Ohio State Buckeyes 2026 Football Biggest Questions and Dave Portnoy calls Ryan Day "A scared little Chicken-Boy"

‘Scared little chicken-boy’: Dave Portnoy does not hold back on Ryan Day by Qwame Skinner Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day has faced massive criticism in Columbus, OH, for his failures in The Game against Michigan. Day finally broke through last season after years of ineptitude in the Buckeyes' biggest game of the season, but there's some concern in Columbus that last season's victory can be mostly attributed to a lack of focus from former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore. Recently, Day made the stunning decision to move Ohio State's senior day this season from Week 13 to Week 1 in order to avoid any distractions the week of the Michigan game, and he is taking some serious heat for the move. "This is so da*n stupid," Barstool Sports pundit Brandon Walker said on Wake Up Barstool Monday morning. "This is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen a coach do, and I'm so sick of Ryan Day and Ohio State making me side with Dave Portnoy on some aspects of this rivalry… "You can't do Senior Day at the beginning of the season. Just because Ryan Day's a bad game day coach and can't get his team prepared for Michigan." Ohio State has moved their Senior Day to Week 1 to avoid “The Game” distractions “They are so scared I can smell it…” – @stoolpresidente pic.twitter.com/8hmRXgpewg — Wake Up Barstool (@wakeupbarstool) August 17, 2026 Portnoy took things a step further. "He is a scared little chicken boy. That's what he is. Listen, I'm in Antucket right now. The word on the street is he bought property here and he looked at a beautiful house that was a million dollars below market price. But you know what? "It was too close to where I reside. He said, I better get to the other side of that island because I don't want to see big bad Dave Portnoy walking his dog. They are scared. They are chicken. They have always been chicken. People trying to get on me— this is a guy, when you're saying Whittingham, who's a new coach, friends with Urban Meyer, new to the rivalry, people getting on me— this is a guy who, when we beat their brains in like seven straight years, said we got to devalue the game. "And people coming at me, this is what he said. This is a school and an administration a coach who, when I stepped on campus, had the FBI, DEA, the National Guard, the Army ready to arrest me for being on campus. So, yes, he is scared. He is a scared little chicken. "And let's not forget, he knows. I know. You know. Everybody knows in places deep down they don't talk about parties. The only time this guy beat us is when we had a head coach who had so much controversy swirling around. He's, he's hooking up with interns and doing this and that. He didn't even game plan for them. That's the only time they were able to beat us. So now we have a real football coach, uh, uh, X's and O's, hard nose, Kyle Whittingham. Yeah, you better move that Senior Day. They are so scared, I can smell it." If Day can't win this year against Michigan's new coach Kyle Whittingham, there's going to be a lot of noise in Columbus about if he's the right person to lead the program, even with his national championship win from 2025.

