

I was away on a trip with our buddy Fred Landucci, so I watched both games with Fred in the hotel, and with the trip, I didn't have the time to write about the games, so here is a quick synopsis.

The Ohio State 13-10 loss to Indiana was one of the better games played all season in the sport, but Ohio State had a few distractions leading up to the game that wouldn't happen in a possible rematch.

Brian Hartline's announced departure for the head coaching job at South Florida, the need to re-recruit the Buckeyes' top-rated recruit, wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., and Penn State's push to interview defensive coordinator Matt Patricia for the head coaching job in State College, all were factors in a lack of focus on a good Hoosiers team.

I don't think those will be a factor in the playoffs, although I am concerned about Brian Hartline, who called a less-than-glittering offensive game against Indiana.

Even with those issues, it took a slip on a fourth and short by Julian Sayin inside the Indiana five and a missed chip shot by Jayden Fielding to lose 13-10.

The Buckeyes still could have won, and I feel good about a prospective rematch.

The referees weren't great; constantly missed holding calls for both teams in the passing game.

I wouldn't say it cost Ohio State the game, but it might have.

As for the Browns, it's all about the Stefanski as the Browns lost to the even worse Tennessee Titans at home 31-29.

I really hate the going for two down 8 thing, and the Browns did just that and then had to go for two to tie when the Browns scored late in the game.

Maybe I'm an old guy, but I'd rather kick the extra point, be down seven, and then have the decision to tie or win with a two-point conversion if needed.

I know that's cutting against the new wave, but that's my thinking.

I did like some of what I saw from Shedeur Sanders, and I'm glad that he'll be starting the rest of the year.

However, before anointing him for the future, remember his good games have come against the Raiders and Titans, who have combined for four wins this season.

I'm very interested to see how he plays in his next three games against teams fighting for playoff position in the Bears, Bills, and Steelers.

All is Well! Ohio State bullies Michigan 27-9

      Well, all is well in my world for the first time since 2021 as the Ohio State Buckeyes put things in their proper place with a dominating 27-9 win over the Michigan Wolverines in their snowy home in Ann Arbor.

Julian Sayin threw three touchdown passes, including a fifty-yard strike to Carnell Tate, Bo Jackson rushed for 117 yards, and the Ohio State defense never allowed the Wolverines to reach the end zone, holding them to three field goals, all in the first half.

Ohio State caps an undefeated regular season at 12-0 (9-0 Big Ten) and will play the other unbeaten team in the conference and country in the Big Ten Championship game next Saturday, meeting Indiana in Indianapolis.

Olentangy Offerings

1) I must admit, I was a little concerned when Michigan scored three points on their first drive, and then picked off Julian Sayin shortly thereafter to give them the ball in Ohio State territory,

Ohio State's defense would hold Michigan to another field goal, and only another field goal would be allowed for the remainder of the game.

2) The play that worried me most was an early run by Jordan Marshall, the player who mouthed off most through the week with gems such as "we (Michigan) have the best coach in the country", "it's about the culture" (think about that over the last few years), and not wanting to "be around people who are all about themselves".

Marshall entered the game with an injured shoulder; his first run was for thirty-six yards, but he left the game shortly.

Marshall tried to return in the second half, but he was stopped for little gains and soon was through for the day, finishing with sixty-one yards on seven carries.

3) Ohio State benefited and was stung by two calls in the first half.

Ohio State benefited on a close call on a Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith touchdown pass that saw Smith possibly losing control as he passed the goal line.

Because the ball went through the back of the end zone as part of the dumbest rule in the sport (a fumble through the end zone is considered a touchback and gives possession to the defense), Ohio State would have seen a 10-6 lead turn into a 6-3 Michigan lead, returning the ball to the Wolverines.

4) The other controversy happened earlier in the first half.

Julian Sayin's QB sneak was initially called a touchdown and reversed by replay (I don't think Sayin scored, but I didn't see evidence on the replay through the pile of bodies), but C.J. Donaldson pretty clearly broke the plane of the goal line (The second dumbest rule in football), and it wasn't even replayed! 

Ohio State settled for a field goal on the drive.

5) Much of the talk during the week was about the availability of Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith for the game, and in the case of Tate, if he would ever play for the Buckeyes again, with Tate's eligibility for the 2026 NFL Draft.

I thought both would, both did, and both scored on long passes, 50 yards for Tate and 35 for Smith.

I think the Buckeyes are OK here.

6) The Ohio State defense never seemed threatened after the first drive.

