Ohio State is 3–1, Iowa is 4–0, and the Buckeyes are heading to Kinnick for a matchup between two ranked teams that have already shown they can win games in different ways.

Iowa just went into Ann Arbor and beat Michigan. Ohio State is coming off a 42–19 win over Illinois, but that game also exposed some things the Buckeyes need to clean u…

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The run defense didn’t.

Illinois finished with 199 rushing yards, including 113 from Aidan Laughery, and the film gives us plenty to dig into. This wasn’t simply a case of Illinois having a great day running the football. There were opportunities for Ohio State to play the run better — and the Buckeyes didn’t consistently take…

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Ryan Day and Kenyatta Jackson both addressed the media Tuesday, and there was a pretty clear theme running through both press conferences:

Do your job.

Day talked about defensive execution, creating more pressure, getting more production from the defensive line and not trying to get too cute against Iowa.

Jackson was even more direct, talking about “hero ball,” gap discipline and the importance of playing all 60 minutes.

So what should we actually take from those comments?

On this episode of Buckeye Film Breakdown, we’re breaking down the biggest messages from the Day and Jackson pressers, what they tell us about the Illinois film, and what Ohio State needs to correct before heading to Iowa.

It always blows my mind how quickly college football season goes. I don’t know if it’s because I look forward to it all year, or because it is what I spend my weeks looking forward to. It’s especially sucky when we might have more questions today than we did on August 1st. Don’t get me wrong though, there have been some surprises too. I’ve felt overly negative since the Texas game, and as I’ve noted Slate and Jake have accused me of going full blow fringe. I don’t think that’s the case, but I think through 4 games I’d rate myself as “overly concerned.” I thought this would be a good time to list out some of my thoughts for the first 4 games,

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Ohio State built a 28–10 halftime lead against Illinois, but the Illini didn’t simply go away. They continued to run the football, made some explosive plays and put pressure on the Buckeyes to answer.

And Ohio State did.

A 19-play, 97-yard drive. Another touchdown from Jeremia…

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Ohio State opened Big Ten play with a 42–19 win over Illinois, moving to 3–1 on the season. The offense took another step forward, while the defense left plenty on the tape to address this week.

And honestly, that’s what you want coming out of Week 1 of conference play: a win, some confidence, and a clear list of things that need to get better.

Sayin Is Starting to Look Comfortable

Julian Sayin put together his best game of the season.

27-of-36, 367 yards, four passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.

The biggest thing for me wasn’t simply the production. It was the way Sayin continued to make plays when things weren’t perfectly clean.

His ability to extend plays and use his legs added another dimension to the offense. That’s something Ryan Day has emphasized with Sayin throughout the offseason, and we’re starting to see that part of his game become more important.

That’s another layer this offense can build around.

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Now the real season begins.

Illinois comes to Columbus with a new-look defense, an efficient quarterback in Katin Houser, a dangerous receiving threat in Collin Dixon and a defensive scheme designed to create chaos and negative plays.

For Ohio State, this is about more than simply winning the Big Ten opener.

Can the…

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Ohio State entered the season with a new-look tight end room after losing Max Klare and Will Kacmarek to the NFL and Jelani Thurman to the transfer portal. The Buckeyes responded by adding Mason Williams and Hunter Welcing while handing Nate Roberts a larger role.

Three games in, the results have been fine — but far from finished.

Ryan Day’s assessment this week was telling. He called the tight end room “solid,” but immediately added that he couldn’t say everything was exactly where Ohio State wanted it to be.

That’s probably the fairest way to describe it.

There Have Been Some Good Things

Nate Roberts has started all three games and has led the tight ends in snaps each week. He’s produced four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown, including two catches and a score against Kent State.

Mason Williams has also been a steady piece of the rotation. He played 23 snaps in the opener and has continued to contribute in multiple-tight-end packages.

And that’s really what this group is about.

It’s not one guy. It’s roles.

Ohio State has continued to use multiple tight ends, giving Arthur Smith different personnel combinations to work with.

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Now the real work begins.

Ryan Day met with the media Tuesday ahead of Ohio State’s Big Ten opener against Illinois, and there was plenty to unpack. Day addressed the areas that still need to improve, including third down, finishing drives in the red zone, special teams and the running game. He also challenged his runn…

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I don’t think it’s any secret to you guys that I’m not exactly thrilled with how the first 3 games have gone for the Buckeyes. However, there have been some surprises, both good and bad. It’s crazy to think that we are 25% done with the season already, and given the roller coaster that the first quarter has been let’s hope the next 3 quarters bring some stability.

