To say Ohio State’s offense has played well to start the season may be an understatement.
The Buckeyes are averaging 503.5 yards per game and 42.7 points per game heading into this weekend’s showdown with the No. 5-ranked Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington. Both marks rank in the top 10 in the country.
This offense has been spearheaded by the play of Jeremiah Smith, who currently ranks second in the nation in receiving yards (916), receptions (48) and touchdowns (11). The Heisman favorite’s big plays have helped drive the offense down the field, but he is not the only Buckeye having a stellar season on the offense.
Ahead of Saturday’s top-5 matchup at Indiana this weekend, here are player grades for all 11 starters on the offense six weeks into the season.
Julian Sayin: A-
It is hard not to give Sayin a true A here, as through six weeks of play, he ranks in the top 5 in passing yards, touchdowns, and passer rating. His ability to push the ball downfield and his better pocket presence, not being afraid to make plays with his legs, have made this high-octane offensive engine for Ohio State work.
Yet, Sayin has shown flaws in his processing of the game to this point. He has keyed in on Smith for the most part and thrown some very iffy balls with more than two defenders on him. Also, his turnover problems from last year are not all the way solved, as he had a fumble and a pick-six in last week’s blowout win against Maryland.
Bo Jackson: C+
Jackson had a lot of momentum coming into this season, with head coach Ryan Day highlighting his ability to make more big plays in the run game.
The result so far: two runs of over 20+ yards in six games played.
Jackson and the running game have looked better in recent weeks, and his 25-yard touchdown against Maryland last week shows the momentum that is pulsing in this room.
Yet, the lack of consistency and big-play ability in total from the sophomore has been disappointing, and a matchup against a star-studded front seven for Indiana will be a good test of if this running room is finally finding their rhythm, or is it a concern for this team moving forward.
Jeremiah Smith: A+
With all the accolades and plays Smith has made leading up to this year, it was hard to see Smith bring another level, as he already looked like one of the greatest NFL prospects at the position we have ever seen.
Yet, week by week, he continues to give something more to be impressed about the junior wideout. He even impressed Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti to the point that he called him a ,"freak," heading into this matchup.
If I could give him a greater grade than A+, I would. Smith continues to set the mark in the country as the best receiver. After a big 8 catch, a 144-yard performance against the Hoosiers last year, it will be interesting to see, with the attention they give him, the kind of day he can have,
Devin McCuin: B-
McCuin may be one of the toughest to grade in this offense, as for 2 out of the 5 games he has played, he has lived up to the expectations of what fans thought he could do in this offense with his speed over the middle.
Yet, in those other three games played he has felt like a near non-factor.
I give him a B- partly because of the volume of balls going to Jeremiah Smith, which inhibits
the ceiling of targets he can truly get. When he has gotten the ball, he has shown his ability to beat defenders one-on-one and make plays after the catch.
I believe this grade can improve from a high-B to a low-A by the end of the season; we just need to see more volume going to him.
Brandon Inniss: C-
If you take away Inniss’ 49-yard hail-mary touchdown catch before the half against Kent State, he has less than 100 yards on the year. This is a major letdown for the senior Block O recipient, who was expected to be a bigger piece of this offense this season.
He has embodied the leadership role he was put in the offseason and has not made any crucial drops/mistakes that have truly hurt this team. But at the same time, he has not made a big play yet with this.
In a loaded wide receiver room with loads of young talent next to Smith and McCuin, I believe the snap count will diminish for him even when healthy, and will honestly need to make some big plays down the stretch to keep that from happening.
Nate Roberts: B-
Roberts is another one that is hard to grade in this offense, as he is another victim of the gigantic target share that Smith consumes. Yet, when he has gotten the ball he has looked to combine the ability to be a great safety valve, as well as make some big plays down the middle.
His 68-yard touchdown last week showcased his speed and ability to get away from defenders in the secondary, which may earn himself some more targets. This tough stretch upcoming for Ohio State should actually prove a bigger opportunity for the tight end and raise this grade down the stretch.
Offensive Line: B-
I decided to keep this group as a whole rather than rate all 5, as there has been so much shuffling with this group that it seems better to grade it as a whole.
The pass protection, for the most part, has been strong, as it has allowed under 2 sacks per game for a team that passes the ball a lot.
The run blocking has been underwhelming, but this grade would have been lower if not for the play the last two weeks. This group is taking the criticism they are receiving and finding a groove at the right time.
This week’s matchup will be a true tell if it is here to stay, or just if inconsistency will plague this group again going forward.
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