Ohio State stopped Michigan after Julian Sayin's interception and shut down their offense entirely in the second half.

7) Michigan's freshman quarterback, Bryce Underwood, is being paid a lot of money, and he is a true freshman, but it's fair to consider that Michigan has to have thought they deserve more for their dollars than sixty-three passing yards and an interception.

8) While the game was essentially ended by the Sayin to Tate strike in the third quarter, the true kill-shot was the field goal that ate the final five-plus minutes of the third quarter and the first six of the final period.

That drive slowly sapped Michigan's will and any chance of it forging a rally.

9) Ohio State's offensive line has been maligned through the years (not as much this season), but the numbers in this game- Zero sacks allowed, Zero pressures against Julian Sayin, and one hundred eighty-six yards rushing.

It is often about the trenches and physicality in this game, and in the recent losses, Michigan had the edge in that department- not on this day.

10)  The defensive line did its share of bullying.

Kenyatta Jackson, Kayden McDonald, and Caden Curry are more than just pass rushers; they stuff the run as well.

Michigan finished with one hundred yards rushing as a team, but remember, thirty-six of those came on the first run by Jordan Marshall.

After that run, Michigan rushed for sixty-four yards on twenty-three rushes, an average of 2.78 per try.

11) The win (as we have heard so often) was the first over Michigan since 2019, but don't forget (although Michigan has) that in 2020, the Buckeyes reached the National Title game (before losing to Alabama), and a losing Michigan team ducked a certain defeat in that Covid season by meekly saying they didn't have enough players.

Combine that with the "Connor Stallion" losses, and you could say Michigan had a real two-game winning streak.

12) Give Ryan Day credit for class by telling his team not to plant the Ohio State flag at midfield.

Michigan stood at midfield to block any attempt and later said, "They weren't going to do that," but Day told Michigan coach Sherrone Moore at midfield that they wouldn't be planting any flags.

It defused a possible situation after last season's debacle in Columbus.
Perhaps if Michigan were so concerned about retribution, it shouldn't have started this practice.

Hopefully, we can get past this in the future from both schools.

Late Thoughts: Ohio State pounds Penn State

    This is really late due to a fun trip on Sunday, personally, but I wanted to add a few thoughts on Ohio State's 38-14 win over Penn State last Saturday.

1) Julian Sayin threw for over three hundred yards and fired four touchdown passes.

Sayin has firmly placed himself in Heisman consideration, and the biggest hurdle that Sayin may have to face might be voters splitting votes between Sayin and his top two receivers, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.

2) Ryan Day gives more and more challenges each week to Julian Sayin, and the final advance might have come against the Nittany Lions, where Sayin began looking downfield for big plays to his standout pass catchers.

Sayin completed fifty-seven-yard passes to both Smith and Tate and showed the ability to throw a beautiful deep ball.

3) Penn State was only down three points at the half after a C.J. Donaldson fumble late in the first half led to a Penn State short-field touchdown drive, but I never felt threatened with an upset.

Ohio State scored on every first-half possession other than the final drive when Donaldson fumbled, and I didn't think Penn State could keep pace in the second.

Ohio State Fickels Wisconsin 34-0

  Julian Sayin threw for nearly four hundred yards and four touchdowns as the Ohio State Buckeyes dominated the Wisconsin Badgers 34-0 in Madison.

Sayin completed thirty-six of forty-two passes during a performance that had some placing him in Heisman consideration.

While that's premature, Sayin did look very good against a Badger team that looks as weak as they have since the years of Don Morton running the veer.

Carnell Tate caught two touchdowns and finished with over one hundred yards receiving, while Jeremiah Smith finished with ninety-seven on nine catches.

I'm cutting this one short for two reasons this week.

The first is that the Browns are starting soon, and the second is that this was so uncompetitive that I didn't watch as closely as usual.

I may update this later or write more later in the week about a game that I usually look forward to (or fear) for personal reasons, but now has become just another game against an overmatched Big Ten opponent.

Buckeyes leap past Illini 34-16

     Julian Sayin threw two touchdowns and C.J. Donaldson ran for two as the Ohio State Buckeyes retained the IlliBuck trophy with a 34-16 win over Illinois in Champaign.

Ohio State's defense forced three turnovers, which led to twenty-one points in the victory. 

Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) travels to struggling Wisconsin next Sunday.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Illinois became the first team to score two touchdowns this season against Ohio State, but it took a trick play to finally score one (after three shots had failed), and the other was in garbage time.

Another outstanding defensive performance.

2) Ohio State had a scare when Jeremiah Smith fell awkwardly and left the game.

