Ohio State opened the season with a dominant 56-3 victory over Ball State in the Buckeyes’ first game under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, with both returning standouts and new faces earning some of the team’s highest Pro Football Focus grades.
In the first start of his second season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, Julian Sayin led the Buckeyes with a standout performance, throwing for 320 yards and four total touchdowns (three passing and one rushing). His 93.1 PFF grade was the highest among Power Four quarterbacks in Week 1 and the best single-game grade of his Ohio State career.
Behind Sayin among Ohio State’s top offensive grades was running back Ja’Kobi Jackson, who earned an 88.0 grade after rushing for 83 yards at an impressive 10.4 yards per carry. He was followed by wide receivers Jeremiah Smith (87.6 grade) and Devin McCuin (81.3).
Sophomore linebacker TJ Alford delivered the Buckeyes’ best defensive grade (91.8) after recording five tackles and an interception.
Defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr. led Ohio State’s defensive line with an 84.6 grade on 35 snaps while recording eight quarterback pressures, the most among all Power Four defensive players in Week 1.
Linebacker Riley Pettijohn (85.0) and cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. (83.0) were the only two other defenders to achieve above an 80.0 grade.
Jake Cook (72.2) and Austin Siereveld (72.1) were the only two linemen to earn grades above 70.0, while no Buckeye tight ends surpassed the “above average” 70.0 threshold.
Only two Buckeyes who played more than 10 snaps received grades below 50.0: defensive tackle Will Smith Jr. with a 46.6 grade on 16 snaps and safety Terry Moore, who earned a 49.2 grade on 19 snaps.
