Tag: Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio St. opens as slight CFP favorite ahead of Indiana

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Even after falling in the Big Ten championship game, Ohio State was listed as the slight favorite to win the national title after the College Football Playoff field was announced Sunday.

Ohio State (12-1) was installed as the +240 favorite by DraftKings, slightly ahead of second choice Indiana (13-0), which was listed at +250. Indiana beat Ohio State 13-10 on Saturday at Indianapolis to clinch the Big Ten title.

Ohio State last won the Big Ten title in 2020 and was kept out of last year’s conference title game after a late-season loss to rival Michigan. But the Buckeyes showed their resilience by winning four games in the College Football Playoff and earned the national title with a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame.

Georgia (12-1) was listed as the third favorite at +600. Oregon (11-1) was next at +750 despite not being one of the four teams that received a first-round bye.

Fourth-seeded Texas Tech (12-1) was listed fifth at +800, while Texas A&M (11-1) was sixth at +1800. The only three-loss team in the field, Alabama (10-3), was tied for the seventh-best odds along with Ole Miss (11-1) and Miami (10-2) at +2500. Oklahoma (10-2) was 10th at +5500.

The longest shots on the board were the Group of Five teams included in the field — James Madison (12-1) at +50000 and Tulane (11-2) at +60000.

First-round CFP matchups will be played on Dec. 19-20 at the home of the higher seeds:

No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami
No. 8 Oklahoma vs No. 9 Alabama

No. 1 Indiana will face the Alabama-Oklahoma winner on New Year’s Day at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. No. 2 Ohio State plays the Miami-Texas A&M winner at the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve in Arlington, Texas.

Also on New Year’s Day, No. 3 Georgia meets the Tulane-Ole Miss winner at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans and No. 4 Texas Tech faces the James Madison-Oregon winner at the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla.

–Field Level Media

No. 2 Indiana deals No. 1 Ohio State first loss for Big Ten crown

Posted on | by Field Level Media

INDIANAPOLIS — Fernando Mendoza passed for 222 yards and a touchdown and the Indiana defense came up with two late stands as the No. 2 Hoosiers defeated No. 1 Ohio State 13-10 in the Big Ten Championship game on Saturday.

The Hoosiers (13-0) won their first conference title since 1967 and beat the Buckeyes (12-1) for the first time in the last 31 tries.

Mendoza, who was named MVP of the game, completed 15 of 23 passes and threw an interception with Charlie Becker making six catches for 126 yards.

“It’s the most unbelievable feeling in the world to have such great coaches, teammates, everybody,” Mendoza said.

Ohio State’s Julian Sayin completed 21 of 29 passes for 258 yards with a TD and an interception. Jeremiah Smith made eight catches for 144 yards.

Mendoza’s 17-yard TD pass to Elijah Sarratt on third down put the Hoosiers ahead 13-10 with 8:02 left in the third quarter.

It was the first time the Buckeyes trailed in the second half this season.

Ohio State then drove from its 25 to the Indiana 5, but on fourth-and-1, Sayin was stopped for no gain after a video review overturned a gain of 2 yards.

Later, the Buckeyes drove from their 10 to a fourth-and-1 at the 5 but Jayden Fielding missed a 27-yard field goal with 2:48 to play.

“We went down there two times and end up with zero points and that’s how you lose a game,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.

“Third downs were not very good, not very good in the red zone, obviously, at the end. So, very disappointed. I thought Indiana played really well. Did a great job. But obviously, we’re all disappointed in the locker room that we didn’t finish out this regular season the way we wanted to.”

Then, on third-and-6 from Ohio State 24, Mendoza likely wrapped up the Heisman Trophy with a 33-yard strike to Becker to the Ohio State 43 with 2:00 left.

“When the game is on the line and the plays are magnified, it brings out the best of him,” Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said about Mendoza. “It’s almost like he’s playing around till he gets to that point.”

Ohio State led 10-6 at the half with a 9-yard touchdown catch by Carnell Tate the difference.

In a matchup of the top scoring defenses in the country, it was no shock that first points for each team were off turnovers. Sayin, after throwing an interception on the second Ohio State snap against Michigan in the previous game, was picked off by Louis Moore on the fourth and he returned it 2 yards to the 23. The Hoosiers had to settle for Nico Radicic’s 29-yard field goal.

Mendoza was intercepted by Davison Igbinosun at the Indiana 25, which led to Tate’s score to make it 7-3.

After Radicic missed a 39-yard field goal, ending his streak of 16 successful kicks, Fielding made it 10-3 with a field goal from the 30.

Radicic added a 3-pointer from the 32 after the drive stalled at the 14 late in the second quarter.