Smith would return and finish with five catches for forty-two yards and a touchdown.

3) I did find Bret Bielema's comments after the game humorous.

Bielema stated his mistake was not moving to a hurry-up offense sooner because Ohio State's defense "couldn't do shit with it".

Well, much of Illinois's success was against a softer zone, so keep that in mind.

4) Illinois QB Luke Altmyer hadn't thrown an interception all season until his first drive against Ohio State.

Jermaine Matthews tipped the pass, and Payton Pierce grabbed the interception.

5) Bo Jackson caught a swing pass and took it seventeen yards for the score for his only touchdown, with a dive to complete the play.

Jackson only carried the ball ten times for forty-seven yards in the win.

6) Kayden McDonald earned a fumble force and a fumble recovery when he removed the ball from the arms of Illinois' Ca'lil Valentine.

McDonald just took it from Valentine as routine.

7) Earlier, I mentioned Jermaine Matthews forcing one turnover, and he forced another later when he hit Luke Altmyer, making him drop the ball, which Caden Curry recovered.

Matthews' play this season hasn't been a surprise, but it's been a key to the defensive success.

8) This was the 100th game since starting the IlliBuck trophy, and Ohio State won for the first time since 2017, as they hadn't played since a 52-14 OSU win.

9) I personally like the IlliBuck, and it's the only trophy that Ohio State plays for.

I don't consider Illinois a rival, but it's still cool, and I wish OSU had more trophy games.

10) The problem is that starting trophy games now will seem so artificial and likely have a "sponsored by" on the trophy somewhere.

"It's the battle for the Dump Truck brought to you by GMC"

Ohio State guts Gophers 42-3

     Julian Sayin threw for over three hundred yards and three touchdowns and Carnell Tate finished wih 183 recieving yards and a touchdown as Ohio State smashed Minnesota 42-3 on Homecoming evening in Columbus.

Jeremiah Smith grabbed the other two recieving  scores  and Bo Jackson led the team in rushing with another score.

Ohio State improves to 5-0 overall (2-0 Big Ten) and will visit top 25-ranked Illinois next week for the vaunted Illibuck trophy.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Minnesota marched right down the field with their first possession and on a day that saw 0-4 UCLA drop Penn State, I thought uh-oh but the Buckeye defense held Minnesota to three points.

That was big ( or as big as it can be in a 42-3 game),

2) Minnesota would threaten only one more, missing a field goal in the second half.

The Buckeye defense turned that off quickly, no matter how much P.J. Fleck ran around and screaming as if his team was in it- they weren't.

3) Ryan Day is slowly loosening the reins with Julian Sayin.

The kill shots downfield are becoming more frequent and Day is becoming mrore confident in his young quarterback's poise.

As this continues, Day will allow Sayin to do more and then watch out.

4) Carnell Tate is the player profiting most from the development of Julian Sayin as teams continue to double-team Jeremiah Smith, which opens up routes for Tate.

Tate caught nine passes for 183 yards, including a long of forty-nine yards.

5) Jeremiah Smith caught two touchdown passes including one that he snatched the ball from the air like The Fonz snapping quarters on Happy Days.

6) The game was essentially after a fourth and one stop in the second quarter when Minnesota's Darius Taylor was stopped by Caleb Downs and (I think) Beau Atkinson cold.

Two plays later, Julian Sayin hit Carnell Tate with the forty-nine yard pass for a score, moving the score to 21-3 and ball game.

7) In the third quarter, Ohio State placed concern in the minds of special teams coaches everywhere when punt returner Brandon Inniss recieved the punt and fired across the field (a la Frank Wycheck) to Lorenzo Styles Jr, who gained thirty-six yards on the play.

8) The win is Ohio State's only game in the month of October.

Ohio State visits Illinois and Wisconsin in the next two weeks and will be off the week before their home game against Penn State on November first.

Winning in Washington, Buckeyes win 24-6

    The Ohio State defense allowed just six points inside the red zone, and the defense sacked Washington quarterback Demond Williams six times to lead the Buckeyes to a 24-6 win over the Washington Huskies in Seattle.

Caden Curry sacked Williams three times in the best game of his Ohio State career, and Kayden McDonald added two more for Ohio State, with Julian Sayin throwing two touchdowns for the offense.

Ohio State improved to 4-0 with the win (1-0 Big Ten) and will host Minnesota next Saturday night.

Olentangy Offerings

1) What a defensive evening for the Buckeyes, who slammed the door on the Huskies three times in the red zone, two of them inside the three, and held them to two field goals.

