Following a slow start, Ohio State found their rhythm in the second half on Saturday night, dispatching Ohio 37-9. With the victory over the Bobcats, the Buckeyes pushed their record to 3-0 as they head into a bye week before hitting the road for the first time this season next week to take on Washington in their Big Ten opener.
With the win over Ohio in the books, we are going to take one last look back on the action we saw under the lights at Ohio Stadium, we are going to give out our version of
helmet stickers and acknowledge those Buckeye who showed out against the Bobcats.
Offensive Star of the Game: Jeremiah Smith
The sensational sophomore wide receiver had himself a night. Not only did Smith haul in nine passes for 153 yards and a touchdown, he also found the end zone on a 17-yard rush.
The 153 receiving yards were the second-most of Smith’s college career so far, with the only greater output coming in the Rose Bowl when he rolled up 187 yards against Oregon.
Through 19 games at Ohio State, Smith now has 1,630 receiving yards, making him the fastest Buckeye to eclipse 1,500 career receiving yards. Jaxon Smith-Njigba previously held the record, reaching the mark in 20 games. The touchdown grab by Smith was his 18th in the scarlet and gray.
Smith had a tough start to the season against a good Texas secondary. In the two games since, Smith has caught 14 passes for 282 yards and three scores. Along with Smith, Carnell Tate has started the season hot, giving opposing defensive coordinators headaches since they have to pick their poison on how to try and defend the dynamic duo.
Defensive Star of the Game: Caden Curry
Ohio’s offense is going to have nightmares about Caden Curry for weeks to come.
The Ohio State defensive lineman was a force on Saturday night, recording four tackles, a sack, and a pass breakup. Curry was a fixture in the backfield throughout the game.
On a defensive line that has a slew of new starters this year, a performance like this was necessary for Curry. With such a big game, Curry will take a lot of confidence into the game against Washington following the bye week. Curry has now recorded a sack in back-to-back games, and his next sack will set a career-high.
Freshman Star of the Game: Bo Jackson
For the second straight week Bo Jackson ran for over 100 yards, becoming Ohio State’s first freshman running back since Dallan Hayden to reach triple digits on the ground in back-to-back games. With two consecutive electric performances, Buckeye Nation is clamoring for Jackson to be the team’s starting running back going forward.
Nothing against C.J. Donaldson and James Peoples, but Jackson has a gear that those two running backs just don’t. Not that Donaldson and Peoples can’t be involved in the offense going forward, but Jackson needs to see the bulk of the carries the rest of the season.
Sometimes the lights are too big for a freshman in their first few games in college. That isn’t the case for Jackson, who definitely has star power.
Stat of the Game: Ohio State didn’t punt in a game for the first time since 2021
In every game there’s usually at least one series where nothing goes right. Ohio State didn’t have one of those series on Saturday night.
The Buckeyes were able to get through the game without needing to punt for the first time since 2021 against Maryland. After sending Joe McGuire out to punt six times against Texas, Ohio State only had to use fellow punter Nick McLarty once last week.
What Ohio State was able to do throughout the game was string together plays and keep their defense off the field. Despite some drives not ending with touchdowns, the key was being able to find their way into Ohio territory on a consistent basis.
Even though the Buckeyes need to clean up some of their red zone execution, at least they were able to keep from going three-and-out.