Indiana leading receiver Omar Cooper Jr. left the game early in the first half with a leg injury without making a catch.

–Craig Merz, Field Level Media

No. 1 Ohio State tops No. 15 Michigan for first time since 2019

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate returned from injuries and each had a touchdown catch and Bo Jackson ran for more than 100 yards when No. 1 Ohio State ended a four-game losing streak to No. 15 Michigan with a dominant victory 27-9 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Ohio State (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) plays No.2 Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis on Dec. 6.

Julian Sayin threw first-half touchdown passes to Smith and Brandon Inniss when the Buckeyes rallied for a 17-9 lead.

Smith and Tate were listed as questionable before the game. Tate missed the previous three games, while Smith missed one.

Tate made it 24-9 midway through the third quarter when Sayin spotted him open at the 6 for a 50-yard touchdown.

Sayin was 19 of 26 for 233 yards, three touchdowns and an interception as the Buckeyes defeated Michigan for the first time since 2019.

Tate made five catches for 82 yards and Smith’s three catches went for 40 yards.

Jackson, a freshman, ran for 117 yards and had 49 receiving yards for the Buckeyes.

Freshman Bruce Underwood was 8 of 18 for 63 yards and a late interception for Michigan (9-3, 7-2).

With the snow swirling, the Buckeyes put the game away with an 81-yard drive that used 20 plays, 17 of them runs, and resulted in 23-yard field goal by Jayden Fielding with 8:10 left in the game for the final score.

Ohio State spotted the Wolverines a 6-0 lead on field goals of 45 and 25 yards by Dominic Zvada, the latter coming after Sayin was intercepted by Jyaire Hill at the Ohio State 39.

The Wolverines reached the 7 on the ensuing drive but the country’s top scoring defense (7.6 points per game) stiffened.

It was 6-3 when Sayin on fourth-and 5 from the Michigan 35 found Smith on a crossing route to make it 10-6. Smith appeared to bobble the ball crossing the goal line and then stepped out of bounds but the play was upheld after a review.

Inniss scored on a 4-yard slant with 16 seconds left in the half to complete an 87-yard drive.

— Field Level Media

Depleted No. 1 Ohio State relies on its run game to blow past Rutgers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Minus its top two receivers, No. 1 Ohio State relied on two rushing touchdowns by Bo Jackson and a pair of Julian Sayin scoring passes in a 42-9 win against Rutgers in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday.

Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) was without Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate due to undisclosed injuries. Tate missed his third straight game. Smith played three first-half series against UCLA on Nov. 15 before being pulled after making four catches for 40 yards.

Sayin was 13-of-19 passing for 157 yards, with tight end Max Klare making seven catches for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Rutgers (5-6, 2-6) quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis completed 10 of 20 passes for 81 yards.

The Buckeyes seemed to not miss a beat on their first possession of the game when they went 74 yards in 10 plays before Jackson fumbled the ball at the 1-yard line into the end zone and Rutgers recovered.

Ohio State then took advantage of Rutgers being stopped for no gain at its own 29 on fourth-and-1. Three plays later, Jackson ran for a 15-yard score to make it 7-0.

After a Scarlet Knights field goal, a roughing-the-passer penalty deep in Rutgers territory kept a drive alive for Ohio State, and Sayin tossed a 7-yard TD pass to Brandon Inniss for a 14-3 halftime lead.

Another miscue led to a 21-3 lead midway through the third quarter when Caden Curry sacked Kaliakmanis, whose fumble was recovered by Curry at the Rutgers 1. Klare, after a holding penalty, grabbed an 11-yard TD reception.

Jackson (10 yards) late in the third and CJ Donaldson Jr. (5) early in the fourth scored on the ground for a 35-3 lead.

Antwan Raymond finally found the end zone for Rutgers with 6:43 left on a 1-yard run to cap off an eight-play, 71-yard drive.

The Buckeyes play at No. 18 Michigan on Nov. 29, looking to end a four-game losing streak to the rival Wolverines and earn a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Rutgers needs a win against Penn State on Nov. 29 to be bowl eligible for the fourth time in five seasons.

–Field Level Media

No. 1 Ohio State runs all over UCLA early, often in rout

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Bo Jackson ran for 112 yards and a touchdown and James Peoples rushed for two scores when No. 1 Ohio State won 48-10 against overwhelmed and undermanned UCLA in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday.

Julian Sayin completed his first 11 passes for 100 yards and guided the Buckeyes (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) on scoring drives of 8, 11 and 12 plays for a 17-0 lead midway through the second quarter. It only got worse for the Bruins, who trailed 27-0 at the half en route to their third consecutive defeat.

Sayin completed 22 of 31 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown in three quarters.