Great read from www.elevenwarriors.com and By Lyle Alenstein Ohio State enters the year once again with large expectations, being viewed as one of, if not the top team in the country. Despite the high aspirations, Ohio State still has questions ahead of the season opener against Ball State. Here are 10 questions for the Buckeyes entering the 2026 season. CAN JULIAN SAYIN TAKE THE NEXT STEP? The talent from Julian Sayin is undeniable, coming off of a year where he tallied 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions, with his 77% completion percentage being good for best in the nation. Now, asking if he can take the next step is an interesting one, considering he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy last year. He’s made strides as a leader, on the field and physically, and also has a new offensive coordinator. Sayin has all the tools, resources and personal hunger to get better as a player, but the real measuring stick here will be how far he can take this team as a leader and propel the offense. Julian Sayin “Doesn't Feel Like a Young Player” Ahead of Second Year As Starter with Leadership, On-Field and Physical Strides RELATED JULIAN SAYIN “DOESN'T FEEL LIKE A YOUNG PLAYER” AHEAD OF SECOND YEAR AS STARTER WITH LEADERSHIP, ON-FIELD AND PHYSICAL STRIDES Ahead of his second year as the starter at Ohio State, Julian Sayin is developing both on and off the field, becoming a more well-rounded quarterback in the process. Read More WHAT WILL ARTHUR SMITH’S OFFENSE LOOK LIKE? The nature of Arthur Smith’s offense during his time in the NFL has revolved around getting his best players the ball, notably Derrick Henry on the Tennessee Titans and Drake London on the Atlanta Falcons. But the one thing about his offenses is that for the most part, his best offensive player hasn’t been a perimeter wideout, and certainly not one that’s the best overall player in his respective league like Jeremiah Smith. Additionally, Smith loves pounding the rock in the run game and running multi-tight end personnel, so Bo Jackson and Isaiah West could see a ton of touches, but also tight ends like Nate Roberts, Mason Williams and Hunter Welcing could see big roles even if it’s not as pass-catchers. There are lots of questions as to how the scheme and playbook will ultimately look and how Smith plans to roll out his personnel, but ultimately the biggest benefit of bringing him on board is for Sayin, as Smith has a track record of working with NFL quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan. CAN MATT PATRICIA REPLACE EIGHT STARTERS AGAIN? He had the same challenge last year, but Matt Patricia is once again tasked with replacing eight starters on defense for a unit ranked No. 1 a season ago. While he’s proven he can do it, filling the void left by Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Kayden McDonald, Davison Igbinosun, Cayden Curry, Tywone Malone Jr. and Lorenzo Styles Jr. is no easy task. There are plenty of candidates to slot in for the aforementioned departures, but not every replacement can meet the starter's exact role from a year ago. And for those that don’t have an exact 1-for-1 replacement, multiple players will be expected to make up for that loss of production. Patricia made that clear, as he plans to use more depth than he did a year ago to concoct a defensive plan that matches the talent of the defense. WHICH WR WILL STEP UP NEXT TO JEREMIAH SMITH? The answer to this question can be multiple guys, as Ohio State needs a No. 2 receiver with Carnell Tate off to the NFL. UTSA transfer Devin McCuin has had a strong fall camp. Brandon Inniss is a veteran who has seen the most amount of time besides Jeremiah Smith. There’s a pair of freshmen in Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd who have drawn rave reviews since arriving in January. McCuin is an intriguing one based on what has been shown since early August and his ability to go from competing with American Athletic Conference cornerbacks to those in Ohio State’s room. Inniss is hungry to contribute after waiting his turn and so far not living up to his high school recruiting hype. Henry and Boyd haven’t played a collegiate snap, but the staff believes they can make an immediate impact. There are plenty of options to choose from, and if two guys make up for the production of Tate, it’ll somewhat be a win. On the other hand, new wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton didn’t get the job knowing he needs to find two guys to replicate production — he needs to coach someone to match the standard it takes to play wideout at Ohio State. WHAT IS THE STARTING OFFENSIVE LINE? Ryan Day had hoped to name his starting offensive line on Saturday, but a minor injury to Austin Siereveld prevented that from happening. Siereveld is slated to return this week. Despite that injury, Day has expressed confidence in the depth in the unit, and previously mentioned after the first day of fall camp that Ohio State is mixing and matching personnel. Below are the groups we’ve seen during camp, with the top one presumably the favorite. LT Ian