COLUMBUS, Ohio
There was no Texas hangover inside Ohio Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
One week after suffering a difficult loss on the road against Texas, No. 6 Ohio State returned home and responded exactly how Ryan Day’s team needed to, overwhelming Kent State 59-3 to improve to 2-1 on the season.
The Buckeyes scored touchdowns on each of their first four possessions, built a 35-0 halftime lead and never gave the Golden Flashes an opportunity to make things interesting. Ohio State finished with 527 yards of total offense while holding Kent State to just 134. While the victory provided Ohio State with a much-needed bounce-back performance, the afternoon belonged in large part to Jeremiah Smith.
It didn’t take long for Smith to add another accomplishment to what has already been a remarkable Ohio State career. Smith entered Saturday needing 26 yards to pass former Buckeye Michael Jenkins, who accumulated 2,898 receiving yards from 2000-03. On Ohio State’s second possession, Smith caught a 23-yard pass from Julian Sayin and officially became the program’s all-time leader in receiving yards.
Smith finished the afternoon with five receptions for 85 yards, pushing his career total to 2,958 receiving yards. Even more impressive is how quickly he reached the milestone, accomplishing it in just his third season in Columbus. The record is another reminder of just how special Smith’s career has been. Ohio State has produced an extraordinary collection of receivers over the years — from Cris Carter and David Boston to Jenkins, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka — and Smith now sits atop all of them in career receiving yards. And he isn’t finished.
Julian Sayin also responded nicely following last week’s disappointment in Austin. The Ohio State quarterback completed 18 of 22 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
One of the afternoon’s biggest highlights came on the final play of the first half. With three seconds remaining, Sayin launched a pass toward the end zone and Brandon Inniss came down with it for a 49-yard Hail Mary touchdown, sending Ohio State into halftime with a commanding 35-0 advantage. Inniss finished with four catches for 78 yards, while freshman Chris Henry Jr. provided another glimpse of his enormous potential when he turned a Luke Fahey pass into a 75-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Ohio State finished with 382 passing yards and showed once again that its collection of receivers can create explosive plays from virtually anywhere on the field.
As impressive as a 56-point victory looks on the scoreboard, Ohio State still has areas that need improvement — particularly along the offensive line. The tackle positions remain a concern as the Buckeyes prepare to move into the more difficult portion of their schedule. Against Kent State, Ohio State was able to overcome those inconsistencies because of the massive talent advantage it possessed at the skill positions. Against Big Ten opponents and potential College Football Playoff-caliber defenses, those issues could become much more significant.
The short-yardage running game remains another area to watch. Ohio State finished with 145 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, with Bo Jackson leading the Buckeyes with 73 yards on 11 carries. Ja’Kobi Jackson added 47 yards and two touchdowns on eight attempts.
Those overall numbers were respectable, but Ohio State still had moments where picking up one or two yards proved more difficult than it should have been. The Buckeyes were stopped twice on fourth down, including once after Riley Pettijohn’s interception gave the offense possession at the Kent State 13-yard line.
For a team with championship aspirations, being able to consistently convert second-, third- and fourth-and-short situations will be critical. The Buckeyes have plenty of explosiveness. The question is whether the offensive line can develop into a unit capable of imposing its will when everyone in the stadium knows a run is coming.
Ohio State’s defense had very few problems.
Kent State managed only 134 total yards and averaged just 2.4 yards per play. The Golden Flashes were held scoreless until connecting on a 30-yard field goal with two minutes remaining in the game. Freshman defensive tackle Jamir Perez supplied one of the afternoon’s most memorable moments when he scooped up a Kent State fumble and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
The Buckeyes forced three turnovers and made sure Kent State never developed any sustained offensive rhythm.
Perhaps the most important takeaway wasn’t the final score. Ohio State was heavily favored and expected to dominate Kent State. What mattered was the response. Last week’s loss at Texas could have lingered. Instead, Ohio State came out aggressively, scored 21 points in the opening quarter and had the game essentially decided before halftime.
Saturday didn’t erase what happened in Austin, nor did it answer every question surrounding this Ohio State team. The offensive line remains a work in progress, the tackle positions deserve continued attention and the Buckeyes need to become more reliable when they only need a yard or two on the ground. But there was no Texas hangover.
Ohio State took care of business, Jeremiah Smith made history, the defense dominated and the Buckeyes walked out of Ohio Stadium with a convincing 59-3 victory. Now the challenge is taking the positives from Saturday while correcting the lingering weaknesses as the Buckeyes move forward into Big Ten play.
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