The Ohio State offense may face some challenges in the Fall, but not ones they don’t have the tools to overcome. Here’s how the Buckeyes will do it.

In 2025, Ohio State’s offense helped lead the way to an undefeated regular season behind uber-efficient play from Julian Sayin and a blossoming Bo Jackson in the backfield. Carnell Tate’s breakout season that earned him the 4th overall pick in the NFL draft, alongside Jeremiah Smith, aided Sayin by giving him two elite targets on any given down.

This, of course, became a moot point when the Buckeyes dropped games to Indiana and Miami, ultimately ending the season in disappointment and raising some question marks along the way.

Offensive Line

Issues and inconsistencies on the offensive line became glaringly obvious in both losses for OSU, particularly against Miami’s staunch defensive line. It became evident that when the competition stepped up, the Buckeyes’ O-Line play took a step down. When defenses were able to recognize that and apply as much pressure as possible on Sayin and the passing game, Ohio State found itself with its back against the wall time and time again when it really mattered.

Whether it was through defensive line stunts or exotic pressure, Ryan Day’s line was struggling mightily to adjust to it in real time, and the run game also began to falter as a result.

If Ohio State is to make it through one of the most challenging schedules in the country in 2026, the need for improved play on the offensive line is paramount. Although it is tough to tell what changes have and will be made just from spring ball, it was evident that Arthur Smith and Coach Day were throwing every possible combination into the field in both practice and the spring game itself.

With key starters like Austin Siereveld and others not being able to participate throughout spring, the silver lining for the OSU offense is that the depth of this year’s line will have built up plenty of chemistry with one another come Fall. With how quickly the Buckeyes will be tested, particularly in Austin, Texas, in week 2, this could prove to be invaluable.

Wide Receiver Depth

With the departure of Carnell Tate to the NFL and Brandon Inniss stepping into a role that he has never had to shoulder before, the depth at the receiver position beyond Jeremiah Smith will be a major question mark heading into the Fall. With the acquisitions of Devin McCuin and Kyle Parker from the portal, Coach Day and his staff feel they have proven options who can contribute right away.

Aside from those additions, however, there has been the emergence of true freshmen Brock Boyd and Legend Bey, who both made their mark during the spring. Boyd is a 3-star from Carroll High School in Texas who has Receiver Coach Cortez Hankton excited by his abnormally high IQ and route-running ability for his age.

Bey, who famously flipped to Ohio State from Tennessee, has been mentioned by Coach Day multiple times as somebody who they want to use right away, particularly in the ‘X-Back’ role, which is largely the role that Xavier Johnson or even Curtis Samuel played in the past. With comparisons to Tyreek Hill from Ryan Day himself, it’s needless to say the coaching staff has plans for Bey in 2026.

With that being said, the void that Carnell Tate leaves won’t be easy to fill by any means. The attention Tate garnered from defenses each week was essential to keeping pressure and coverage off Jeremiah Smith. Now, Jeremiah is no stranger to double and triple coverage; however, with the defenses Ohio State will face in the regular season alone this year (@Texas, @Indiana, Oregon, Michigan, etc.), it will likely be much more challenging for OSU to draw attention away from Smith.

Sayin Taking the Next Step

After setting the FBS record for completion percentage in a single season (77%) en route to becoming a Heisman finalist in 2025, it’s hard to say that Julian Sayin underachieved much at all. There is, of course, one caveat to that, which is the way that Ohio State’s offense toiled in both of its postseason games.

Although the performances as a whole can’t be squarely put on Sayin’s shoulders, there was undoubtedly room for growth. One facet of his game that began to falter down the stretch was his poise in the pocket. Both Indiana and Miami used exotic and, at times, relentless pressure to not only confuse OSU’s line, but also affect the decision-making ability of Sayin- and it worked.

If Julian and this offense are to take the next step in 2026, he will have to learn to better identify and exploit what defenses are trying to do against him. With the NFL mind and new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith coming into the fold, Sayin will be expected to do just that.

Secondly, Sayin will be expected to use his legs more. This was a piece of Ohio State’s offense that was missing last year and was glaringly obvious in their two losses. Adding this element to the Buckeyes’ attack will take pressure off the rest of the offense and give opposing defenses another layer to account for when preparing for and playing OSU.

After flashing some of his newfound quickness with a Touchdown scamper in the spring game, it appears that Sayin is fully prepared to add this to his season in the Fall.

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