The Ohio State Buckeyes sit at 6-1 as they head into their bye week, and the timing could not be better. Starting quarterback Julian Sayin will be out for several weeks with a shoulder injury. Other key players, such as Ja'Kobi Jackson, Austin Siereveld, and Jay Timmons are also battling injuries.
No matter. The bye week will allow the coaching staff opportunities to figure out how to craft the offense around either Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair during Sayin's absence, and prepare for a challenging slate of games that will begin when Ohio State travels to play USC on Halloween.
In the meantime, here are some thoughts on what this 2026 Ohio State football team has demonstrated over the first half of the season ~
Jeremiah Smith Is The Buckeyes' Derrick Henry
Last spring, new Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was asked if he would be targeting Jeremiah Smith too frequently. Arthur Smith replied, "I got asked if I gave the ball too many times to Derrick Henry...I’d argue that I didn’t.”. Ohio State fans may lament that Julian Sayin was often forcing passes into tight coverage to get the ball to Jeremiah Smith, but it has become glaringly obvious that the success or failure of the Ohio State offense is directly tied to the performance of Jeremiah Smith.
A case in point - Ohio State had 4th and goal versus Indiana, and Sayin was able to throw a touchdown pass to Bo Jackson. The play worked because Smith came into the game, and was able to attract three defenders to him, leaving Jackson wide open.
Ohio State Does Not Have A Dominant Running Back Or Running Game...Yet
Think about some of the greatest running backs in Ohio State history - Keith Byars. Eddie George. Maurice Clarett. Chris "Beanie" Wells. Ezekiel Elliott. JK Dobbins. All of those players are on the top ten of Ohio State's leading rushers, or were part of Ohio State national championship teams.
Think about the 2024 national championship team that featured the combo tag team of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. A true "thunder and lightning" duo.
Now think about what you have seen from Ohio State's running game so far this season. Ja'Kobi Jackson and Bo Jackson were trying to develop a combo approach, then Ja'Kobi Jackson suffered an ankle injury at the tail end of the Maryland game. Perhaps Ja'Kobi Jackson will be back for the game at USC, or perhas Isaiah West can develop into a good tandem partner for Bo Jackson. Either way, the Buckeyes will need to lean heavily upon their running game, especially with Sayin's projected absence.
The Ohio State Defense = "Bend But Don't Break"
Jaylen McClain has established himself as the leader of the Ohio State secondary, and the aforementioned Jay Timmons has been able to emerge as one of Ohio State's most reliable playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. As for the Ohio State defensive line and linebackers, they have played well enough, but it would be fair to say that the pass rush and run defense have had moments that have created stress for the Ohio State fan base.
Beyond Jeremiah Smith, Who Else Can The Buckeyes Count Upon?
Circling back to my first point in this article, the Ohio State offense is completely reliant upon Jeremiah Smith. As the level of competition for the Buckeyes will only ramp up as the calendar flips to November, it will be imperative that Arthur Smith continues to work in other players who have flashed during the first part of the season - Chris Henry, Jr., Brock Boyd, Devin McCuin are other receiving options who will be expected to step up more, and here is another player to keep an eye upon - tight end Nate Roberts. It would not surprise me if Ohio State tries to incorporate more of a short to medium passing game that would allow Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair to get the ball out quickly, and Roberts seems like a plausible candidate for that job.
Have The Special Teams Improved?
The hiring of Robby Discher had Ohio State fans believing that the Ohio State special teams would be significantly improved, and that has not yet been the case. Ohio State PK Connor Hawkins missed a crucial field goal that could have been the difference in the one point loss at Texas in week two, and Ohio State P Joe McGuire has only been averaging about 44 yards per punt. Hawkins made two field goals versus Indiana that proved to be instrumental in the victory, but it would be fair to say that Ohio State fans are justifiably nervous about Hawkins coming into a game and kicking a long field goal to secure a victory. Mark this area as "to be determined" when thinking about the Ohio State special teams heading into the November stretch run.
The Second Half Of The Season Beckons
Ohio State is 6-1, and going into what everyone acknowledged before the season that was going to be a difficult stretch. Every team has injury concerns at this time of year, and the Ohio State coaching staff will now be burning the midnight oil to make sure that the Buckeyes are as well-prepared as they can be as they start to make their push to be one of the teams in the 2026 College Football Playoff.
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