Ohio State did what it needed to do in a 59–3 win over Kent State. Jeremiah Smith made history, several young Buckeyes made their cases for larger roles and the defense controlled the afternoon. Now the challenge is carrying that response into Big Ten play.

One week after leaving Austin with the frustration of a fourth-quarter collapse, Ohio State returned to Ohio Stadium needing more than a victory. The Buckeyes needed to play with urgency, rebuild some confidence and show that the loss to Texas had sharpened their attention rather than shaken it.

A 59–3 win over Kent State checked most of those boxes. Ohio State scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, led 35–0 at halftime and held the Golden Flashes to 134 total yards. Julian Sayin was efficient, the receiving corps finally displayed the depth that had been missing in Austin and the Buckeyes continued attacking long after the outcome was settled.

It was the response Ohio State needed, although it was not a complete answer to every question Texas raised. Kent State was never going to recreate the physical challenge the Buckeyes faced in Austin, and a 56-point margin can make lingering problems easy to overlook. With Illinois coming to Columbus for the Big Ten opener and the Illibuck trophy returning to the spotlight, Ohio State must determine which parts of Saturday’s performance can travel into conference play.

Here are this week’s Monday Musings.

1. Ohio State Responded the Right Way

There are no perfect ways to recover from a loss like the one Ohio State suffered at Texas. The Buckeyes could not undo a 23–3 fourth-quarter lead becoming a 24–23 defeat, and nothing they accomplished against Kent State was going to erase the questions that followed them home.

What they could control was their response.

Ohio State opened the game with a seven-play, 65-yard touchdown drive and scored on its first four possessions. Ja’Kobi Jackson started the afternoon with an 11-yard touchdown run, Nate Roberts caught the first touchdown of his Ohio State career, Isaiah West added another score and Bo Jackson finished a 10-play drive from the one-yard line. By halftime, the Buckeyes had built a 35–0 lead, punctuated by Sayin’s 49-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Inniss as time expired.

That final play of the half was especially meaningful after the offense went scoreless in the fourth quarter at Texas. Ohio State did not simply take its lead to the locker room. Ryan Day and Arthur Smith used the remaining seconds to attack, and the Buckeyes were rewarded for it. Against a different opponent and in a much different situation, Ohio State showed the aggressiveness that many wanted to see when momentum began shifting in Austin.

The level of competition matters, but the standard also matters. Ohio State was supposed to dominate Kent State, and it did. The Buckeyes scored in every quarter, allowed only a late field goal and gave their younger roster meaningful work. After a week spent answering questions about how they failed to finish, they delivered a four-quarter performance.

2. Jeremiah Smith Now Stands Alone

Jeremiah Smith entered Saturday needing only 26 receiving yards to pass Michael Jenkins as Ohio State’s career leader. It did not take him long to reach the milestone.

Smith finished with five catches for 85 yards, pushing his career total to 2,958 and moving beyond Jenkins’ previous record of 2,898. He accomplished it only three games into his junior season, another reminder that Buckeye fans are watching one of the most extraordinary careers in program history unfold in real time.

The numbers deserve to be appreciated rather than treated as inevitable. Ohio State has produced Cris Carter, David Boston, Michael Jenkins, Santonio Holmes, Ted Ginn Jr., Terry McLaurin, Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and many other receivers who helped define their eras. Smith reaching the top of the yardage list before the end of September in his third season speaks to both his remarkable consistency and the standard he established almost immediately upon arriving in Columbus.

He did not need a touchdown or a 150-yard performance to own the afternoon. The record became the moment, and his presence continued to influence how Kent State defended everyone else.

The larger question is no longer whether Smith will rewrite Ohio State’s record book. It is how far he will extend those records before his college career ends. Saturday marked one significant line crossed, but there will be more milestones ahead. Buckeye fans should take the time to enjoy each one.

3. The Supporting Cast Finally Looked Like a Strength

The most encouraging offensive development may have been everything that happened around Smith.

Ohio State’s passing game became too dependent on No. 4 against Texas. Smith produced 164 receiving yards in Austin, but the Buckeyes struggled to find dependable answers elsewhere when the Longhorns tightened their coverage and the game turned in the second half. Kent State offered the receiving room an opportunity to begin changing that conversation.

Brandon Inniss caught four passes for 78 yards and the 49-yard touchdown before halftime. Freshman Chris Henry Jr. turned his lone reception into a 75-yard touchdown from Luke Fahey. Brock Boyd caught four passes for 66 yards, Phillip Bell added 37 yards, Devin McCuin contributed 29 and Roberts scored his first collegiate touchdown. Four different Buckeyes finished with at least 60 receiving yards, and Ohio State accumulated 382 yards through the air.

Sayin completed 18 of 22 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns before giving way to the backups. Fahey then strengthened his position as the No. 2 quarterback by throwing for 141 yards and connecting with Henry on the longest play of the game. Even with two interceptions thrown by reserve quarterbacks, the larger result was valuable: young players received real snaps, and the offense showed that its passing potential extends well beyond one superstar.

No one afternoon against Kent State proves Inniss, Henry or Boyd will deliver the same production when Ohio State faces another top-tier defense. It does give Smith and Sayin more evidence that those options can be trusted. The Buckeyes do not need to reduce Smith’s role to manufacture balance. They need the other receivers to punish defenses for building everything around stopping him.

Saturday was an important step in that direction.

4. The Scoreboard Did Not Erase the Run-Game and Third-Down Questions

Ohio State scored 59 points and gained 527 yards, but two numbers deserve more attention as the Buckeyes enter conference play: 3.8 yards per carry and 1-of-8 on third down.