A phenomenal performance.

2) Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald contributed more than their five sacks between them, as they finished with eight tackles for loss as they hammered Demond Williams all game long.

Williams is a mobile QB, which made the evening even more impressive for Curry and McDonald.

3) I questioned the play call on fourth and inches inside the Washington five on the first Ohio State drive, when needed just a nudge, Ohio State ran C.J. Donaldson and was stopped.

I always prefer the simple call in such short situations.

4) Julian Sayin's numbers aren't spectacular (22 of 28, 208 yds, and two TDs), but they are plenty good as Sayin gains experience.

Sayin gets the ball out quickly (only took one sack) and is very accurate.

You do that, and with the talent on offense, you'll be fine.

5) As Julian Sayin continues to receive playing time, Ohio State will slowly open the offense more each week.

The receivers will start running deeper routes as Sayin and the offensive line gain confidence, and when those start connecting, the crowding on the short routes will be reduced by the need to respect the downfield throws.

It's already beginning, and it's going to increase.

6) Jeremiah Smith is the type of talent that has to have the ball, and Ohio State has tried to do so with shorter routes that put the ball in his hands and ask him to make a play.

An example of this was the initial Ohio State touchdown on a third and eleven on the Washington eighteen.

Sayin gets the ball out quickly to Smith on a short pass, and Smith takes it for the touchdown.

7) Don't sell Washington short. I think they are going to win their share of games this season, and this win might age better than it seems right now.

I like Demond Williams as their quarterback, and he's only a sophomore.
Washington could be a contender next season.

8) Husky Stadium has become instantly one of the better environments in the Big Ten.

The place is extremely loud, and the view might be unmatched in the league.

I'm not thrilled with the league's move to the West Coast and away from tradition, but in-game experience only, Oregon and Washington are great additions.

Buckeyes stop Ohio U. 37-9

      The Ohio State Buckeyes were less than sharp but had more than enough to repel the Ohio Bobcats in a 37-9 win at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.

Julian Sayin finished with 347 passing yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate each caught a touchdown and finished with over one hundred yards receiving.

Freshman running back Bo Jackson rushed for 109 yards on nine carries to pace the running game.

I'm changing the format for this week for two reasons: the first is that I left the game in the fourth quarter to watch the Christian Mbilli-Lester Martinez fight on the Canelo-Crawford undercard (BTW- if you have Netflix, watch this fight!) and the other is that I have many posts to write as the Browns kick off in 20 minutes, Terence Crawford's upset of Canelo Alvarez (You read it here first!), Naoya "The Monster" Inoue's title defense (which I got up for after two hours of sleep following Canelo-Crawford), and preparing for something work related, I'm kinda busy!

1) Bo Jackson needs to be the key running back.

2) Julian Sayin's touchdown pass to Jeremiah Smith showed beautiful touch.

3) I don't really blame Sayin completely for either of his two picks.

4) The defense was great, but Ohio U.'s one touchdown was due to sloppy tackling by Lorenzo Styles Jr (I think)

5) Ohio U. isn't a bad team, losing to Rutgers by three on the road, and defeating West Virginia, who defeated Pitt yesterday.

6) I suppose my point is this win may wear better than most G-5 wins as the season progresses.

Ohio State Smashes Grambling

    Julian Sayin tossed four touchdown passes, two of those to Jeremiah Smith, as the Ohio State Buckeyes cruised to a 70-0 win over the Grambling State Tigers in Columbus.

Sayin finished with three hundred six passing yards and an interception for the day while Smith grabbed five passes for one hundred and nineteen recieiving yards to pace the offense.

Freshman running back Bo Jackson led the team in rushing with one hundred eight yards and a touchdown in garbage time.

Ohio State improves to 2-0 with the win and will host the Ohio Bobcats next Saturday night.

Olentangy Offerings

1) This will be a little shorter because I hate these kind of games but I still believe that if Ohio State is going to play a 1-AA team, it needs to be Youngstown State or Dayton and keep the money inside the state.

If I had to guess, inviting Grambling might have been as simple as having two of the best college bands in the country on the same field.

2) The Julian Sayin to Jeremiah Smith eighty-seven yard touchdown pass was the second longest in program history.

3) Sayin's touchdown to tight end Will Kacmarek in the first quarter was as easy that you could find.

Kacmarek was so open that he might have been able to walk the forty-seven yards for the score.

4) Freshman linebaccker Riley Pettijohn scooped up a fumble for a touchdown on the first drive of the second half.