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And after what happened in Austin, that’s exactly what Ohio State needed.

The Buckeyes took care of Kent State 59–3, jumped out early, played a ton of young players, and finished the non-conference portion of the schedule with a 2–1 record.

Now, we’re closing the door on Kent State.

There are plenty of positives to take fro…

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After the way last Saturday ended in Austin, Ohio State didn’t need to make Saturday against Kent State complicated.

The Buckeyes needed to get back on the field, play clean football, build some confidence and start moving forward.

Mission accomplished.

Ohio State jumped out 21–0 in the first quarter, led 35–0 at halftime and cruised to a 59–3 victory over Kent State. The Buckeyes finished with 518 total yards, including 382 through the air and 136 on the ground. Kent State managed just 119 total yards.

Was Kent State Texas? Obviously not.

But that’s not really the point.

The point was to see how Ohio State responded.

And there was plenty to like.

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What does Ohio State do next?

The Buckeyes walked out of Austin with a loss, but they also walked out with a pretty clear picture of what this team can be — and what it still needs to become.

Ohio State showed it can go toe-to-toe with an elite team on the road. Jere…

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What does Ohio State do next?

The Buckeyes walked out of Austin with a loss, but they also walked out with a pretty clear picture of what this team can be — and what it still needs to become.

Ohio State showed it can go toe-to-toe with an elite team on the road. Jere…

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2028 TE Luke Sohyda is a Buckeye!

With all of the hype surrounding the Texas game last week, we let a commitment sneak by. Last Tuesday night, 3-star Pennsylvania Tight End Luke Sohyda committed to the Buckeyes. It wasn’t necessarily a surprise that he chose the Buckeyes, but the timing came as a surprise. His other finalists were Maryland, Pitt, and NC State. Sohyda is the 45th ranked tight end in the country, but given the acceptance of his commitment the Buckeyes see his potential. Sohyda earned his offer this past summer, and was on campus for the Ball State game. As we’ve discussed a lot, the Buckeyes don’t seem that they’ll ever chase the top high school tight ends, so Sohyda is a perfect fit.

DJ Jacobs can’t breathe without it being made into clickbait.

2027 OSU commit DJ Jacobs is still being heavily recruited. OSU insiders continue to say there’s nothing to worry about for the Buckeyes at this time. However, DJ Jacobs has a brother. His brother, Dawson, is a stud 2028 defensive lineman. DJ has stated that he will be going on Dawson’s visits, as his family is very tight. However, we are 2 weeks into the season and we’ve already gotten articles about DJ “visiting” other schools. The Jacobs family was in Columbus for the Ball State game and plans to be back at least 2 more times. I don’t think a kid who is flirting with other schools would pay his own way for the Ball State game.

The Class of 2027 running back situation is still being evaluated.

After losing out on David Gabriel Georges, we discussed that running back board would need a hard reset. I’d like to tell you that clarity has arrived, but it’s still muddy at best. New names have entered the chat, and a few old friends are coming back to town too. The most likely new name to be a Buckeye is Cincinnati Princeton running back Jordan Hall. Hall was committed to Miami (OH) until he went off week 1 of the high school season and his star not only started to shine, it engulfed. Hall is currently ranked as the 60th back in the country. That ranking is going to change. Another name that hasn’t really been linked to OSU, until the DGG miss, is Florida running back Tranard Roberts. Roberts is the 38th ranked back in the class, and joins Hall as the most likely to become a Buckeye. I think there’s a world where you see OSU bring both Hall and Roberts in.

LATEST PODCASTS:

• The Monday Debrief: Texas

• The Trenches, The Linebackers & Our Texas Predictions

• Can Julian Sayin Win This Game?

LATEST FILM ROOM:

• FILM ROOM: Jaylen McClain is UP NEXT

• FILM ROOM: Phillip Daniels — Tackle, Guard, or Both?

• FILM ROOM: Play Action Through the Quarterback

Buckeye Film Breakdown will return soon with some fresh content.

A 20-point lead. One quarter to play. Then everything changed.

The Longhorns stormed back with 21 unanswered points, scored the go-ahead touchdown with 25 seconds remaining, and escaped with a 24–23 victory.

So what happened?