Moore, LG Luke Montgomery, C Carson Hinzman, RG Austin Siereveld, RT Phillip Daniels LT Austin Siereveld, LG Luke Montgomery, C Carson Hinzman, RG Joshua Padilla, RT Phillip Daniels LT Austin Siereveld, LG Luke Montgomery, C Carson Hinzman, RG Joshua Padilla, RT Ian Moore Minor Injury for Austin Siereveld Delays Decision on Ohio State’s Starting Offensive Line RELATED MINOR INJURY FOR AUSTIN SIEREVELD DELAYS DECISION ON OHIO STATE’S STARTING OFFENSIVE LINE Ryan Day had hoped to name Ohio State’s starting offensive line after this week’s practices, but a minor injury to Austin Siereveld delayed that decision. Read More WILL DEVIN SANCHEZ BE ELITE? Replacing Igbinosun isn’t easy, but if anybody believes he can do it, it’s Devin Sanchez. The confidence that oozes out of Sanchez is evident, as he has set high aspirations for himself this year after seeing an inconsistent role in his freshman year. And he’s not shying away from it, making it clear he’s got a hit list of opposing wide receivers he wants to guard in Cam Coleman from Texas, Indiana’s Charlie Becker and Oregon’s Dakorien Moore and Evan Stewart. He’s already been pencilled in as a starter next to Jermaine Mathews Jr., so there are high expectations for Sanchez. If he proves to be elite, the secondary and defense will get a huge boost. WHO WILL START NEXT TO KENYATTA JACKSON JR. AT DE? Kenyatta Jackson Jr. is a lock to start at defensive end, but the player opposite him is still up in the air. Somebody needs to replace Curry, and the projected favorite is Beau Atkinson, who was in consideration for the starting job a year ago after he transferred from North Carolina. He’s been seeing most of the work during fall camp with the ones alongside Jackson. Alabama transfer Qua Russaw is certainly going to see a role, but as he outlined, it’ll be more of a standup pass rusher/outside linebacker role. Other names to monitor are sophomores Zion Grady and Epi Sitanilei and freshman Khary Wilder, who recently shed his black stripe. WHAT FRESHMEN SEE A ROLE? The first name that comes to mind is Jay Timmons, a five-star who is projected to start at nickel cornerback. After that, it’ll be a pair of freshmen at wide receiver in five-star Henry and three-star Boyd, both of whom removed their black stripe in the spring. Henry Jr. seems more ready to go at the moment, but Boyd has also spent time with the first-team offense. Legend Bey is another name that has repeatedly come up in camp. He’s still learning the running back position after playing quarterback in high school, but his explosiveness and playmaking ability has drawn rave reviews from Day. Wilder is a name to watch on the defensive line. Cincere Johnson could push for a role as a depth piece at linebacker, but there’s a quartet of guys ahead of him in Payton Pierce, Christian Alliegro, Riley Pettijohn and TJ Alford that’ll make it challenging. WILL THERE BE AN UPTICK IN YARDS AFTER THE CATCH FOR THE WRS? That’s been a big point of emphasis for Ohio State’s wide receivers this offseason since Cortez Hankton took over as wide receivers coach. Day, Inniss and Sayin have been asked about it during camp, and both noted that there is a need for improvement in the yards after catch area. The Ohio State receiver room is notoriously one of the strongest, if not the strongest position on the team, so if there’s room for growth, it immediately puts Hankton to the test in his first year coaching the group. So far, the goal for the wideouts has been to work on turning downfield after they catch the ball in stride. When Sayin was asked about the need for more yards after catch, he said part of it falls on him as he needs to make sure his passes put the wide receivers in a position for them to have space to operate after catching the pass. Ohio State’s Passing Game Had a YAC Problem in 2025 – And Fixing It Could Define the Buckeyes’ Offense in 2026 RELATED OHIO STATE’S PASSING GAME HAD A YAC PROBLEM IN 2025 – AND FIXING IT COULD DEFINE THE BUCKEYES’ OFFENSE IN 2026 Ohio State struggled to gain yards after catch in 2025, but it's been a priority – with current players, the additions in the portal and on the coaching staff – heading into this season. Read More IS THE KICKER PROBLEM SOLVED? Ohio State fans were happy to move on from Jayden Fielding after being plagued with some costly misses during his tenure as the starting kicker. In turn, the Buckeyes brought in a pair of kickers from the transfer portal in Baylor’s Connor Hawkins and Marcello Diomede from Notre Dame. Day said Saturday that Hawkins made kicks during the Buckeyes’ scrimmage in pressure situations, while he’s been impressed with the strength of Diomede’s leg. Based on Day’s comments, and the experience of each, Hawkins is the favorite to be the starting kicker while Diomede can handle the duties of a kickoff specialist. Hawkins was a preseason selection for the Lou Groza Award watch list, and went 18-for-22 on field goals last year, including 3-for-4 from kicks greater than 50 yards. But now he has to prove it while kicking for a program where expectations are higher than anyone else.