Pettijohn and Payton Pierce are going to be impact players for the Buckeyes next year but will see plenty of playing time this season.

5) Bo Jackson led the team in rushing and ripped off a fifty-one yard run in mop-up time but he showed signs of having that something in running backs that make a difference.

You might want to sharpen up those old Tecmo Bowl and Bo Knows references because I think you are going to need them.

Buckeyes starch Arch, hook Texas 14-7

    All the talk entering the Texas Longhorns' visit to Columbus was about the latest Manning to step forward into the limelight and his coronation as the frontrunner to win the next Heisman.

When the Texas Longhorns left Columbus, the talk was how the Ohio State defense neutered the Horns in a 14-7 Buckeye victory. 

Julian Sayin threw a forty-yard touchdown pass and C.J. Donaldson rushed for a one-yard score. Still, the stars were the Ohio State defense, which stopped Texas on fourth down four times, including a goal-line stop that left the Texas version of the Philadelphia Eagles' vaunted "Tush Push" stone-cold stunned.

Ohio State improved to 1-0 and will face Grambling next week.

Olentangy Offerings

1) Ohio State's defense under new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia was the standout.

They harassed Arch Manning incessantly, despite finishing with just one sack, and showed a constantly morphing front that understandably confused the inexperienced Manning.

2) Matt Patricia was looked at as damaged goods after an ineffective run as head coach of the Detroit Lions, and with the loss of Jim Knowles to semi-rival Penn State, it was fair to wonder if there would be an adjustment period for the defense.

The season has only begun, but Patricia's defense looked very good against an offense that is as talented or better than any they will face in the regular season.

It's early, but an excellent game to start the season.

3) I've always liked the Manning family.

I was a fan of Archie as a child, and rooted for Peyton and Eli, but it does feel good to slow the Arch Manning train a bit.

Arch Manning is more likely than not to be a fine quarterback, but it would be nice to see some quality play before handing him a Heisman because his uncle was robbed of one.

Oh, too soon for that?

4) One thing that did surprise me?

Arch Manning's throwing mechanics.

Manning throws very oddly, with a motion that reminded me of 1990s Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Juan Guzman. Manning throws with a lot of action from his arm and shoulder, with a violent whipping motion.

I wonder if that will hurt his durability as his career moves forward?

I also question his mechanics from a family that tutors passers.

5) Julian Sayin was the top prep quarterback in 2015 (Arch Manning was the top-rated QB in 2014), but had become the second banana in pre-game hype.

Sayin only threw for 126 yards (13 of 20) but was hurt by first-half drops (two from Jeremah Smith).

Ohio State kept it basic for Sayin and only his scoring throw to Carnell Tate was a downfield toss but by keeping it simple, Sayin's play wasn't going to cost Ohio State the game.

6) Sayin was also hurt by multiple drops early, two by Jeremiah Smith and one on an early game fourth down that was thrown perfectly to tight end Max Klare.

Drops happen and first game wrinkles are expected, so considering the quality of those two players, those struggles aren't likely to continue.

7) Smith finished with six catches for forty-two yards as Texas double-teamed him often but I do think Brian Hartline might have tried too hard to force his star into the offense.

As great as Smith is, he might have been used better on some plays to help others have one on one coverage in shots downfield as in the score to Carnell Tate.

8) The running game was more effective with West Virginia transfer C.J Donaldson ( 19 carries for 67 yards) than with James Peoples (10 for 20 yards).

Donaldson may not have the speed of Quinshon Judkins but his strength inside is a plus.
I like Peoples as a back but he may need this season to be a feature back next year.

9) Caleb Downs is the best defender in the nation but by the end of the year, the player that will be raved about is linebacker Arvel Reese.

Reese was all over the field and even when he didn't make the play, Reese was near the ball and allowed others to make the stop as Texas needed to account for Reese.

10) The fourth down goal line stop on the Arch Manning sneak will be talked about for years and if NFL teams are watching, the seed for stopping the "Tush Push" may have been planted in Columbus.

Watching the play (and I'm not positive on the players who did what) Edrick Houston,  Kayden McDonald, and Caden Curry each had a position with one going low to clog the blocker, another meeting Manning straight up and the third (Curry I think) diving over the top.

I'll be interested to see if teams use this tactice against the Eagles and others this season.

11) Ohio State's schedule eases a bit with games against Grambling and Ohio U before an off week and their first road test against Washington.

I'm not sure about Washington's roster but traveling to Seattle after last year's loss in Oregon does give me a little pause.

