Ohio State and Jeremiah Smith demolished Iowa (Photo by Ohio State Athletics)
The Buckeyes have the leader in the Heisman race, and no undefeated teams remain in Ohio
#23 Ohio State 4-1 (2-0 in the Big Ten)
Ohio State leaned into who they are this season. Everything starts and finishes on offense with Jeremiah Smith. Smith went off against Iowa as he did against Illinois, and the result was as expected. The Buckeyes beat the Hawkeyes 31-14. Smith is now Ohio State’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He has
#14 Cincinnati 4-1 (1-1 in the Big 12)
I knew Arizona was good and very capable, but I thought UC had turned a corner. Maybe they still have, but they hit a major speed bump late Saturday night. Arizona outgained them 522 yards to 227 and outscored them 34-7. The Bearcats will have their bye this week and will lick their wounds before getting back in action on the road at West Virginia on October 17th.
Miami (Ohio) 2-3 (0-1 in the MAC)
Miami saw Bowling Green’s 0-4 record and early struggles and didn’t take the Falcons seriously. BGSU made the RedHawks pay for it, too. It didn’t help Miami’s cause to have a new quarterback starting, but they still should’ve been able to overcome BGSU. The next game for Miami was one that, in preseason, would have been thought to be a surefire win, but UMass’ 4-0 start may indicate otherwise. The Minutemen had their first loss this weekend and will be a battle for the RedHawks.
Ohio 3-2 (1-0 in the MAC)
An ugly win is still a win, but Ohio didn’t look too good offensively in their win over Kent State. Their passing game was bad, with two quarterbacks getting only 72 passing yards. The Bobcats had seven penalties for 70 yards, and they turned the ball over twice. The strength was in their rushing attack. Ohio had 181 rushing yards, and that was enough for a 13-10 win over Kent State. They host Central Michigan on Saturday and will need more offense to beat the Chippewas.
Bowling Green 1-4 (1-0 in the MAC)
The best way to handle a 0-4 start is to answer it with a 1-0 start in conference play. That’s just what Eddie George and his Bowling Green Falcons did, and they did it on the road. BGSU had to go to Oxford, Ohio, to play Miami. Bowling Green had a big game from their quarterback to power them to the win. Junior Jay Kastantin was 25 of 37 for 302 yards and two touchdowns and got the 24-20 win for Bowling Green. BGSU hosts Sacramento State on Saturday to try for win number two.
Toledo 4-1 (1-0 in the MAC)
John Alan Richter had been the story for the Rockets in their first three wins of the season. The Toledo quarterback played well again against Ball State, but it was the running game that carried the day. Running back C.J. Miller had 20 carries for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Connor Walendzak added 103 yards on sixteen carries and another touchdown, and Toledo totaled 352 rushing yards. The Rockets totaled 553 yards and won their fourth straight game, 39-24. Toledo will try to keep their win streak going this Saturday when they host Buffalo.
Akron 1-4 (0-1 in the MAC)
Akron may have had the worst game of any team in Ohio. They went on the road to play at Central Michigan, and it went terribly for the Zips. CMU outgained Akron 481 to 340, and Akron was really hurt by three big interceptions. The 41-17 defeat is a painful blow, and Akron will have to try and get past the leading team in the conference next. They’ll host the 3-3 (2-0) Eastern Michigan Eagles.
Kent State 2-3 (1-1 in the MAC)
The Golden Flashes flickered out on offense in their loss to Ohio. The passing game turned the ball over twice, and the rushing game only scrounged together 49 yards. They’ll have to try to turn things around and do it on the road. They’re heading up north to Kalamazoo to try and beat the 4-1 Western Michigan Broncos.
Dayton 3-1 (0-1 in the Pioneer League)
The Flyers struggled on the road in Des Moines, Iowa. They battled Drake hard but ultimately fell, 30-22. Dayton had three turnovers to Drake’s two, and Drake put up 468 yards of total offense. The highlight for the Flyers was their do-it-all receiver Gavin Lochow setting a school record with 179. He now holds the Flyers record for career receptions. Lochow had 36 passing yards, 17 rushing yards, 47 receiving yards, and a touchdown. Dayton and Lochow will try to get back to winning when they host Moorehead State at home on Saturday.
#13 Youngstown State 4-2 (2-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference)
YSU got a huge win against Southern Illinois. They beat a ranked conference opponent on the road. It wasn’t the prettiest, but it was a huge win for the Penguins. Beau Brungard had 219 passing yards and a touchdown, and 69 rushing yards and a touchdown. The YSU star also had a couple of picks, yet Youngstown State still buckled down and beat a quality opponent and are now 2-1 to start conference play. Youngstown State will stay on the road this week when they play at Indiana State.
Bill Willis Award Player of the Week
Once again, it’s that main man for Ohio State. Jeremiah Smith was doubled and tripled (and sometimes interfered with) against Iowa and still did what he does best. Smith had 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns and led Ohio State to a 31-14 win at Iowa against the unbeaten Hawkeyes. Smith is making his Heisman case with 44 catches for 823 yards and nine touchdowns.
Writer’s Note: The FBS rankings are from The College Football Power Rankings at TheForkball.com. The FCS rankings are from the FCS STATS Poll.