The first-team running backs were more productive than the final team average suggests. Bo Jackson gained 73 yards on 11 carries, while Ja’Kobi Jackson added 47 yards and two touchdowns on eight attempts. Together, they averaged more than six yards per carry, produced several strong early-down runs and helped Ohio State score four rushing touchdowns.

The efficiency declined as the depth chart emptied, which is understandable in a game where the Buckeyes used so many players. Even so, Ohio State finished with only 145 rushing yards on 38 attempts against an overmatched defense. Short-yardage execution was inconsistent, including a second-quarter possession that began at the Kent State 13 after Riley Pettijohn’s interception and ended with Sayin being sacked on fourth down.

That sequence connects directly to the 1-of-8 third-down performance. Ohio State converted two fourth downs and scored on six of seven red-zone trips, but it should not need fourth-down solutions so frequently against Kent State. The Buckeyes faced only eight third downs because they generated explosive plays and moved efficiently on earlier downs; converting just one of them still leaves a weakness that better conference defenses will try to expose.

This is not a reason to view the Kent State performance negatively. It is a reminder that blowouts can contain useful warnings. Against Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Oregon and Michigan, Ohio State will eventually face a third-and-2 when the opponent knows a run is possible and the entire stadium understands the importance of the snap. The offensive line and running game must become dependable in those moments.

5. The Defense and the Young Buckeyes Maximized Their Opportunity

Kent State managed 134 total yards, averaged 2.4 yards per play and did not score until fewer than two minutes remained. The Golden Flashes completed eight passes for 63 yards and rushed for only 71. Ohio State did not produce an overwhelming sack total, but it controlled the game through assignment discipline, coverage and consistent pursuit.

Pettijohn recorded his first collegiate interception and returned it eight yards, setting the offense up inside the Kent State 15. Freshman defensive tackle Jamir Perez later recovered a fumble and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown, giving the Buckeyes a defensive score just eight seconds after Henry’s 75-yard touchdown reception. In less than half a minute of game time, two young Buckeyes produced the kind of back-to-back plays that can turn depth into confidence.

The value of a game like Kent State is not limited to resting starters. Ohio State will need players in October and November who are not currently featured in the weekly game plan. Injuries, fatigue and specific matchups will create opportunities that cannot be predicted in September. Giving Fahey, Henry, Boyd, Perez and other young players meaningful snaps now makes the roster more prepared when those opportunities arrive.

It also allowed the defense to finish. After surrendering three long fourth-quarter touchdown drives at Texas, the Buckeyes protected the shutout until Kent State began its final scoring possession at the Ohio State five following an interception. Even then, the Golden Flashes lost yardage through a false start and settled for a field goal. The opponent was different, but the discipline of playing through the final whistle was still worth seeing.

6. Big Ten Play Begins with the Illibuck

The nonconference portion of Ohio State’s schedule ended with the Buckeyes at 2–1 and ranked No. 7 in the newest AP poll. The loss at Texas removed the margin for complacency, but the larger goals remain available. Ohio State can still win the Big Ten, earn a favorable College Football Playoff position and become the team it expected to be in August.

That pursuit begins Saturday against Illinois.

The Fighting Illini are also 2–1 after beating Southern Illinois 48–10. Quarterback Katin Houser threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns in the win, giving Ohio State’s secondary a more substantial challenge than it faced against Kent State. Illinois will also arrive with Bret Bielema’s preference for physical football and the knowledge that the Buckeyes have not yet fully established their desired identity on the ground.

Ohio State won last year’s meeting 34–16, but the return matchup carries a piece of history that deserves more attention than it sometimes receives. The Illibuck is one of college football’s older rivalry trophies, first introduced as a live turtle in 1925 before being replaced by a wooden version. Realignment and scheduling gaps have made the series less frequent, but the trophy still connects generations of Buckeyes and Illini.

Saturday is more than the game after Kent State. It is the beginning of the conference season and the first opportunity to see whether Ohio State’s lessons from Austin remain visible against a Big Ten opponent. The Buckeyes do not need another emotional reset. They need to begin building consistency.

What I’ll Be Watching Against Illinois

• Whether Ohio State’s offensive line can create a more consistent push against a Big Ten front.
• How the Buckeyes handle third down after converting only one of eight attempts against Kent State.
• Which receiver emerges as the most dependable complement to Jeremiah Smith.
• Whether Arthur Smith maintains the aggressive approach Ohio State showed before halftime Saturday.
• How the secondary responds to Houser and an Illinois passing game coming off a 305-yard performance.
• Whether Ohio State can play a complete game without needing the opponent’s talent level to create its urgency.

The Bottom Line

Ohio State could not repair everything that went wrong at Texas by beating Kent State, but it could show the kind of response that gives the rest of the season a stronger foundation. The Buckeyes started fast, played through the fourth quarter, expanded the passing game and gave young players opportunities to become more than names on the depth chart. Smith made history, Sayin returned to an efficient rhythm and the defense handled its assignment from beginning to end.

The remaining concerns are not difficult to identify. Ohio State must improve on third down, continue strengthening its run blocking and prove that the passing options beyond Smith remain available when the coverage and pressure become more demanding. Those issues did not matter to the final score against Kent State. They will matter during the Big Ten schedule.

Saturday brought a record, a response and a needed return to winning football. This week brings Illinois, the Illibuck and the beginning of the part of the schedule that will define Ohio State’s season.

Photo Credit: Jack Westerheide/The Lantern