Ohio State Week 1 Preview: The Arthur Smith Era in Columbus Begins
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The wait is nearly over! The 2026 Ohio State Buckeyes are about to take on the Ball State Cardinals for the first time in program history. In addition to the 51 new players on the roster, Ryan Day added a few assistant coaches to his staff this offseason. The most polarizing figure among them all is Arthur Smith. Will another failed NFL head coach pay dividends for the Buckeyes under Day? It worked with Chip Kelly and Matt Patricia, so the Buckeyes have earned the benefit of the doubt.
The Ohio State offense was efficient last year, but frustrating, especially when it came to the big games. What is different? How will it perform against a perceived lesser opponent?
The Arthur Smith Era in Columbus Begins
The Best Five
The Ohio State offense returns eight starters on offense. Of those, four are on the offensive line. In today’s college football landscape, where older, more experienced teams are built to make a run in the College Football Playoff, this should be a massive source of optimism.
However, there is some pessimism surrounding the offensive line. Of course, the Lunatic Fringe™ are never truly happy, so grain of salt.
Even those not in the Fringe have recency bias surrounding the offensive line. Against Indiana and Miami, it struggled. However, when you return a unit as strong as Ohio State, you have to expect it to be better.
While nothing has been announced, the Ohio State offensive line looks like it’ll be, from left to right, Ian Moore (third-year), Luke Montgomery (fourth-year), Carson Hinzman (fifth-year), Austin Sierveld (fourth-year), and Phillip Daniels (fourth-year). That combination of offensive linemen totals 89 starts and 5,947 career snaps.
Smith was brought in to fix the running game. The last time Day brought in a former NFL coach to fix the run game and call the offense was in that national championship season.
The Playmakers
Behind that offensive line, Julian Sayin returns as the first quarterback to enter a second season under Day since C.J. Stroud’s 2022 season. Last year, he led college football in completion percentage and added 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns with just eight interceptions in his first season of college football. He was great, but he knows that he can be more. The team elected him as captain for a reason.
If there is an area in which Sayin will have to improve, it would be his scrambling ability. He doesn’t have to be Braxton Miller or even Will Howard, but if Sayin can just take the free yards or roll out to give his receivers time to cook, it would open up a whole new world in the offense.
He does get Jeremiah Smith to throw to, of course. You could argue that he’s been the best receiver in football for two seasons already, but he’s looking to get that Biletnikoff and Heisman this year. Smith is just 43 receptions, 341 yards, and nine touchdowns away from owning the Ohio State career receiving records. Arthur Smith has said that he plans on getting Jeremiah Smith the ball in a host of ways, so we shall see how creative they get this year.
Finally, what is going to happen with the running backs? Bo Jackson enters the year as the RB1, but Isaiah West isn’t too far behind him. Jackson took over the starting role after just a few weeks, but he missed spring workouts due to shoulder surgery. Oddly enough, so did West. However, both second-year backs are fully healthy, which is a first for West, as he played last year while still rehabbing from a knee injury.
One way or another, the Ohio State offense should not have much trouble moving the ball. Pick your poison.
The Task at Hand
Looking ahead to Ball State, the Cardinals struggled on defense in 2025. When compared to the other 137 FBS programs, the Cardinals finished toward the bottom in passing touchdowns allowed, rush yards allowed per game, points per game allowed, tackles for loss, and third downs. Seven of Ball State’s top 10 tacklers are gone, and just two starters return.
The Cardinals rebuilt the defense with a handful of transfers, including Austin Steiff, Maverick Gracio, and Jared Badie on the defensive line. They will have to replace a player who set the program’s single-season record for sacks.
Unfortunately for Ball State, Ohio State is likely going to keep things simple to really iron out what it wants to do the following week at Texas.
The Last Word
Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
History: N/A
Last Matchup: N/A
Date and Time: September 5, 2026; 12:30 p.m.
How to Watch: Big Ten Network
Spread: Ohio State -50.5; O/U 56.5 (via FanDuel)
Prediction: That is a massive spread. Ohio State hasn’t scored 51 points on an FBS opponent since it opened the 2024 season with 52 points on Akron and 56 on Western Michigan. Day likely isn’t going to run it up, but Ohio State is certainly 50 points better than Ball State. Let’s go with Ohio State winning this one, 62-10.
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Main Image: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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