Overview
- Ohio State is still recovering from the 23-24 loss to Texas that saw the Buckeyes surrender a 23-3 fourth-quarter lead on Sept. 12 and the coaching staff has made clear changes are coming.
- Coach Ryan Day said the team was “pissed off” after the Texas loss and framed Saturday’s noon ET FOX game as an opportunity to focus on process rather than just the final margin.
- Two starters — right tackle Philip Daniels and defensive end Zion Grady — did not practice this week and Day said availability is “probably trending toward them not being available,” creating live reps for backups on the offensive line and edge rushers.
- Betting markets list Ohio State as a massive favorite (approximately -52.5), which shifts attention from the outcome to how the Buckeyes address late-game decision-making, missed kicks and the lack of consistent pressure that cost them in Austin.
- Jeremiah Smith needs 26 receiving yards in Week 3 to become Ohio State’s career receiving yards leader, and the coming four weeks before the Indiana trip will serve as a staged window to evaluate personnel, special-teams repairs and schematic adjustments that will be judged against higher-level opponents later this fall.