UCLA (3-7, 3-4) quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the Bruins’ leading rusher, did not play due to a concussion, the school announced.

Redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan made his first career start and was 16 of 23 for 154 yards and a TD. His 51-yard pass to Rico Flores to the 19 late in the third quarter was the first time UCLA crossed midfield.

Two plays later, Duncan connected with Kwazi Gilmer for an 18-yard touchdown to make it 34-7.

Ohio State immediately responded with its first kickoff return for a TD in 15 years when Lorenzo Styles Jr. went 100 yards. It was also its first kick return of 100 yards since Ted Ginn in 2005.

Jackson’s 1-yard scoring run midway through the opening quarter made it 7-0. Peoples had a highlight-reel 19-yard TD run with 1:16 left in the half when he hurdled Cole Martin at the 10 and kept his balance along the right sideline to make it 24-0.

After UCLA punter Will Karoll shanked a punt behind the line of scrimmage at his own 14, Jayden Fielding kicked a 33-yard field goal with one second left before halftime.

The Buckeyes, who finished with 222 rushing yards, totaled 294 yards and 16 first downs in the first half compared to 50 yards and two first downs for UCLA.

Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, listed as questionable before the game, had four catches for 40 yards and did not play in the second half. Teammate and fellow receiver Carnell Tate missed a second straight game with an undisclosed injury.

–Field Level Media

Brutus Buckeye poses on the field before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin.

Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt enter top 10 in AP Top 25; Ohio State remains No. 1

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt jumped into the top 10 of this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll, while Ohio State retained the top spot on Sunday.

Ohio State’s steady season was represented by the fact that the Buckeyes (7-0) were the only team whose spot was unchanged in the latest poll. The program’s latest victory was a 34-0 rout over Wisconsin on Saturday.

Indiana (7-0) moved up a spot to No. 2, its highest spot in program history. No. 3 Texas A&M (7-0) also moved up one spot. No. 4 Alabama (6-1) moved up two spots, while No. 5 Georgia (6-1) rose four spots after a 37-20 victory over then-No. 11 Tennessee.

Oregon (6-1), Georgia Tech (7-0), Ole Miss (6-1), Miami (5-1) and Vanderbilt (6-1) round out the top 10. Ole Miss fell three spots after a 43-35 loss to Georgia, while Miami dropped seven spots after a 24-21 loss to Louisville on Friday.

Nine ranked teams lost last week, with four of those in the top 10. According to the Associated Press, it is the highest turnover in the poll since 2022. Among those teams was Texas Tech, which dropped seven spots to No. 14 after its first loss of the season, 26-22 to Arizona State.

Georgia Tech’s rise continued following a 27-18 victory at Duke on Saturday, while Vanderbilt moved to No. 10 after a 31-24 home victory over then-No. 10 LSU. Georgia Tech is in the top 10 for the first time since 2014, while Vanderbilt is among the top 10 teams for the first time since 1947.

No. 19 Louisville (5-1), No. 23 Illinois (5-2), No. 24 Arizona State (5-2) and No. 25 Michigan (5-2) all jumped into the poll this week. LSU (5-2) fell 10 spots to No. 20 after its loss, its lowest ranking of the season.

The full Top 25:

1. Ohio State (7-0)
2. Indiana (7-0)
3. Texas A&M (7-0)
4. Alabama (6-1)
5. Georgia (6-1)
6. Oregon (6-1)
7. Georgia Tech (7-0)
8. Ole Miss (6-1)
9. Miami (5-1)
10, Vanderbilt (6-1)
11. BYU (7-0)
12. Notre Dame (5-2)
13. Oklahoma (6-1)
14. Texas Tech (6-1)
15. Missouri (6-0)
16. Virginia (5-1)
17. Tennessee (5-2)
18. South Florida (6-1)
19. Louisville (5-1)
20. LSU (5-2)
21. Cincinnati (6-1)
22. Texas (5-2)
23. Illinois (5-2)
24. Arizona State (5-2)
25. Michigan (5-2)

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) scores a touchdown over Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Matthew Bailey (7) during the first half of the NCAA football game at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Oct. 11, 2025.

No. 1 Ohio State turns turnovers into romp past No. 17 Illinois

Posted on | by Field Level Media

CJ Donaldson Jr. ran for two touchdowns, Julian Sayin passed for two more scores and No. 1 Ohio State scored 21 points off turnovers in a 34-16 victory over No. 17 Illinois 34-16 on Saturday at Champaign, Ill.

Sayin was 19-of-27 passing for 166 yards and Jeremiah Smith had five receptions for 42 yards for Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten). The Buckeyes entered the game having allowed 25 points, the fewest in the nation.

