COLUMBUS — Like a breath of fresh air, college football is back—and Ohio State wasted little time reminding the rest of the country why it enters the 2026 season with national championship expectations.
The Buckeyes opened the year with a convincing 56-3 victory over Ball State on Saturday at Ohio Stadium, overwhelming the Cardinals with superior talent on both sides of the ball. While there were a handful of mistakes to clean up, Ryan Day's team flashed the kind of depth few programs in the nation can match, rolling through four quarters with wave after wave of impact players.
Ohio State outgained Ball State 671-165 in total offense and never allowed the outcome to come into question after taking control early.
Quarterback Julian Sayin looked every bit the Heisman contender many expect him to be. The junior completed 21 of his 25 pass attempts for 320 yards and three touchdowns, distributing the ball efficiently while rarely putting it in harm's way. In other words, Julian Sayin was doing Julian Sayin things.
His favorite target was another Heisman hopeful.
Jeremiah Smith continued to look like college football's best player, hauling in eight receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Whether working underneath or stretching the field vertically, Smith consistently created separation and looked virtually uncoverable all afternoon.
One of Ohio Sports Hub's preseason players to watch also delivered. Wide receiver Devin McCuin enjoyed an impressive debut, finishing with six receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown. McCuin displayed polished route running and was particularly dangerous after the catch, repeatedly turning short completions into sizable gains.
But no player generated more excitement inside Ohio Stadium than true freshman Legend Bey.
After earning the kickoff return job during training camp, Bey's afternoon began with a pair of freshman mistakes. He elected to return two kickoffs from deep in the end zone, failing to reach the 20-yard line on either attempt.
Rather than letting the early mistakes snowball, Bey settled in and reminded everyone why teammates have spent the past month raving about him. His biggest highlight coming off a pass play where Sayin found him in the flat around the 28 yard-line and Bey took it the rest of the way to the house, making defenders look silly with several cut-back moves that looked like something out of a video game. The freshman from Texas finished with six carries for 37 yards, added two receptions for another 37 yards, and despite the questionable kickoff decisions still totaled exactly 100 all-purpose yards in his collegiate debut.
The Buckeyes' running game finally found its rhythm after an uncomfortably quiet first half. Bo Jackson provided one of the game's biggest highlights when he broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the third quarter, aided by a solid crack-back block from Chris Henry Jr.
Ja'Kobi Jackson also found the end zone while rushing for 83 yards on just eight carries, giving Ohio State another explosive option in the backfield.
Defensively, the Buckeyes were equally dominant. Ball State struggled to sustain drives all afternoon, finishing with just 165 total yards while managing only a single field goal. And it was on this side of the ball where a lot of the depth showed itself as defensive coordinator Matt Patricia had several packages, with multiple players coming in and out depending on the situation. This defense may not be as top heavy with talent as they were last year, but they appear to be way deeper than any Ohio State team I can remember. Patricia has playmakers everywhere, and Ohio State rotated bodies throughout the afternoon without much drop-off.
For a season opener, perfection was never the expectation. There were a few special teams mistakes and moments where the timing and execution could have been sharper, but Ohio State would much rather clean those things up after a 53-point win over Ball State than discover them next week against Texas.
What's Next: Texas. Nuff said.