On the BFB Monday Debrief, we’re going back through the game and breaking down the biggest moments, the fourth-quarter collapse, the decisions that changed the game, and what we actually learned about this Ohio State team.

Was this a case of Texas making the plays it needed to make?

Did Ohio State get too conservative?

Where does the blame belong?

And perhaps most importantly:

What does this loss mean for the Buckeyes moving forward?

No panic. No excuses.

Just the BFB breakdown.

We’ve talked about Arch Manning. We’ve talked about Jeremiah Smith. We’ve talked about Julian Sayin. We’ve gone back to the film to see how Texas plans to defend No. 4.

Now it’s time to get into the parts of this game that could ultimately decide it.

On this episode of Buckeye Film Breakdown, Jake Burns joins us to br…

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But Texas has had a specific approach to dealing with that problem.

In Ohio State’s last two meetings with the Longhorns, Smith has combined for just seven catches for 46 yards and zero touchdowns. Texas has consistently given him extra attention, using safety help and coverage structure…

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Kenyatta Jackson Jr. enters this season as one of the most important pieces of Ohio State’s new-look defense.

A year ago, Jackson made the jump from contributor to full-time starter. He started all 14 games, played 589 defensive snaps and finished second on the team with 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, along with 28 total tackles. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. (⁠Ohio State)

Now, with several major pieces from last year’s championship defense gone, Jackson is one of the veterans Ohio State is counting on up front.

That makes Saturday a pretty important measuring stick.

Eight Pressures. No Sacks.

The box score doesn’t exactly jump off the page.

Against Ball State, Jackson recorded three tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. He didn’t record a sack. (⁠Ohio State)

But the underlying performance was much more encouraging.

According to Pro Football Focus’ charting, Jackson generated eight quarterback pressures, the most among Power 4 defenders in Week 1. (

And here’s the part we really like for this week’s conversation:

Jackson wasn’t satisfied with it.

When asked about his performance, Jackson described it as “decent” and said some of those pressures should have been sacks. He specifically pointed to finishing plays and staying on his feet as areas where he needs to improve.

That’s a pretty good mindset heading into Texas.

LATEST PODCASTS:

• Can Julian Sayin Win This Game?

• Texas Week: The First Real Test

• First Reaction: Buckeyes Roll Past Ball State

LATEST FILM ROOM:

• FILM ROOM: Jaylen McClain is UP NEXT

• FILM ROOM: Phillip Daniels — Tackle, Guard, or Both?

• FILM ROOM: Play Action Through the Quarterback

Now Comes Arch

The difference this week is obvious.

Ball State wasn’t going to tell us everything about Ohio State’s pass rush.

Texas might.

Arch Manning opened the season by throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns against Texas State. He was also kept remarkably clean, taking just one sack in the opener. (⁠Burnt Orange Nation)

But we also have a pretty important piece of history.

In last year’s 14-7 Ohio State win, the Buckeyes generated 15 pressures against Manning and consistently made him uncomfortable, particularly early in the game.

Texas will obviously have a plan to deal with that this time around.

And one of the biggest individual matchups will be Texas offensive tackle Trevor Goosby against Jackson. Goosby played the majority of Texas’ Week 1 game after dealing with a preseason knee injury, and Texas will need him to handle one of Ohio State’s most dangerous pass rushers.

That’s where Jackson can change the game.

He doesn’t necessarily need to sack Manning three times.

If he can consistently collapse the pocket, force Manning off his spot, speed up his internal clock and create opportunities for the rest of the defensive front, he’s doing his job.

The BFB Question

This is the first game of the season where we can really start to answer the question:

Is Kenyatta Jackson ready to be the guy on this defensive line?

Not because he needs to replace last year’s production by himself.

And not because we’re expecting a sack every Saturday.

But because elite defenses need someone who can change a game when the opponent has a great quarterback.

Jackson showed against Ball State that he can generate pressure.

Now he gets an experienced Arch Manning, in Austin, in a game where every possession matters.

And Jackson knows exactly what this game represents. He called Ball State a “warmup” and described Texas as the “big test”—the kind of game he came to Ohio State to play.

So we’re watching more than the sack column Saturday.

We’re watching disruption.

Can Kenyatta Jackson make Arch Manning uncomfortable?

Because if he can turn those eight pressures from Week 1 into game-changing plays against Texas, Ohio State’s new-look defense might have found its new centerpiece.

Buckeye Film Breakdown will return soon with some fresh content.

There are going to be plenty of fascinating individual matchups when Ohio State walks into Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.

