Last week was a tough week for everyone involved with the Ohio State football program. The loss to Texas had everyone questioning everything after the 20-point lead was blown in the fourth quarter. Kent State never stood a chance, as Ohio State won 59-3.
The Buckeyes have several winners and losers from a game that was never close from the moment the game kicked off.
Winner: Jeremiah Smith
Jeremiah Smith is now the all-time leader in receiving yards for the Ohio State football program. He finished the game with five catches for 85 yards to overtake Michael Jenkins for that honor. He solidifies himself as the greatest receiver to ever come through Columbus.
Even though he didn't score a touchdown, he is still a clear winner in this game. Getting that record is good enough alone for him to appear on this list.
Winner: Brock Boyd
The true freshman receiver showed that he should see the field a little bit more. He had four catches for 66 yards, including a nice 39-yard catch where he tapped his toes on the sideline. He continues to show the intelligence and savviness that made him so hyped in the preseason.
There's clearly something holding him back from Ryan Day putting him on the field more. What that is remains unclear, especially since they are desperate for a second receiver to emerge.
Winner: Riley Petijohn
Linebacker Riley Petijohn continues the strong start to the season. He was all over the field again against Kent State, recording three tackles in the limited time the defensive starters were out there. He also had an interception, showing that he has range as a linebacker.
Petijohn needs to be one of the starting linebackers. Payton Pierce had a rough showing against the Longhorns, and perhaps Petijohn needs to be taking over some of his snaps. His athleticism shows shades of Arvell Reese.
Loser: Devin McCuin
After getting a lot of hype during Fall camp, Devin McCuin has done next to nothing since transferring from UTSA. He played well against Ball State, but has only caught three passes in the last two weeks. Against Kent State, he had just two catches for 29 yards.
Ohio State continues to struggle to find a reliable second receiver who can take some attention away from Jeremiah Smith. That's something that could end up biting them in the butt later in the season when they start playing some of the best Big Ten teams.
Loser: Legend Bey
After getting just one snap against the Longhorns, this was a perfect game for Legend Bey to show that he deserved to see the field more. Ryan Day's plan was likely to give Bey a fair number of chances to touch the ball. However, things did not work out that way.
Bey got the ball once and was tackled for no gain. On that play, he hurt his ankle and missed the rest of the game. The true freshman continues to struggle to get the opportunities necessary to make a big impact early in his career.
Loser: Tavien St. Clair
Things do not look promising for the former five-star recruit. The spring game showed his potential, but he has not shown it since. He is now clearly the third quarterback on the depth chart behind Luke Fahey, a true freshman. His play against Kent State gave a glimpse of why that might be the case.
St. Clair threw a horrendous interception in the fourth quarter that almost led to a Kent State pick-six. He still stares guys down and doesn't use his eyes to move defenders out of gaps. This is bad news for the future of the Buckeyes, especially if Sayin decides to leave after this season.
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