Not everything was a clinic on college football 101 Saturday, but Ohio State still won easily, 59-3 over Kent State, to improve its record to 2-1. Plenty of guys got involved, Jeremiah Smith set a record, and the Buckeyes were able to work on some things they wanted after losing to Texas a week earlier.
We like to reflect on what we saw during each Ohio State football game and what we think we learned about the Buckeyes, and while it's hard to take much away from such a public flogging, there are still some things that stood out with all of the highlight plays and scores in the 'Shoe.
OSU will step into Big Ten play next week when it hosts Illinois, but first, here's what we think we learned from the 59-3 win over Kent State on the banks of the Olentangy
Saturday.
The Numbers Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith has put up are ridiculous
Jeremiah Smith through 31 career games:
— Owen Tyler (@OwenTCFB) September 19, 2026
179 REC
2,873 YDS
32 TDs
For comparison:
Julio Jones: 179 REC, 2,653 YDS, 17 TDs (40 games)
Justin Jefferson: 165 REC, 2,415 YDS, 24 TDs (34 games)
Calvin Johnson: 178 REC, 2,927 YDS, 29 TDs (38 games)
Mike Evans: 151 REC, 2,499 YDS,… pic.twitter.com/r5NDOUZEFD
You can watch a guy and marvel at what he does, but when you start to add context to the athletic exploits, sometimes the level at which it's being done hits home a little more. Yes, Jeremiah Smith is noticeably bigger, faster, and stronger than most everyone else on a football field, and one of the most athletically gifted receivers we've ever seen, but when you start stacking his stats up with some of the other great ones that have gone on to have success in the NFL, it raises some eyebrows.
Smith's is now the all-time receiving yards leader at Ohio State in just a little over two seasons. And while that's ridiculous to think of, what he's done also translates better than the college careers of guys like Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson. The graphic above says it all, and while many will say it's unfair and unrealistic to compare a guy against some of the best to play recently at the highest level in the NFL, it's clear what he's doing in college isn't, and in fact is, better.
I don't think we'll truly appreciate Smith until he's gone and doing special things in the NFL.
Short yardage is still a work in progress for Ohio State
Struggling on 4th downs and short yardage against Kent State is quite concerning
— steele chambers (@steeleC22) September 19, 2026
Being able to finish in the red zone was an issue at Texas, and so you knew head coach Ryan Day would emphasize it in this one when he could. The middle of the offensive line is the best the Buckeyes have, but it becomes predictable when that's what Ohio State leans on.
The Buckeyes were able to get into the end zone on a fourth-and-goal, but that shouldn't have gotten to that point, and there were other times when OSU could not get the necessary yardage to move the chains in the red zone or in other short-yardage situations. That has to be corrected somehow going forward, and the fact that Ohio State couldn't impose its will against a team like Kent State is not a good development.
Ohio State receiver Chris Henry Jr. has the skill to be the next one
CHJ‼️
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 19, 2026
Chris Henry Jr. showed off his YAC skills on this 75-yard @OhioStateFB TD.
Watch on FOX pic.twitter.com/1uJzo0Y7nR
The prevailing thought from Ohio State fans coming into the season was that freshman five-star receiver phenom Chris Henry Jr. would eventually be in the starting lineup and offer quarterback Julian Sayin another dynamic option in the passing game. That might still happen, but he clearly has not gotten the confidence of the coaching staff to be that guy through fall camp and early in the season.
However, his 75-yard catch and scamper Saturday showcased what he could be. He's long and rangy with a long catch radius, but also has the speed and quickness to get in the open and make plays like what he put on tape against Kent State. The Buckeyes will have plenty of depth in the wide receiver room, but it would help if things start to click sooner rather than later for Henry to add to the weapons for the OSU offense.
Ohio State misses Carnell Tate
Brandon Inniss & Devin McCuin have to pick up their production or defenses will continue to heavily shade coverage toward Jeremiah Smith. Buckeyes need someone to emerge and replace Carnell Tate to balance out the passing game#OhioState #GoBucks #CollegeFootball #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/lue5T88bLP
— Jay7 (@LJayy7) September 19, 2026
Batman can do a whole lot more with Robin. Jeremiah Smith is great and still putting up eye-popping numbers, but with a No. 2 option that ended up being a first-round NFL draft pick, quarterback Julian Sayin had another guy that he could lean on as he went through progressions. It resulted in the best accuracy rating in college football last season, but that's not been the case so far this year.
Now, again, Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuin, and Chris Henry Jr. are talented, but clearly Sayin is still working out the chemistry with receivers not named Jeremiah Smith. The offense is supposed to be one of the best in the country and still likely will be; it's just not as efficient as it could be right now.
Ohio State is deep, but it's young depth
Tons of young talent on this Buckeye defense.
— Hoody (@TheHoody27) September 15, 2026
Devin Sanchez and Jay Timmons are already starters.
I think Khary Wilder will see a lot more snaps and Riley Pettijohn will be an elite LB. We will be fine, that loss pays dividends for these guys. pic.twitter.com/NuzjlYa7eP
It's easy to see a talented young player and want him in the mix more. What we often forget is that we aren't a part of the multiple practices that see these guys going against competition and the daily grind. So yeah, we want to see more of Legend Bey, Khary Wilder, and Riley Pettijohn, and we most likely will, but youth is often served later rather than immediately, as the youngsters learn how to play against older, experienced players and teams.
It's not often that a guy like Jeremiah Smith comes along, and we have to remember these things normally take the Chris Olave route more often. Some of this talented depth, maybe more than we've seen even in recent years, will come into play and become a bigger part of things, but it's just not there yet.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Five things we learned from Ohio State during its win vs. Kent State