I Tell Ya' Herbie

     It's time for our weekly look at the college football world- I Tell Ya' Herbie as we enter week one.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            College Football needs to take more advantage of "week zero" and add more (and better) matchups.

College Football has a two-week head start on the NFL, and fans are desperate to watch some football, so a few more games with impact would not only be welcomed but would also draw good ratings.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Ohio State fans have built up animosity toward Fox due to the network's decision to place the Buckeyes' biggest games at noon, but there could be more on its way if you are a YouTubeTV subscriber.

The streaming service and Fox's carriage agreement have run out, just in time for Ohio State's season opener against Texas in a battle between two of the country's most popular programs.

While these things usually are figured out before a deadline, imagine the vitriol towards both parties if the game is unable to be seen by the rabid fans of both schools.

Editor's Note: A "short-term" extension has been agreed to by both parties to allow the game to be covered.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            After a tepid week zero (other than Iowa State-Kansas State in Ireland), week one has three top ten matchups with top-ranked Texas against third-ranked Ohio State, sixth-ranked Notre Dame facing number ten Miami, and ninth-ranked LSU visiting fourth-ranked Clemson.

The one I find most interesting (other than personal interest) is LSU and Clemson.

Clemson has slipped a bit under Dabo Swinney since the start of the NIL era, and Brian Kelly hasn't won an opener in his LSU tenure.

Add that both teams' quarterbacks (Clemson's Cade Klubnik and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier) are regarded as first-round talents in the next NFL Draft, and you have a very interesting game.

I Tell Ya' Herbie:

                            Trap game? It might be one in Ames, Iowa, as South Dakota travels to face Iowa State,

The Coyotes made the I-AA semi-finals last season, and while the Cyclones won a big one over Kansas State, they have to travel home from Dublin and play the next week against a team that might surprise them one week before they play in-state rival Iowa.

                            

                            

                             

                  

Browns select Quinshon Judkins

    Using the second-round choice acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars on the first day of the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns made a very popular choice with a fan base in need of one with the selection of Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins.

The six-foot, two-hundred-twenty-pound Judkins played only one season at Ohio State after transferring from Ole Miss, rushing for 1,060 yards and fourteen touchdowns for the national champions.

Judkins is a physical back who is unafraid of contact and runs hard between the tackles.

Judkins also caught twenty-two passes for the Buckeyes, so he's not a passing game liability.

Judkins may lack the breakaway speed of teammate TreVeyon Henderson (who was chosen two picks later by New England), but Judkins' power style matches better with the speedier Jerome Ford in the Browns backfield.

Cleveland needed a replacement for Nick Chubb, and in running style, there are some similarities to Chubb, so I'm a fan of this pick.

I was disappointed the Browns didn't take Marshall defensive end Mike Green, who wound up with Baltimore, with one of their second-round picks, but I have few complaints with Carson Schwesinger or Quinshon Judkins.

Ohio State completes coaching staff

    The Ohio State Buckeyes were down to the final of three coaching staff positions that needed to be filled and the team pulled a mild surprise in former New England Patriots defensive coordinator and Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia as their replacement for Jim Knowles as their defensive coordinator.

Ohio State earlier had promoted Brian Hartline to offensive coordinator and play caller and hired Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen as their new offensive line coach.

Hartline was expected to have a chance for the offensive coordinator position, and was regarded as the favorite, if he pushed for it, due to his value as a recruiter and developing wide receivers, where he is the best in the sport.

Ohio State wasn't going to take a chance on losing Hartline and promoting was the easy call, especially if Ohio State hires a veteran coach soon to help Hartline progress into the job.

Tyler Bowen hasn't coached the offensive line since 2017 at Maryland but his three years at Virginia Tech as their offensive coordinator should help Brian Hartline before that, Bowen was the tight ends coach at Penn State, where the Nittany Lions have put four tight ends into the pros in recent years and expected first rounder in the upcoming draft Tyler Warren, all were recruited by Bowen.

It's hoped that Bowen's recruiting prowess will improve the only area where Ohio State's recruiting has flagged a bit in recent years.

Bowen's hiring was a mild surprise, although his name did receive some mention as a candidate coming up to the hire but the real surprise was the hiring of Matt Patricia as the defensive coordinator.

Patricia was the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots from 2012-17, winning two Super Bowls as their DC and leading them to one of the best defenses in the league before moving to Detroit for three seasons as the Lions head coach, where he finished with a 13-29-1 record.

Patricia returned to New England for two seasons and moved to Philadelphia in 2023 as an advisor before taking 2024 away from football, where he was reported to have spent time with Bill Belichick studying the college game.

