BUCKEYE RECAP

Coach's Corner

Ryan Day on the team handling the moment against Ball State:
"When the ball's in your hands, you literally have the hopes and dreams of the entire Buckeye Nation in your hands. Let your natural instincts take over. The rest of it will just happen."

On figuring out this team early in the season:
"It looks the way it showed on the field. The scheme has been solid. I think we have the right stuff. It's time to get going with the games and figure out what we have, and have some success, and make some mistakes, and figure all those things out."

On the tight end group's depth heading into the year:
"We have really good depth there. We have some really good young players, but it's been good to watch Mason come in and really earn the opportunity to play a lot this year. You're gonna see Bennett, Nate Roberts, and then Max Leblanc have an opportunity to play as the season goes on." Day also singled out true freshman Hunter Welcing as someone who's impressed so far.

Ahead of Saturday, on the identity of Arthur Smith's offense:
"I think it's going to be a fun offense to watch. I think we're going to have an identity, but we got to go do it in the field." He also called Julian Sayin's offseason progress "incremental improvements across the board," and described the offensive line's mindset under Smith as built around becoming the best unit in college football.

Brotherhood Bites

Luke Montgomery — Offensive Line

On how his experience has changed since the championship win:
"We played in the biggest moments, so there's not a bigger moment than what we played in 2 years ago. So, there's no reason to get out there and be anxious or stressed. And when you have guys around you that you can trust and who've you played a lot of reps with, the game becomes easier and it slows down." "I think we have a lot of guys on the offensive line that are going to be NFL players."

On facing the defense in practice:
"We've seen every front, we've seen every blitz, we've seen every pressure, we've seen every stunt. We have seen everything on the defensive side, so that helps us."

On the coaching staff:
"Having Coach Smith and Coach Patricia, two guys that were head coaches in the NFL, as our offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, and having Coach Day and all these other guys on staff here is crazy. We're so blessed."

Garrett Stover — Linebacker

On his own growth since last year:
"I think it's night and day, mentally and physically. Obviously, there's always something to get better at, but every day I try to find that one thing, that one percent, and get better at that. I would say I've improved tremendously."

On Coach Discher:
"He brings a little bit of everything. He brings the juice, a lot of energy, and when he needs to get honest, he will. He's been a great addition to the program, and we're happy to have him."

On transfer addition Christian Alliegro:
"He's brought a different type of energy to the room, which you'll see on Saturday. He's been flying around."

Devin Sanchez — Defensive Back

On the Ball State matchup:
"It's about not worrying about who's out there in front of us. You just go out there competing for each other and get out on the field and make plays."

On teammate Jay Timmons:
"He's making it known that that he's going to be on the field. We got a lot of trust in him. We count on him a lot."

On the team's cohesion:
"The connection of the team, offense and defense, is fun to watch. We come together. There's a lot of guys going out there playing for their brother and not playing for theirselves."

Recruiting Round-up

2028's No. 1 linebacker nationally, Tahj Gray, has made Ohio State his only planned fall visit, a real signal of where he's leaning ahead of an eventual decision.

Program News

Ohio State will also enshrine Jim Tressel in the Ohio Stadium Ring of Honor during Saturday's game, only the third coach ever honored there, joining Paul Brown and Woody Hayes, and the first person added since 2014.

Maurice Clarett will serve as the first Victory Bell ringer of the 2026 season, ahead of kickoff Saturday.

Ohio State also has 58 players on active NFL rosters this season, the most of any school in the country.

What to Watch For:

• Longest active opener win streak in the country.
  Ohio State opens its 137th season Saturday at noon against Ball State, riding 26 straight season-opening wins.

• Offensive line, still the real question.
  5 sacks and just 58 rush yards on 26 carries vs. Indiana in the Big Ten title game, then 5 more sacks and 45 net rush yards vs. Miami in the CFP. Left guard was the season's most problematic position, and Day called it a "key concern" after the first practice.

• Running back rotation.
  Bo Jackson (1,090 yards as a true freshman) is RB1, Isaiah West is next, transfer Ja'Kobi Jackson is No. 3. True freshman Legend Bey, already the confirmed kick returner, sits at No. 4 — worth watching for any offensive touches in his debut.

• Wide receiver rotation, deliberately wide open.
  Day expects seven receivers to rotate against Ball State: Jeremiah Smith, Brandon Inniss, Devin McCuin, Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd, Phillip Bell, De'Zie Jones. Smith, Inniss, and McCuin start; true freshmen Henry Jr. and Boyd rotate outside immediately.