COLUMBUS, Ohio — A short locker-room clip from Ohio State’s national championship victory last January captured something rarely seen from head coach Ryan Day — a full-body release of emotion. It was celebratory, cathartic and, in hindsight, an early chapter of a season that has now transformed Day’s image from embattled to unbothered.
A week after that title run, Day appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, dressed like a friendly neighbor who could get you a great deal on a used sedan. The contrast was almost comical, yet fitting. This fall, Ohio State has become college football’s most dominant and — depending on who you ask — most predictable storyline.
Top-ranked Ohio State cruised again on Saturday, dispatching Penn State 38–14 to improve to 8–0. The Buckeyes have spent the first two months of the season flattening opponents with minimal drama. Their closest contest remains a 14–7 win over then-No. 1 Texas in the opener, a game in which the Longhorns didn’t reach the scoreboard until the final four minutes.
The numbers paint a straightforward picture: Ohio State’s defense is allowing fewer than four yards per play, surrendering double-digit points just twice, and has outscored opponents 293–55. It’s Harlem Globetrotters energy — minus the confetti buckets.
Saturday’s first half did briefly test that calm. A costly fumble allowed Penn State to trim the margin to 17–14 just before halftime, a moment that drew an unusually frustrated reaction from Day.
“You’d have thought we were down three touchdowns,” he said afterward. “We want to be up at least 10 going into halftime. Being up only three? It was like, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
Crisis averted. Ohio State shut out Penn State 21–0 after the break, out-gaining the Nittany Lions 259–60 over the final two quarters. Against a program that recently fired head coach James Franklin and lost quarterback Drew Allar to injury, the Buckeyes simply reasserted order.
Meanwhile, first-year starting quarterback Julian Sayin continued to look like a veteran star. Through eight games, he’s completing a nation-best 80.7 percent of his passes with 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions. On Saturday, he went 20-for-23 for 316 yards and four scores — delivering the kind of efficient, almost emotionless performance that has become his trademark.
“It’s really a team stat,” Sayin said afterward, shrugging off Heisman chatter.
Of course, it helps when you’re throwing to what might be the best receiver duo in America. Carnell Tate hauled in five passes for 124 yards, while Jeremiah Smith matched him with six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns — including a highlight-reel grab on a deflection that blew up across social media.
“See ball, get ball,” Smith said, as if the spectacular needed explanation. “I didn’t want Julian to throw an interception, so I decided to make a play.”
Even Ohio State’s weaknesses feel cosmetic. The run game has been labeled mediocre — yet the Buckeyes averaged more than five yards per carry Saturday. Special teams wobble occasionally. Turnovers are rare enough to become talking points.
Beyond that, the only legitimate critique is strength of schedule. Traditional challengers — Texas, Penn State, Illinois — have fallen short of preseason expectations. Programs playing well — Oregon, Indiana, maybe USC — aren’t on the regular-season slate. Upcoming matchups against Purdue, UCLA and Rutgers likely won’t raise the degree of difficulty.
There is, however, The Game.
Michigan awaits in Ann Arbor to close the regular season, ranked No. 21 and riding a four-game winning streak in the rivalry. It remains the last major ghost for Day and the only realistic opportunity to evaluate this Ohio State team under real stress.
Until then, the Buckeyes will continue to be what they’ve been for two months — overwhelming, unmoved, almost numbingly efficient.
Wake everyone when we get to Michigan Week.