Patricia hasn't coached in college since 2003 when he was on the Syracuse staff as a graduate assistant, so it'll be interesting to see if he needs any adjustment time to familiarize himself with the college game.

Patricia's rapport with players has been questioned after many difficulties with players with the Lions, although I haven't seen issues with him from his Patriots background, perhaps it was a situation of a young coach in a position he simply wasn't ready for.

Patricia's name wasn't mentioned as a candidate until a day before accepting the job. Most thought that Ryan Day would promote Matt Guerreri and Tim Walton to co-defensive coordinators.

Patricia's hiring has brought questions from Buckeye fans who wonder how much Patricia had to do with the success of the New England defenses on a team coached by Bill Belichick and that's a fair question to ask.

My response would be this-  Patricia is a proven defensive coordinator, who won't do a lot of recruiting, and lots of schemes and masterminding plans.

Plus, I think we could be here as soon as next year looking for a new defensive coordinator. Patricia is attempting to clear his name from the Detroit fiasco and would rather work in the NFL.

This trio of hires seems to have the potential to be great, but with a mix in the middle, it could fail.

The jury is out.

2024 Ohio State- Looking back

    It was a rockier ride than many expected with two bumps that could have derailed the train but the Ohio State Buckeyes won the 2024 National Championship as many also expected. 

And while losses to Oregon and especially a mediocre Michigan team caused doubts in the minds of some people (including me) about where the season would end, the national championship was achieved.

Ohio State was often tagged as the twenty-million dollar team for the cost through NIL, but what isn't always mentioned is that most of the financial planning involved keeping players already on the team rather than adding players from other schools.

To be fair, Caleb Downs was likely expensive to add, but Downs almost picked Ohio State out of high school as the second choice to Alabama and would have likely stayed in Tuscaloosa had Nick Saban not retired. Will Howard wasn't cheap either, but Ohio State's philosophy on transfers has consistently spent most of its budget on its current roster rather than throwing money around raiding others.

Ohio State made its share of mistakes against Michigan, mainly by playing to the strengths of its undermanned opponent. Still, the Oregon loss was a result of several oddball events coming together in one road game, allowing an excellent team to escape with a one-point win.

It was tough to see the coaching mistakes against Michigan, but I was optimistic about the playoffs because I thought Ryan Day coached so well in their almost win over Georgia in 2022. After a similar defeat against Michigan, I gave Ohio State a good chance of winning the tournament based on talent alone.

My concern was the first-round matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers.

Following a traumatic loss, it was unknown how the Buckeyes would respond but if they could rebound against Tennessee, they would immediately return as one of the favorites to win.

After watching the win over Tennessee, I had the feeling that this would be a title-winning run but while I picked Ohio State to win, I would be lying if I was positive before the game!

Watching the effort that Ohio State had against Tennessee answered my questions and while I wouldn't say I was cocky, I was certainly confident that the Buckeyes would be the final team standing.

Other than a late rally by Notre Dame, only the Texas Longhorns pushed Ohio State, and when Jack Sawyer hit Quinn Ewers to send the football careening away to be grabbed by Sawyer for the game-clinching score that will be the lasting memory of the season, I had the feeling that the title was decided then.

In a season that saw a national championship return to Columbus, the Jack Sawyer return was the most memorable play, but surprisingly, it wasn't filled with plays to be remembered.

Other than spectacular catches by Jeremiah Smith, the most memorable play from the regular season was in a loss: the Will Howard scramble, which ended with Howard sliding just as the clock ended the game in the defeat to Oregon.

The loss to Michigan was (and is still) so devastating to the program, its perception, and Ryan Day himself but as in life, sometimes it takes an unexpected step back to move forward.

It's impossible to know if that defeat spurred Ohio State to the National Championship or if the Buckeyes won over Michigan. Would they have had the same motivation to up their game in the postseason?

In the end, it was a memorable season without an overwhelming amount of memorable moments ending with the end goal being accomplished.

It's hard to argue with that.

Ohio State Offense loses Chip Kelly, Justin Frye

     Life and college football never stops as less than two weeks after Ohio State won the National Championship, the Buckeyes are now replacing both of their coordinators and their offensive line coach.

Ohio State had lost defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Penn State and now offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and offensive line coach Justin Frye will be leaving Columbus to coach in the NFL, Kelly with the Las Vegas Raiders and Frye to the Arizona Cardinals.