Arch Manning against a new-look Ohio State defense.

Julian Sayin against a Texas defense led by Will Muschamp.

Jeremiah Smith against a Longhorn secondary that has had plenty of success limiting him in the past.

Those are the matchups everybody will be watching.

But underneath all of them is another question that could determine how this game is played: Can we run the football?

Texas Has a Choice to Make

One of the biggest advantages Ohio State has offensively is that Texas can’t realistically devote all of its resources to stopping one thing.

Jeremiah Smith is a problem.

Julian Sayin is a problem.

Ohio State’s receiving corps is talented.

The offensive line is experienced.

And the Buckeyes have backs capable of making plays.

But if Texas can eliminate the run game, the Longhorns can start simplifying the problem.

That’s what makes this so important.

If Ohio State is consistently gaining four, five or six yards on first and second down, Texas has to respect everything.

The Longhorns have to keep defenders closer to the line of scrimmage. They have to account for the possibility of play-action. They have to respect Sayin’s ability to use his legs. And they can’t simply build every coverage call around finding Jeremiah Smith.

But if Ohio State is getting stuffed on early downs?

The equation changes.

Second-and-10.

Third-and-8.

Long passing situations.

Now Texas knows exactly what it wants Ohio State to do.

And that’s when a talented defense can become much more aggressive.

This Isn’t About Rushing for 200 Yards

There’s an important distinction here.

Ohio State doesn’t necessarily need to run for 200-plus yards to win this game.

The goal should be efficiency and balance. (Become a paid subscriber to listen to our latest pod to get my thoughts on “efficiency in the run game”)

If the Buckeyes can consistently stay ahead of the chains, that may be enough.

Think about what that does for the offense.

A successful run on first down creates manageable second downs.

A manageable second down keeps the playbook open.

Keeping the playbook open gives Arthur Smith more opportunities to manipulate the Texas defense.

And suddenly Julian Sayin isn’t being asked to consistently convert third-and-long against an aggressive defense.

That’s how the run game can impact the passing game without necessarily producing huge rushing numbers.

LATEST PODCASTS:

• Texas Week: The First Real Test

• First Reaction: Buckeyes Roll Past Ball State

• What to Expect From Arthur Smith + Week 1 Predictions

LATEST FILM ROOM:

• FILM ROOM: Jaylen McClain is UP NEXT

• FILM ROOM: Phillip Daniels — Tackle, Guard, or Both?

• FILM ROOM: Play Action Through the Quarterback

And Then There’s Jeremiah Smith

This might be the most important part.

Texas knows Jeremiah Smith is the best receiver on the field.

The Longhorns have had success limiting his production in previous meetings, and there is little reason to believe they’re going to suddenly ignore him Saturday.

So what happens if Texas decides to put extra attention on No. 4?

Ohio State needs an answer.

The run game can be that answer.

If Texas wants to dedicate another defender to Smith, Ohio State should be willing to run into the space that creates.

If Texas keeps its safeties deep to protect against explosive passes, Ohio State should be willing to run underneath that structure.

If Texas brings defenders into the box to stop the run, that’s when Smith and the rest of the receivers can get opportunities downfield.

That’s the chess match.

And it all starts with whether Texas believes Ohio State can actually run the football.

The Ball State Game Gave Us Some Clues

Ohio State’s 237 rushing yards shouldn’t be dismissed simply because of the opponent.

There were things worth watching.

The Buckeyes created explosive runs.

Bo Jackson showed the ability to turn relatively ordinary opportunities into big gains (As did Jakobi Jackson and Legend Bey).

The offensive line was able to create movement.

And Ohio State showed a willingness to stay balanced while Sayin was operating efficiently through the air.

But Saturday will answer the bigger question:

Was that the beginning of a legitimate identity, or was it simply what happens when a talented Ohio State offense plays Ball State?

We don’t know yet.

That’s what makes this matchup so interesting.

Can Ohio State make Texas respect the run?

If the answer is yes, it could open up the entire offense.

If the answer is no, Texas can make Julian Sayin carry more of the burden—and that’s exactly what the Longhorns want.

Saturday will give us our first real answer about Ohio State’s offense.

Not whether it can score 56 points against Ball State.

Not whether Julian Sayin can complete 84 percent of his passes.

But whether this offense can impose its will against another elite team.

And that may start with something as simple as running the football.

Buckeye Film Breakdown will return soon with some fresh content.