5 things we learned from Ohio State football's win over Ball State
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Here are five things we learned from No. 1 Ohio State’s 56-3 season-opening rout of Ball State on Sept. 5:
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Jeremiah Smith is starting a Heisman Trophy conversation
After Smith made a toe-tapping catch along the back line of the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown late in the second quarter, he broke into celebration.
Smith struck a pose in front of the south stands at Ohio Stadium, lifting his left leg and extending his left arm to mimic the Heisman Trophy’s bronze figure.
The timing was likely no coincidence. It was less than 24 hours after Miami star receiver Malachi Toney struck the pose following two of his three touchdowns during the Hurricanes’ win at Stanford.
The race for college football’s most prestigious player of the year award has a way to go. Twists and turns are inevitable. It’ll be three months before ballots are even released to voters.
But the pose built early buzz for candidates who aren’t playing a position with inherent advantages. Thirteen of the past 16 winners have been quarterbacks. Only two were receivers −Colorado’s Travis Hun ter and Alabama’s DeVonta Smith.
To win the Heisman, Jeremiah Smith, who finished sixth in the voting last December, will need to find ways to continue moving the needle with similarly memorable moments.
The attention in the race matters, and even being intertwined with Toney, who is likely to fuel debate over the nation’s best receiver among analysts, could make a difference in keeping Smith at the center of the conversation this fall.
Julian Sayin is using his legs
Sayin found an escape hatch on a fourth-and-goal during the second quarter.
Ball State had dropped into zone coverage, leaving Sayin without an open target in the end zone. As Sayin stepped up in the pocket, he took off running, speeding past a diving defensive lineman, then eluding a linebacker at the goal line, for a 3-yard touchdown.
It was the first career rushing touchdown for Sayin, who rarely used his legs as a weapon during his season as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback.
Sayin was one of only six Big Ten quarterbacks in 2025 who finished without positive rushing yards. He had minus-44 yards on 42 attempts, which included the 16 sacks he took.
Sayin considered his decision to run a product of the Cardinals’ pass coverage that left him without other options.
“We're not going to have much open,” Sayin said, “so go take off and pick it up with your legs.”
Even if the Buckeyes are unlikely to design many runs for Sayin, his willingness to scramble provides another option.
There is depth on defense
While the Buckeyes are replacing eight starters on defense for a second straight year, they have an assortment of pieces to help remake that side of the ball.
The Buckeyes showed a deep rotation on defense, opening with a package that lined up three linebackers in addition to their four down linemen.
TJ Alford and Christian Allegro started at the second level alongside middle linebacker Payton Pierce, and it was Alford’s interception in the second quarter that gave Ohio State possession at Ball State’s 28-yard line, setting up the drive that was capped to Sayin’s touchdown run.
The Buckeyes also leaned freshman Jay Timmons as the nickel back in passing situations, involving five defensive backs as part of their base defense of recent years.
The mixture of looks and alignments in the early goings reflected Ohio State’s depth.
“There's been times in the past, maybe when the starters came out, there was a different level of play that was significant, that was almost palatable,” coach Ryan Day said, “from my point of view, being on the field, it didn't feel that way out there today. That’s a good thing.”
Kickoff returns are unreliable
Freshman running back Legend Bey got the first crack at returning kickoffs.
Bey is an explosive playmaker who would take a swing pass for a 25-yard touchdown, making a handful of potential tackles miss as he cut across the field.
But his returns raised questions about how long the Buckeyes would keep him in the role. Bey twice fielded a kickoff in the end zone rather than signal for a fair catch, which places the ball at the 25-yard line.
When Bey returned the opening kickoff, he only reached the 16-yard line, and his second kickoff return saw him down at the 10-yard line after fellow returner Brandon Inniss appeared to encourage him to take a knee in the end zone.
“Those are trust things that we're going to have to continue to work on, to build trust within the coaches and the teammates,” Day said. “But you can see the talent, and he's got a good attitude when it comes to being corrected.”
Offensive line configuration is not finalized
Ohio State spent preseason practices sorting through potential combinations on the offensive line.
It resulted in moving Austin Siereveld, the returning starting left tackle, to right guard to clear a spot for Ian Moore, a promising redshirt sophomore.
But it wasn’t even before the end of the first quarter against Ball State before the Buckeyes were reconfiguring with the grouping up front.
The Buckeyes removed starting right tackle Phillip Daniels on the third series with Siereveld moving over from right guard to replace Daniels. Gabe VanSickle then went in at right guard.
“That is the flexibility that we have,” Day said, “and the competition continues. They’re pushing each other.”
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 5 things we learned from Ohio State football's win over Ball State