Kelly spent one season in Columbus after his surprising decision to resign as UCLA's head coach to serve as the Ohio State coordinator and one cannot argue with the result after the National Championship but if one report can be believed, Kelly will receive a six million dollar payday with the Raiders, which would triple Kelly's salary with Ohio State.

There is no way that Ohio State could come close to equalling that number, so one cannot blame Ohio State for not matching the Raiders offer or Kelly for accepting.

Frye was paid one million by Ohio State last season and while the terms of Frye's deal with the Cardinals are undisclosed, it's likely Frye will be accepting a healthy salary increase.

Frye's three-year tenure had its ups and downs but Frye did his best work in 2024 with an offensive line that suffered injuries to his two best linemen during the season, Josh Simmons and Seth McLaughlin.

At first glance, I think that Kelly might be the easier coach to replace than Frye with the availability of Kevin Wilson, who was fired as the head coach at Tulsa after spending six years as the coordinator with Ohio State.

Wilson would be an easy fit with Ryan Day as they had success working together in the past and now that Wilson's head coaching career appears to be finished after his Tulsa tenure (7-16, fired with one game to go last season) and his age (64 in October), Wilson could look at Ohio State as a place that he could finish his career.

Ohio State could also move to Brian Hartline, who between his recruiting and development of wide receivers is a keeper at all costs, so if keeping Hartline means giving him this job, so be it.

It's risky since Hartline has never called plays but considering his importance to the program if he wants it, it's his.

Other mentioned candidates have been Toledo head coach Jason Candle, Akron head coach Joe Moorehead, Syracuse offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon, and Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein.

Replacing Frye could be harder when you consider the recruiting aspect of the job.

Kevin Wilson could be a candidate for this position as well but the leader in the eyes of fans appears to be former Buckeye and All-Pro center LeCharles Bentley, who is renowned for his work with college and NFL prospects.

Bentley may not be interested but if he is, he would be a huge addition to the staff.

Should Ryan Day decide to go internal, Tim Drevno spent last season on the staff as a quality control staff but has a long record as an OL coach.

Notre Dame's Joe Rudolph has had success at three stops (Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame) and was once a graduate assistant at Ohio State.

Those are my top candidates but here are other possibilities.

Two weeks isn't very much time in the real world but in the college football world it's enough time to change a program.

At the very least, Ohio State will have three major changes for 2025 on a staff that could have used some stability.

Jim Knowles leaves Ohio State for Happy Valley

   On a day that should have been filled with celebrating a national championship among their home fans, Ohio State football was dropped for a loss with the announcement that defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was leaving for the same job and a hefty raise at conference rival Penn State.

Knowles arrived at Ohio State for the 2022 season and after an initial struggle in matching his system with personnel has helped Ohio State's defense become one of the best in the nation in the last two seasons and the best in their national championship-winning year.

Ohio State allowed only twelve points and two hundred fifty-four yards per game in 2024, leading the nation in both categories.

Knowles is rumored to have had philosophical issues with defensive line coach Larry Johnson. Johnson is the older man with more specialized responsibilities, but he is far more valuable as a recruiter than Knowles, who has made his disdain for that part of the job clear.

Knowles will make over three million dollars per season for Penn State. While Ohio State made an offer that would have made him the highest-paid assistant in the country, it's unknown if Ohio State matched Happy Valley's offer.

Penn State has upped the ante for 2025 with several players that could have entered the NFL draft returning in an attempt to emulate the success of Ohio State's returning stars in the past season.

Ohio State is losing eight defensive starters but they still have Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles returning and there is still plenty of talent for the Buckeyes, arguably more than Penn State even with the loss of eight starters.

It might not have been any of the reasons rumored.

Not the money, friction with the coaching staff, or issues with the Columbus pressure cooker.

It could be as simple as Knowles, after three years. has nowhere to go but down after this past season.

At best, Knowles's defense could keep the status quo and some of the best coaches prefer the process of building rather than maintaining, Ohio State had someone like that in Urban Meyer, so that's entirely plausible

Several coaches are rumored to be candidates, with Matt Guerrieri and Tim Walton as the leaders if Ryan Day wants to keep the position within the current staff.

From the outside, former Wisconsin defensive coordinator and current Denver Broncos defensive backs coach Jim Leonhard, former Ohio State defensive coordinator and current Green Bay Packers coordinator Jeff Hatley, and Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock would lead my list of a crowded field.

Eleven Warrior's Dan Hope details eleven coaches who could be candidates to replace Knowles here.

Ohio State is losing one of the best defensive minds in the game but several qualified men are more than capable of using the talent on campus to retain the Buckeyes' elite defensive level.