Ohio State snapped their losing skid and got back in the win column by doing the obvious. Letting their superstar Jeremiah Smith power the team to victory. Going to Smith early and often opened up the running game, allowing OSU to be balanced and for Luke Fahey to settle in and get his first win as a starting quarterback!
Going to Smith early and often opened up the running game and the whole offense! The Bucks came into the game rushing for 147.7 yards per game, 77th in the nation. They got 168 against Northwestern, making the new average 149.7 yards per game.
The passing offense was much higher, with 320.2 yards per game for 8th in college football. Their 201 passing yards against the Wildcats will drop that average to 308.3 yards per game. OSU’s 369 total yards is well below their 467.9 per game average, which was 14th in the country at the start of the game. Still, the Bucks’ average is at 458 yards per game. Ohio State’s scoring average of 35.7 was 21st in the nation, and with the 28 points this week, it’s now at 34.9.
What the offense needs to improve on
This is why you need to play guys like Legend Bey and Chris Henry Jr. early in the season and their careers. The penalty from Bey and the drop from Henry have much more potential to be ruinous in the latter six games of a season than in the first six games of a season.
You’re more likely to need them to make a play late in the season than early, so get them the experience early. Early in the season, you have depth. You have experience all around them on offense to help. Now, with injuries, you need them to make plays, and you can’t afford to not have them out there.
The early parts of their careers have been mismanaged and almost cost Ohio State today, and may still cost them this season, and be a question mark next season (instead of rising stars) when you need them to replace the veterans like Jeremiah Smith.
The offensive line still struggles for Ohio State. They’re way too experienced to be making the mistakes, particularly the penalties, that they are making right now. They’re not getting much by way of coaching. They didn’t last year, and have even less this year.
Tegra Tshabola, the scapegoat of last year’s offensive line being All-SEC at Kentucky, is proof. This unit is going to have to take it upon themselves to change the way their games have been going.
What the offense did right
They ran what I call the Jeremiah First Offense. You’ve seen it time and time again in college football, where a team’s offense runs through their best player. That should be a no-brainer, but for whatever reason, the last two seasons it’s been treated like brain surgery by Ohio State. Going to Smith early and often today opened up the rest of the offense for the Buckeyes. The rising water that Smith has raised all Buckeye boats.
The running game, the receivers not named Jeremiah, and most importantly Luke Fahey, all did exponentially better because Smith opened things up for them. 19 targets for 11 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown is good.
It was great against Northwestern because it allowed Bo Jackson to rush for 114 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries and catch 2 passes for 20 yards. Isaiah West complemented him well with 10 carries for 45 yards and 2 catches for 20 yards and a touchdown. More on Ohio State’s quarterback’s good game in a moment.
Offensive play of the game
Surprisingly, I’m going with a play that wasn’t made by #4. This one was made by Luke Fahey, who showed why coaches believe in him. Fahey doesn’t see a receiver open, so he starts to run toward the end zone. The defense picks him up but, in doing so, leaves a man open. Fahey makes the high-IQ play of keeping his eyes downfield and finds Isaiah West in the end zone for the first Ohio State touchdown of the game.
Give Fahey a ton of credit for this drive. He did what he had to after that pick. He looked for Jeremiah, found him 33 times, took the offense on a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. This pass showed a lot! He started to run, saw the coverage break down, and found West for the TD! https://t.co/D8fBsy2Kyl
— Phillip Riggs (@phillipriggs85) November 14, 2026
Fahey wasn’t perfect, but he was good enough to win, and that’s what’s needed from him. It’s also what the offense needs to be asking from him, too. They don’t need him to be any of the great OSU quarterbacks from the Day Era; they just need him to be good enough to win. He was that, going 21 of 32 for 201 yards and 3 touchdowns. If this game can give him a boost of confidence, he can move from good to great.
Offensive player of the game
Fahey had a great game, so did Jackson and West, but it’s still Ohio State’s GOAT. I already mentioned his numbers for the game, but here are his season numbers. Jeremiah Smith has 80 catches for 1,317 yards and 15 touchdowns.
It never gets old. https://t.co/rxqmtQbXNP
— Phillip Riggs (@phillipriggs85) November 15, 2026
Offensive stat of the game
It was already mentioned, but after last week, it’s worth repeating. 19 targets for Jeremiah Smith. That was my unofficial count, and that includes one pass to the end zone that was wiped out because the defensive back tackled Smith while the ball was in the air. 20 targets is about what Smith should’ve been getting all year, and is what he needs for Ohio State to beat Nebraska and that team up north.
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