Luke Altmyer was 30-of-44 passing for 248 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Illinois (5-2, 2-2) while Hank Beatty had seven receptions for 48 yards. The Illini outgained the Buckeyes 295 yards to 272 in the defeat.

Ohio State led 20-10 in the third quarter before going 63 yards on a 14-play drive that used up 7:52 and culminated in Donaldson’s 1-yard run for a 27-10 advantage with 2:12 left in the third.

Altmyer was then strip-sacked by cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. at the Illini 24-yard line and Smith scored on a 2-yard reception to make it 34-10 with 13:25 remaining.

A 4-yard TD pass from Altmyer to Collin Dixon with 4:28 to play made it 34-16 after a failed two-point conversion.

The Buckeyes took advantage of numerous Illini mistakes for a 20-3 halftime lead.

Up 3-0, Buckeyes linebacker Payton Pierce intercepted Altmyer at midfield and Ohio State capped a six-play 35-yard drive with a 1-yard run from Donaldson for a 10-0 lead.

After Illinois punter Keelan Crimmins inadvertently downed himself at the 35 when his knee touched the ground fielding the snap, Jayden Fielding made a 31-yard field goal to give Ohio State a 13-0 lead.

After the Buckeyes’ Kayden McDonald recovered a fumble at the Illinois 26, Bo Jackson scored on a 17-yard reception with 3:48 remaining in the first half for a 20-0 lead.

The Illini drove to the 1-yard line late in the first half but a false start led to a 24-yard field goal by David Olano with 1:08 left to keep two Ohio State streaks alive: not conceding a first-half touchdown or allowing a TD in the red zone in nine tries by opponents this season.

The latter streak was snapped early in the third quarter when Illinois’ Aidan Laughery ran in from the 1 on fourth down to make it 20-10. It was the first rushing TD allowed by the Buckeyes this season.

— Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day addresses the team during football training camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Aug. 1, 2025.

Ohio State’s Ryan Day: Opening day starting QB remains undetermined

Posted on | by Field Level Media

With the defense of their national title beginning in just over three weeks, the Ohio State Buckeyes have yet to determine who will be under center when they host Texas on August 30.

Sophomore Julian Sayin and junior Lincoln Kienholz are the prime competitors for the job left open by the departure of Will Howard.

Howard, who transferred from Kansas State and led the Buckeyes to their sixth national championship in January, is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“The competition continues,” head coach Ryan Day said. “They both have had good moments and moments where they’re growing. I will say I’ve been pleased with the progress. It’s going to go right down to the wire.

“The positives of having a competition is that you know every day you got to bring it. The guys are always on edge, they’re uncomfortable, they’re working at it. I think that’s healthy for the entire building.”

Sayin, a native of Carlsbad, Calif., got into four games last season, completing 5-of-12 passes for 84 yards, including a touchdown in an early rout of Western Michigan.

Keinholz did not play in 2024, but got into three games in 2023, including OSU’s 14-3 Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. The Pierre, S.D. native struggled in that outing, completing only 6-of-17 attempts for 86 yards and no touchdowns.

Freshman Tavien St. Clair is technically in the competition, but the early enrollee is a long shot to earn the starting role.

Sayin has the better pedigree and is regarded as a slight favorite to line up against the Longhorns. He was the top-rated quarterback of the class of 2024 and enrolled at Alabama when Nick Saban retired. He entered the transfer portal in the spring of 2024 and wound up in Columbus.

But Kienholz made great strides this offseason and earned one of eight Iron Buckeye awards, which goes to players who excel in offseason training and workouts.

“This is moving week,” said Day. “We want to have our identity, and it doesn’t need to be in stone, but the players can tell us what we’re doing and what our identity is coming out of this week.”

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots senior football advisor Matt Patricia watches a play against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Report: Ohio State to tap Matt Patricia as defensive coordinator

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ohio State is turning to former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia to be its next defensive coordinator, ESPN reported on Wednesday.

Patricia would replace Jim Knowles, who helped the Buckeyes to the national title this past season. Knowles, a Pennsylvania native, left Ohio State to assume the same position at Penn State and become the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the nation.

The Buckeyes rode the No. 1 defense in the country to four victories in the College Football Playoff, including a 34-23 win over Notre Dame in the title game. Ohio State gave up 251.1 yards per game, more than five yards better than the next best team, Indiana.

The Buckeyes finished 14-2 and also led the nation with 12.2 points per game, more than two points better than Notre Dame.

Patricia, 50, had a 13-29-1 record during parts of three seasons (2018-20) with the Lions. He also served as a defensive assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.

Patricia was the defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots from 2012-2017 but joined Bill Belichick’s coaching staff in 2005, making him part of two Super Bowl-winning teams.

–Field Level Media