Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin was a Heisman Trophy Finalist as a first-time starter and redshirt freshman in 2025. Now, in 2026, Sayin has shown noticeable signs of progress in a number of areas, most notably in his willingness and ability to run the football when needed.

In this special bonus episode, you'll hear directly from Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, and his thoughts on Sayin's season, his progress, and the passing game on the whole.

With a top-15 showdown on deck in Iowa City this Saturday, it's time for a few bonus episodes to let you hear directly from Ohio State head coach Ryan Day with some of his thoughts on the play of the Buckeyes' offense. 

Day has been challenging his team over the past month - challenging the offensive line to get more push, and the running backs to run harder - angry, even. So is he seeing that on the field?

In this special bonus episode, you'll hear directly Day about that, the status of talented true freshman Legend Bey, and much more.

Through four games, new Ohio State offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has begun to evolve and develop the Buckeyes' attack, finding new ways to get the ball to superstar WR Jeremiah Smith, to put the Ohio State running backs in positions to succeed, and to make the most of QB Julian Sayin's strengths. 

In this episode of Ross Fulton Analysis, Ross breaks down nine plays from Ohio State's 42-19 win over Illinois that illustrate how Arthur Smith continues to broaden and strengthen the Buckeyes' offense.

Today's episode is presented by Jeff Ruby's Columbus, proudly offering nationally-acclaimed U.S.D.A. Prime steaks, seafood & sushi, impeccable service, live entertainment, and an attention to detail that is simply unmatched. Just go to JeffRuby.com/Columbus to check out the menu and make a reservation today.

We don't normally do a show with postgame clips from Ohio State's next opponent, but when that opponent stuns Michigan on the final play of the day in Ann Arbor, we understand that Buckeyes fans might be a little more interested than usual. 

In this special bonus episode, you'll hear from Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz in the wake of his team's 20-19 shocker over the Wolverines, including his thoughts on the play of QB Hank Brown, WR Reece Vander Zee, that final play on the whole, and much more.

There were a lot of interesting things to discuss following Ohio State's 42-19 win over Illinois on Saturday inside Ohio Stadium. 

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day shared his thoughts on a number of topics, including the day that Matt Patricia's defense had, Jeremiah Smith's 12-catch, 217-yard, 4-touchdown performance, and what a difference a little running from QB Julian Sayin can make.

In this episode of the Buckeyes TomOrrow Morning podcast, you'll hear directly from Day about that and more.

Today's episode is presented by Jeff Ruby's Columbus, proudly offering nationally-acclaimed U.S.D.A. Prime steaks, seafood & sushi, impeccable service, live entertainment, and an attention to detail that is simply unmatched. Just go to JeffRuby.com/Columbus to check out the menu and make a reservation today.

The Ohio State Buckeyes improved to 3-1 in the 2026 college football season with a 41-19 win over Bret Bielema and the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday inside Ohio Stadium. 

There were some positive takeaways from the game, including the play of star WR Jeremiah Smith, who finished with 12 receptions for 217 yards and 4 touchdowns. 

However, there were also some concerning signs, including the Buckeyes' running backs continuing to struggle to break off long runs and the defense failing to generate a single three-and-out all day. 

Tony Gerdeman of BuckeyeInsiders.com joins host Tom Orr to discuss three key takeaways from the game. 

Today's episode is presented by Jeff Ruby's Columbus, proudly offering nationally-acclaimed U.S.D.A. Prime steaks, seafood & sushi, impeccable service, live entertainment, and an attention to detail that is simply unmatched. Just go to JeffRuby.com/Columbus to check out the menu and make a reservation today.

Ohio State opened Big Ten play with a 42-19 win over Illinois, and Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr are live with their instant reaction on the Buckeye Weekly Podcast.

Jeremiah Smith put together another ridiculous performance, finishing with 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns, while Julian Sayin showed something Buckeye fans have been waiting to see: a willingness to use his legs. Sayin repeatedly extended plays and picked up key first downs as a runner, adding another dimension to the Ohio State offense.  

But the Buckeyes didn't leave this game without some concerns. Illinois rushed for 199 yards and consistently generated explosive plays against an Ohio State defense that struggled to control the line of scrimmage. Tony and Tom discuss the defensive line, linebacker rotation, Khary Wilder, Riley Pettijohn, the lack of a consistent pass rush, and whether Ohio State's run defense has officially become a concern.

They also break down Ohio State's running game, the offensive line without Phillip Daniels, the continued development of the Buckeyes' young players, and what this performance means heading into a road trip to Iowa.

