The Buckeyes have rightfully been on the receiving end of much examination and criticism in the wake of back-to-back losses to end the season — first in the Big Ten Championship to Indiana, followed by the Cotton Bowl loss to Miami — but the season wasn’t without its bright spots too. Here are three things […]
The Buckeyes have rightfully been on the receiving end of much examination and criticism in the wake of back-to-back losses to end the season — first in the Big Ten Championship to Indiana, followed by the Cotton Bowl loss to Miami — but the season wasn’t without its bright spots too.
Here are three things I’m still thinking about after this season that give me hope for 2026:
Julian Sayin & Jeremiah Smith
Despite the loss of Carnell Tate to the NFL (very happy for him, very sad for me as a fan), Buckeye fans still have a lot to be excited about on offense. After Jeremiah Smith put transfer rumors to bed a few days ago, both Smith and quarterback Julian Sayin are confirmed to be returning next season.
While the offense struggled in the Buckeyes’ last two games, largely due to offensive line struggles, Smith still managed to shine, logging 144 yards against Indiana for an average of 18 yards per catch, and netting 157 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions against Miami.
Smith, who is widely considered the best player in college football, would be dangerous in any capacity. With Sayin, a Heisman finalist in his first year as starter, the dynamic duo should continue to be elite, especially as Sayin continues to become more experienced.
The Buckeyes will need to solve for offensive line issues quickly, something that was costly for both the passing and ground games this year, but having Smith and Sayin back for another season positions the offense well heading into 2026.
That defense
With players like star safety Caleb Downs, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and linebacker Arvell Reese declaring for the NFL Draft, the Buckeyes are going to experience a decent amount of turnover on defense ahead of the 2026 season.
While this will likely bring with it some growing pains as younger players find their footing, turnover is nothing new for this program. After all, many people thought they would see a dropoff after their dominant 2024 season, with a substantial portion of that roster going pro and their then-defensive coordinator Jim Knowles heading to Penn State.
Instead, Matt Patricia walked in and somehow took 2024’s stellar defense and made it even better. The Buckeyes led the country in total defense, passing defense and scoring defense and were No. 7 in rushing defense. For most of the season, they were dominant in the red zone, forcing opponents to settle for field goals. In fact, even when they struggled defensively in the Big Ten Championship game against Indiana, they still only ceded one touchdown.
The Buckeyes will need to regroup, but Patricia is already hard at work landing some impact transfers, including defensive lineman James Smith and linebacker Qua Russaw, a package deal of starters out of Alabama.
Additionally, there is some returning talent to be excited about, including safety Jaylen McClain, who earned himself a starting job this past season opposite Downs, and who finished this season sixth on the team with 53 tackles (42 solo) and three passes defended. McClain, a third-team All-Big Ten pick, is ready to step up as a leader.
After the season they had, Patricia is building a defensive program that top talent will want to play for, so while they could be considered a “work-in-progress” at this point in the year, I feel confident that by the time they take the field for the 2026 season, Patricia will have another excellent defense on his hands.
The Michigan monkey is off our back
In a dream world, the Buckeyes would beat Michigan and win the conference en route to winning the national championship. In this current world, they accomplished just one of the three. While that sum total feels like a letdown on the back of last season’s national championship (especially considering they held the No. 1 spot for most of the 2025 undefeated regular season), I’m certainly not taking that win over Michigan for granted.
Given Ryan Day’s track record against the Wolverines compared to his record against everyone else, it was starting to feel a bit like a complex. Not this year. This year, Day and the Buckeyes proved they could get it done against their most hated rivals, even under the pressure of being on the road.
Not only did Julian Sayin throw for 233 yards and three touchdowns, but the running game—the same one that had been an Achilles Heel for Ohio State against Michigan in the past and had struggled all season—flipped the script and loomed large on the back of Bo Jackson, who ran for 117 yards, including a long run of 36 yards.
In addition to giving us bragging rights over our rivals until next November, winning The Game took a lot of the pressure off the Buckeyes for the future. There’s no longer this question hanging in the air about whether Day has it in him to beat the Wolverines. They got it done, 27-9, definitively and with an exclamation point.
That’s something we can all feel good about, not just as a highlight for this season, but for what it means about the future of the rivalry.
Category: General Sports
