You’re Nuts: What was the most important thing we learned from the Ball State game?

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

The No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes took care of business on Saturday in Ohio Stadium as they blew out the Ball State Cardinals 56-3. However, following the win, the team’s attention immediately turned to Texas as the Scarlet and Gray will head south to Austin on Saturday for the first major marquee matchup of the season.

Unlike last season, when the two teams played in the opener, Ryan Day and his staff have 60 minutes’ worth of film to break down before the big game. In this week’s You’re Nuts, Gene and Matt each break down what they think was the biggest thing we learned from the lopsided game.

In You’re Nuts, two LGHL staff members will take differing sides on one question and argue their opinions passionately. Then, in the end, it’s up to you to determine who’s right and who’s nuts. Read the arguments and then head to the comments at the bottom of the page and jump into the debate.

Question: What was the most important thing we learned from the Ball State game?

Gene’s take: The young guys can flat-out play

One of the biggest questions we had coming into the season was how Ohio State would replace the mass exodus of talent it saw to the NFL this past season, particularly on defense. The Buckeyes’ roster is obviously not devoid of star power by any means, but it wouldn’t exactly be easy to fill the holes left by guys like Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese, and others.

After Week 1, I’m confident that Ohio State will be just fine defensively, and a large reason for that confidence was the play of the young players on the roster against Ball State.

One of the stars of the show on Saturday was cornerback Jay Timmons. A rare freshman starting defensive back for Ohio State, Timmons showed why the coaching staff trusted him atop the depth chart with a stellar performance.

Officially credited with two pass breakups, Timmons was targeted five times, allowing only two catches for 11 yards, per PFF. The Pennsylvania native was all over the field against the Cardinals, running in lockstep with his assignment and standing out among the rest of the Ohio State secondary.

Elsewhere, freshman defensive lineman Khary Wilder also impressed in limited reps.

While listed at defensive end, Ohio State had Wilder out there on long third downs as a defensive tackle in what is likely the 2026 version of the ‘Rushmen’ package. In both of his first two reps, Wilder got immediate pressure up the middle and forced the QB out of the pocket, nearly coming away with a sack.

Then there were the second-year linebackers, who, despite not starting the game, outplayed their veteran counterparts.

TJ Alford had the big splash play of the day with an interception at the end of the first quarter, and was actually the Buckeyes’ highest-rated defender overall with a 91.6 grade in 34 snaps, per PFF. Riley Pettijohn, meanwhile, finished as Ohio State’s leading tackler with six total tackles and 0.5 TFLs, the third-highest-rated Ohio State defender per PFF with a grade of 83.8 in 30 snaps.

There is something to be said for a handful of backups playing noticeably better than the starters, but that is a story for another day. Matt Patricia played a ton of guys on defense in Week 1 as he looks to get a handle on what exactly his unit will look like in 2026, and the rotations will sort themselves out as more games are played.

That said, we learned that this version of the Silver Bullets, while maybe not as top-heavy as last year, is loaded with young talent. It provides a lot of excitement for the rest of this season and the years to come.

Matt’s take: Devin McQuin is the perfect complement to Jeremiah Smith

I do not disagree with Gene about the importance of the young players performing well on Saturday, and there were a number of other things we learned from Ohio State’s 56-3 season-opening win over Ball State. However, the thing that I think will end up being most meaningful this season is that Devin McQuin is going to be a much bigger part of this offense than I think many anticipated when he transferred from UTSA.

Obviously, there are all of the standard Week 1 disclaimers. Ball State is not Texas, Oregon, Indiana, or even Illinois for that matter. The Cardinals were overmatched athletically, Ohio State didn’t have to dig very deep into the playbook, and virtually everything we saw Saturday should be viewed through that lens.

But McQuin looked like exactly the type of player that Julian Sayin is going to need opposite Jeremiah Smith.

The senior caught six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown before leaving early in the third quarter, but it wasn’t simply the box score that impressed me. He ran crisp routes, consistently created enough separation, fought through contact to get into the end zone, and made multiple catches that required more than simply being wide open against inferior defenders. He looked like an experienced, reliable receiver who understands how to get where his quarterback expects him to be.

That might not sound as exciting as some of the younger receivers on Ohio State’s roster. Chris Henry Jr. has absurd upside despite the drops. Brock Boyd had his first career catch. Phillip Bell showed his talents on a punt return that was wiped out by a penalty, and there are plenty of others who have the type of athleticism that makes it very easy to start dreaming about what they could become. But the Buckeyes don’t necessarily need McQuin to become the next first-round receiver in WRU’s assembly line (although he very well might). What they need him to be is dependable.

We already know that defensive coordinators are going to do everything legally permissible — and probably a few things that aren’t — to keep Jeremiah Smith from taking over games. He is going to see brackets, double teams, safeties shaded in his direction, and occasionally enough defensive attention that somebody else simply has to win one-on-one matchups in order to pick up first downs and get into the end zone. McQuin looks like he can be that somebody.

Ryan Day raised plenty of eyebrows during camp when he said that McQuin was “as good as we’ve had here,” especially considering the receivers who have passed through Columbus in recent years. One game against Ball State certainly doesn’t validate that comparison, but it did make the preseason hype feel considerably less hyperbolic.

Jeremiah Smith is the biggest star and most talented player on this team. But if McQuin can consistently punish defenses for devoting too much attention to J.J., Ohio State’s passing attack becomes exponentially more difficult to defend. And after one game, I’m increasingly convinced that is exactly what he is going to do.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos