Ohio State Dominant In Week 1 Tuneup

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This year’s Week 1 matchup for Ohio State wasn’t nearly as exciting as last year’s, but the Buckeyes came out on top either way. With the TBDBITL alumni in attendance, Ohio State honored Jim Tressel with his Ring of Honor induction and got a dominant, narrative-forming win over the Ball State Cardinals. From established Heisman Trophy candidates making their case to new faces showing what they can do, Ohio State’s 2026 season is off to an impressive start.

Ohio State Dominates Ball State, 56-3

Jeremiah Smith Record Watch

After Malachi Toney lit up Stanford on Friday, all eyes were going to be on Jeremiah Smith and what he does against a low-end MAC program. When the dust settled, Smith did everything he needed to do in the first half. In total, he hauled in eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. If that seems blah, it’s his 12th 100-yard game, and seventh multi-touchdown game in his storied career.

With that, he moved closer to owning the Ohio State triple crown of records. He now sits 35 receptions, 190 yards, and seven touchdowns away from sitting atop the leaderboards in all three categories.

It was another dominant game from the player widely considered among the best in the country. His first catch was a 48-yard touchdown in which he pinned the ball to his facemask with just his right hand. There is plenty of great football in his near future; that’s for sure.

Freshmen Mistakes

If there is anything to nitpick in a ridiculously lopsided affair, it’ll be the performance of a couple of first-year players.

The game kicked off with everyone watching what Legend Bey would do with the ball. He was named the kick returner, so he would get his chance right away. He fielded a punt five yards into the end zone, ignored Brandon Inniss‘s instruction to take a knee, and returned it to just the Ohio State 16-yard line. That was not the result Ryan Day was looking for when he made the dynamic freshman the returner.

Then, after the Ball State field goal, he got his chance again. Again, he ignored Inniss and returned the ball to the Buckeyes’ 10-yard line. When he returned to the sidelines, he got an earful from Day and Carlos Locklyn.

Chris Henry Jr. was touted as the replacement for Carnell Tate. Could he be the go-to guy opposite Smith? Well, early returns said, in the words of Lee Corso, “not so fast, my friend.” Henry’s first target was across the middle, but it was knocked out of his hands. The play would have resulted in a touchdown, and it was a great play by the Cardinals’ defender, but it could have been caught. Then, in the third quarter with the game in hand, a pass went through his hands, hit off his facemask, ricocheted into the air, and was intercepted.

He had a third opportunity in the fourth where he could have hauled in another pass, but it was knocked away at the last second. Henry could have had multiple scores in this one.

Both players earned opportunities to redeem themselves. Bey came in as the running back when Luke Fahey came in and finished with six carries for 37 yards. However, he found the end zone as a receiver coming out of the backfield, showing off his dynamic play-making abilities.

Henry redeemed himself on his first career reception, however. He found the end zone from 15 yards out on a pass from Tavien St. Clair.

Offensive Line Under The Microscope

Needless to say, the Fringe was locked in on the play of the offensive line. It has been the target of much ire from both the insane faction and the casual fans. Against a lesser opponent like Ball State, it was expected that the offensive line would cook.

In the first half, it was not quite the performance Ohio State wanted. Julian Sayin was sacked twice, though one of those was due to Ja’Kobi Jackson missing his assignment. At half, while the passing attack was working to perfection, the ground game was lacking. In total, the Buckeyes averaged just 2.1 yards per carry, and only one back (Jackson) was over 20 yards.

Then, the Buckeyes were able to overpower the Cardinals in the second half. The offense managed multiple big plays on the ground, starting with Bo Jackson‘s 65-yard scoring scamper. Then, Ja’Kobi Jackson added his own 49-yard touchdown.

When the day was done, Ohio State running backs ran for 230 yards for 8.2 yards per carry.

Next week’s matchup will be a bit tougher; that’s for sure.

Remember the Name

In addition to Bey and Henry, there were a few younger players who look like they’ll be contributors this year. To start, remember the name Khary Wilder.

Wilder is a first-year defensive end and earned significant playing time early on in this one. He lined up both as an edge rusher and as a pass-rushing defensive tackle. He almost literally leaped off the broadcast as he tore through the Ball State offensive line.

Jay Timmons got the start as the nickel corner and showed why. He finished with one tackle and two pass breakups on the day. He was impressive in coverage on the day and will have plenty of opportunities to show why the coaches spoke so highly of him this offseason.

Also, Phillip Bell. He may be lower on the totem pole for wide receiver snaps, but he looked dynamic as a punt returner. Bell returned his first punt 47 yards to set the Buckeyes up in plus territory, but multiple holding penalties brought it back.

Final Thoughts

• Sayin ran the ball into the end zone on a scramble. The collective sigh of relief from Buckeye Nation was palpable.
• Devin McCuin is going to be fun to watch.
• The linebacker room is deep.
• No touchdowns allowed by the defense…do that again next week.
• Good teams win; great teams cover (Ohio State -50.5)

The Last Word

Next week, Ohio State gets to travel to Texas. It’s going to be the marquee matchup of the Week 2 slate and will be the first real measuring stick for what this Ohio State team is going to be in 2026. Making judgments on how the Buckeyes fared against Ball State is futile; it’s very possible that both the offense and defense were incredibly bland.

This is a good Ohio State team. Watching them go through this tough schedule is going to be a treat.

More Ohio State News

• The Best Matchups In The Big Ten Each Week: Weeks 0-6
• What Does Ohio State Gain From Playing Cupcakes?
• The 2026 Big Ten College Football Playoff Picture: Week 1

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