3D Print Sunday

Ohio State Buckeyes Football Players on the FREAK List

A very unknown Ohio State football player is catching national buzz for the perfect reason A great read from Brandon Little. This young man is from our backyard of Steubenville, Ohio. Remember the Netflix Documentary Roll Red Roll??? If not, watch it! Brandon Little Ohio State walk-on Brenton “Inky” Jones surprises many by making Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List for his exceptional athleticism. Right before the season, one Ohio State football player unexpectedly made Bruce Feldman's Freaks List and it goes to show the athlete he is. The 2026 college football season is getting close, and Bruce Feldman's annual Freaks List confirms it. This year, two Ohio State Buckeyes made the cut, and while one is the obvious pick in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, the other is a name most fans may not know: walk-on Brenton "Inky" Jones. Jones is a redshirt senior with the Buckeyes. The 6-foot-2, 216-pound safety from Steubenville, Ohio, has spent the last four seasons with Ohio State and appeared in seven games as a redshirt junior last season with 31 snaps on special teams. He hasn't seen defensive action for the Buckeyes, serving primarily as a special teams contributor. Still, Jones is a superb athlete, and his inclusion on the Freaks List speaks to the caliber of player it takes to suit up at Ohio State, where even the walk-ons are freakish athletes you just don't often see. What Bruce Feldman said about Brenton Jones "The Buckeyes have walk-ons who are Freaks. Last summer, both Jeremiah Smith and Sonny Styles stumped for Inky to be on this list," Feldman wrote. "And with the numbers this guy keeps putting up, he definitely belongs on here. At 6-2, 216 pounds, Jones is a giant corner and gunner on special teams. He is a product of the Buckeyes program." His top end speed is 23.52 mph. Jones, a standout basketball player in high school who set his school's record in the 400, broad jumped 11 feet this offseason and clocked a 1.47 10-yard split. He bench pressed 385 pounds and squatted 555. Those are jaw-dropping numbers for any player, let alone a walk-on who isn't expected to be a contributor on defense. Jones is the kind of athlete who would stand out at many programs across the country, and at Ohio State he's a depth piece on special teams. That tells you everything about the roster Ryan Day has assembled in Columbus, really year in and year out. What Brenton Jones' role looks like in 2026 Jones is not a player the Buckeyes are going to rely on to make a defensive impact on game day in 2026. Unless a lot of things go wrong in front of him on the depth chart, his snaps will come exclusively on special teams. Ohio State has plenty of talent at safety and across the secondary, with returners and newcomers competing for playing time ahead of him. That said, it's still a nice nod for Jones to earn recognition on Feldman's list. Making the Freaks List as a walk-on is unique. The 2026 season is right around the corner, and the Buckeyes have as high of expectations as ever. Having walk-ons who show up on national athletic lists is just another reminder of the talent Ohio State has top to bottom heading into the 2026 season.

Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith Lands at No. 2 on Freaks List Sunny Verma, Buckeyes Wire Bruce Feldman's annual " Freaks " list article is written every year not necessarily to highlight the best players in the sport, but to showcase some of the unique athletes. It appears this upcoming season, Ohio State football will have both. This year's list consists of 101 total players and there are two Buckeyes mentioned. First and foremost was wide receiver Jeremiah Smith who was listed at No. 2. Smith's inclusion comes as a shock to nobody. The 6-foot-3 Smith was called by Feldman "the best player on this list and in the country." Feldman reported that Smith had clocked a 1.44-second 10-yard split, which is the fastest in the entire Ohio State program. Also on the list for Ohio State was Brenten "Inky" Jones at No. 29. Jones, a former walk-on, has developed into a 6-foot-2, 216-pound defensive back and special-teams gunner with incredible testing numbers. His top-end speed is 23.52 miles per hour. He broad jumped 11 feet this offseason as well as clocked in a 1.47 10-yard split. Along with his speed, he also bench pressed 385 pounds and squatted 555. The list's purpose is not to correlate with future production or NFL Draft projections, but instead it is mean to highlight physical traits that separate individuals from the rest at their position group. It appears that Ohio State this season will have both talent on the field and its share of "freaks."

Madden 27 - New Features - Everything EA Sports Madden 27