0:00 — Instant reaction to Ohio State's 42-19 win
1:38 — Jeremiah Smith's monster four-touchdown performance
5:00 — Should Ohio State just keep feeding Jeremiah Smith?
7:30 — Where were the other Buckeye receivers?
10:00 — What Ohio State's rotations tell us about who the coaches trust
12:26 — Khary Wilder, Riley Pettijohn and the young Buckeye defenders
16:00 — Illinois exposes problems with Ohio State's run defense
20:00 — Is the defensive line Ohio State's biggest concern?
24:00 — Where is the Buckeyes' pass rush?
28:00 — Breaking down Ohio State's offensive line
30:00 — Is the running-game problem the backs or the offensive line?
32:23 — Bret Bielema on trying to defend Jeremiah Smith
34:46 — Bielema on Julian Sayin using his legs
35:34 — Has Ohio State solved its short-yardage problem?
38:00 — Every contender in college football has flaws
44:00 — Why Ohio State fans shouldn't overlook a comfortable Big Ten win
47:00 — The biggest concern with this Buckeye team right now
52:00 — Why the defensive line could determine Ohio State's ceiling
56:00 — Why isn't Legend Bey playing more?
59:00 — Ohio State goes 4-for-4 in the red zone
1:00:11 — Tony vs. Tom: Who came closer on the final score?
1:01:30 — Looking at Illinois and the rest of its schedule
1:04:07 — What we'll be breaking down this week at Buckeye Insiders

Ohio State has plenty to clean up, particularly defensively, but the Buckeyes also left this one with encouraging developments from Sayin and yet another reminder that Jeremiah Smith can take over a football game almost by himself.

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Juck Miletti checks in from Ohio Stadium with his initial reaction following Ohio State’s 42-19 win over Illinois to open Big Ten play.

Julian Sayin showed a new element to his game with his legs, Jeremiah Smith delivered a monster four-touchdown performance, and the Buckeyes were dramatically better on third down and in the red zone. But there were still some concerns, most notably an Ohio State defense that surrendered far too many explosive plays.

Juck breaks down what stood out from Sayin, Smith, the young linebackers, Nate Roberts and the tight ends, Ohio State’s offensive line combinations, the running game, special teams and more. He also hands out his Buckeye helmet stickers and looks ahead to next week’s road test at Iowa.

0:00 — Opening thoughts on Ohio State’s 42-19 win
0:36 — Julian Sayin finally shows the X-factor with his legs
1:34 — How much does Sayin’s scrambling change the offense?
2:30 — Jeremiah Smith takes over the game
3:43 — Can Ohio State just keep feeding Jeremiah Smith?
5:20 — Concern over Illinois’ explosive plays against the defense
9:01 — Ohio State’s huge improvement on third and fourth down
10:25 — Perfect day in the red zone
10:55 — Matt Patricia shows more defensive aggression
12:58 — Riley Pettijohn’s growing role at linebacker
14:00 — Nate Roberts stands out at tight end
15:25 — What is Ohio State doing with the tight end rotation?
16:35 — Brock Boyd flashes when given an opportunity
17:12 — Did Bo Jackson answer Ryan Day’s challenge?
19:32 — Ja'Kobi Jackson continues to make the most of his carries
20:00 — Gabe VanSickle and the offensive line combination
21:22 — How Julian Sayin handled pressure
22:22 — Why Ohio State’s special teams remain frustrating
24:35 — Buckeye helmet stickers: Jeremiah Smith, Nate Roberts and Jaylen McClain
25:30 — Payton Pierce on Ohio State’s defensive breakdowns
28:27 — Juck’s thoughts on Payton Pierce
29:20 — The passing game is carrying the Buckeyes right now
30:15 — Ohio State’s youth movement is coming
32:21 — Final thoughts and looking ahead to Iowa

Ohio State improved to 4-0 with the victory, but Juck sees a team that is still developing week by week — with plenty of encouraging signs and a few issues that need to be cleaned up before the schedule gets tougher.  

SUBSCRIBE to Buckeye Insiders for complete Ohio State football coverage, postgame analysis, recruiting news, podcasts, practice reports and more.

It is gameday as Ohio State kicks off Big Ten play by hosting 2-1 Illinois. The Buckeye Insiders' team of Juck Miletti, Tom Orr, and Tony Gerdeman preview the game and share their picks for what's about to happen. Where do the Illini have issues? Where can the Buckeyes take advantage? Will the Ohio State running game respond? All of this is covered and much more.

James Laurinaitis has done a lot as an Ohio State football player and coach, but he will get to do something new on Saturday before the Buckeyes take on Illinois: ring the Victory Bell.

Laurinaitis is being honored as the pregame bell-ringer on Saturday in honor of his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

As soon as he's done ringing the bell, he'll have to hustle back down to the sidelines to coach the linebackers. 

In this special bonus episode, you'll hear directly from Ohio State head coach Ryan Day about Laurinaitis, how he ended up back as a coach on the OSU staff, and the honor ahead.

Plus, updates on the offense, defense, and more.