Ohio State’s coaching staff got plenty of pointers to give in a 37-9 win over Ohio, but the Buckeyes’ investments continue to rise on the whole.
The defensive line turned in a fantastic performance, spearheaded by a breakout day from defensive end Caden Curry. Linebacker Arvell Reese played a central role once again and showed he can be a disciplined player while still making freakish plays, looking like a first-round 2026 NFL draft pick alongside Carnell Tate through three weeks.
Red zone offense was the primary dampener to Ohio State’s victory. Penalties and turnovers will be more kinks to work out. Elsewhere, Notre Dame botched a near-must-win game for its postseason ambitions and DeShaun Foster is no longer coaching in Los Angeles.
Stock Up
Caden Curry
What a monster Curry was against Ohio. With four tackles, one sack, a pass breakup and an additional quarterback hurry, he was disruptive and a constant threat in the face of Bobcat quarterbacks, recording seven total pressures per Pro Football Focus. That’s on 20 total pass rush snaps, a ludicrous pressure rate of 35%. Splitting an interior double-team for a sack is a rare accomplishment in football, but he did just that on Saturday.
Caden Curry. Beast. pic.twitter.com/DSicLm1Av7
— Buckeye HQ (@RealisticBuck) September 14, 2025
1-2 Receiving Combos
Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate both finished with more than 100 receiving yards vs. the Bobcats. Smith’s Heisman campaign is back on after a nine-reception, 153-yard day with one receiving and one rushing touchdown, while Tate had five catches for 101 yards and a score. Tate is looking more and more likely to make it five consecutive years where a Buckeye receiver is selected in the first round of the NFL draft before Smith is a likely top-five pick in 2027.
Carnell Tate gets a one-on-one and makes the defense pay. Completely loses the DB with his stem work.
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) September 14, 2025
Tate came into today averaging 3.19 yards per route run. Potential first-round pick in April. pic.twitter.com/0a6CemCkky
Max Klare
Ohio State’s crown jewel from the transfer portal got involved in the offense with two receptions for 30 yards and a key touchdown, showing improved blocking against Ohio. If he continues to make plays with Smith and Tate to his flanks, the Buckeyes’ passing attack somehow gets even scarier.
Max Klare's first touchdown as a Buckeye couldn't have come at a better time pic.twitter.com/XCmHGXjbS4
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) September 14, 2025
Arvell Reese
If Tate looks like he could be a first-round pick, Reese looks like a sure-fire one three weeks into his breakout third season. He put on another monster performance with a team-high seven tackles, one sack and two PBUs. He served as the primary spy on Ohio’s dual-threat dynamo quarterback Parker Navarro, who rushed for 1,000 yards last season but managed three yards on five attempts vs. the Buckeyes through Reese’s efforts.
Bo Jackson
With nine carries for 109 yards, Jackson was the best ballcarrier in Ohio State’s backfield for a second straight game. The Buckeyes will continue to rotate Jackson, James Peoples and CJ Donaldson, but there’s plenty of proof he deserves the lion’s share of rushing attempts, even as a freshman.
BEEEEEEES
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are 3-0 after knocking off then-No. 12 Clemson with one of the most electric game-winning field goal sequences you’ll ever see in a 24-21 victory. Oh no, not the bees! Not the bees! Ahhhh they’re in my eyes! MY EYES! Ahhhhh...
GEORGIA TECH HITS THE 55-YARD FIELD GOAL AS TIME EXPIRES TO SNAP ITS NINE-GAME LOSING STREAK VS. CLEMSON pic.twitter.com/14ywZCrWW3
— ESPN (@espn) September 13, 2025
Stock Down
Red Zone Offense
Ohio State only managed two touchdowns in six red zone ventures, settling for three field goals and turning the ball over on downs on its opening drive. The Buckeyes moved the ball up and down the field otherwise against the Bobcats, but finishing drives will be critical in matchup games down the line.
“We got to do a better job when we get down to the red zone,” Ryan Day said after the game. “Because I felt like we were moving the ball well, we just had to finish these drives off, which is frustrating. But these are the things that we have to learn. And we learned a lot of lessons tonight.”
Discipline
Seven penalty flags were fired by officials against the Buckeyes, one offsetting foul and six accepted by Ohio for 50 yards of setbacks. Julian Sayin also threw two interceptions on poor decisions, though he still had a fantastic game overall, finishing 25-of-32 for 347 yards and three touchdowns.
Five-Star Quarterbacks (Not Named Julian Sayin)
Cade Klubnik finished just 15-of-26 for 207 yards and negated his one touchdown with an interception in Clemson’s loss to Georgia Tech, Texas’ Arch Manning went 11-of-25 against UTEP and Florida’s DJ Lagway threw five – you’re reading that right – five interceptions in a 20-10 loss to LSU. All were five-star prospects in their respective classes. Tough scenes.
Notre Dame
A botched hold on an extra point with less than three minutes left came back to bite the Fighting Irish when Texas A&M launched a 13-play, 74-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 4th-and-goal conversion at Notre Dame’s 11-yard line. Marcus Freeman’s squad dropped to 0-2 on the season and from No. 8 to No. 24 in the AP Poll. A projected national title contender entering the season, the team’s College Football Playoff hopes are on life support.
DeShaun Foster and Brent Pry
Two coaches were canned after 0-3 starts this week, one in the Big Ten and one in the ACC. UCLA fell 35-10 to New Mexico following a loss to UNLV in its previous game, and Foster is out after 1.25 seasons in Los Angeles. UCLA is in LA, after all. It’s them and USC.
Virginia Tech’s Pry got off to a similar 0-3 start in his fourth campaign as head coach of the Hokies, with a 45-26 loss to Old Dominion being the final straw to earn him his walking papers. He finishes his tenure 16-24 in Blacksburg.
