How Ohio State Throttled Ball State in Effortless Week 1 Victory on Opening Day

Ohio State had little trouble dispatching the Ball State Cardinals from the Mid-American Conference.

Sep 5, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day on the field before the game against the Ball State Cardinals at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With former 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes national-championship coach Jim Tressel looking on at the Horseshoe on Saturday, the day Tressel was inducted into Ohio Stadium’s Ring of Honor, home-field advantage was preserved as Ohio State won its first game since last November, a 56-3 win over Ball State in Columbus, Ohio, to begin the season.

Here’s how it played out, as coach Ryan Day earned the 83rd win of his career thus far.

Ohio State Has No Issue With Ball State

After Ohio State (1-0) went three-and-out in its opening series, junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith got the offense humming with an acrobatic 48-yard touchdown catch from junior quarterback Julian Sayin. The play capped a seven-play, 99-yard drive in 3:18 midway through the opening quarter to take an early 7-0 lead. Ohio State remained in control for the rest of the afternoon.

Following a Ball State three-and-out, Sayin connected with UTSA transfer wideout Devin McCuin for a 17-yard touchdown, wrapping up a nine-play, 75-yard drive with 1:23 left in the first quarter. The pass marked Sayin’s eighth straight completion after a 0-for-2 start to open his second year under center and his third season overall.

Ohio State's Defense Shines vs. Ball State

Defensively, Ohio State halted another Cardinals (0-1) drive early in the second quarter when linebacker T.J. Alford intercepted transfer quarterback and first-time starter Keldric Luster. Alford’s heroics set up a 3-yard touchdown run for Sayin six plays later, pushing the margin to 21-0.

The Cardinals added a field goal just before halftime as kicker Brady Boehm converted from 54 yards out to cap an 11-play drive, their only points of the afternoon.

Ohio State capitalized just before halftime by completing a 65-second scoring drive with a tiptoe catch from Smith (then performing the Heisman celebration), his second of the game, to take a 28-3 lead entering the halftime break.

The second half provided much of the same for Ohio State as it continued to suffocate a Ball State offense that had been overwhelmed through the first 30 minutes. The Buckeyes controlled the tempo on the ground, eventually pulling their starters

Running back Bo Jackson extended the Buckeye advantage to 35-3 with a 65-yard touchdown run to end a four-play drive that only took 1:57 off the third-quarter game clock. Ja’Kobi Jackson got in on the scoring spree from 49 yards out, adding to the Buckeye cushion with a 42-3 lead midway through the third quarter.

Dynamic freshman running back Legend Bey took the pressure off backup quarterback Luke Fahey as Fahey connected with Bey on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 14:16 left in regulation to put an even greater exclamation point on Week 1.

Adding even more icing on the cake, Tavien St. Clair entered the game and found wideout Chris Henry Jr. for a score, as Ohio State fell just short of a possible 60-point threshold.

The victory marked Ohio State’s 27th consecutive season-opening win and its 39th in the last 40 games. Ohio State dominated the total yards category, 671-165, while Sayin finished 21-for-25 through the air with four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) and 320 yards. Smith’s eight catches totaling 151 yards kept the offense in sync all day. Meanwhile, a defensive performance that halted the Cardinals’ offense complemented Ohio State’s overall clean play.

Ohio State Draws Texas in Week 2 Rematch

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) tackles Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) on a run in the first quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Aug 30, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In Week 2, the top-ranked Buckeyes travel to Austin next Saturday night for a rematch against No. 5 Texas. Ohio State took last season's meeting 14-7 in Columbus and has won the last two head-to-head matchups, including a College Football Playoff victory on its run to the 2024-25 national title against Notre Dame.

Kickoff at Texas is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The Longhorns open their season against Texas State Saturday.