No. 1 Ohio State blanks Grambling State 70–0 in Columbus
The first night back on top of the AP poll looked like a track meet in pads. Ohio State flattened Grambling State 70–0 at Ohio Stadium, the kind of wire-to-wire domination that turns a routine nonconference date into a message. The Buckeyes hadn’t taken the field as No. 1 since 2015. They played like they plan to keep that label for a while.
Sophomore quarterback Julian Sayin didn’t miss much of anything. He opened the game with 16 straight completions, a new program record to start a contest, and finished 18-of-19 for 306 yards and four touchdowns—all before halftime. He ended one shy of the school mark for consecutive completions at any point, and the ball rarely touched the ground unless it was crossing the goal line. When the offense finally coasted, the damage was already done.
The numbers were ruthless. Ohio State piled up 651 yards, split between 377 through the air and 274 on the ground. Nine different Buckeyes hit the end zone. Wideout Jeremiah Smith turned five catches into 119 yards and two scores, carving up space on the perimeter and winning in the red zone. Running back Bo Jackson needed only nine carries to reach 108 yards, a burst-heavy night that showed how deep the rotation can go when the blocking is clean and the tempo stresses a defense.
The tone-setter came early. The opening drive covered 83 yards in six snaps and just 2:16, capped by Sayin’s 47-yard strike to tight end Will Kacmarek—the longest play from scrimmage for the Buckeyes this season. That throw previewed what followed: fast operation, simple reads, and easy yards after the catch because the ball was on time. Ryan Day has asked for more explosiveness and better tempo. He got both. “We talked about being more explosive and playing with tempo. That was good,” Day said. “I thought Julian really had some accurate throws, the ball came out on time and the spacing, timing and protection was good.”
The avalanche never slowed. Ohio State scored 21 in the first quarter, 14 in the second, 21 in the third, and 14 more in the fourth. The Buckeyes punched it in on eight of their first nine possessions and didn’t send out the punt team until midway through the fourth quarter. By then, second- and third-teamers were grabbing snaps and a handful of true freshmen were celebrating touchdowns inside a stadium that smelled like a September blowout.
Grambling State met a wall every time it tried to breathe. The Tigers managed only 166 total yards on 55 plays—94 rushing, 72 passing—and converted just 3 of 14 on third down. Ohio State collapsed the edges, tackled on first contact, and stole points with a defensive score: linebacker Riley Pettijohn scooped up a fumble and sprinted 23 yards for a touchdown. That moment summed up the night. The defense wasn’t just stingy; it was opportunistic.
Games like this can get sloppy. This one didn’t. Sayin’s rhythm with his receivers was clean, the protections held, and the rotational backs got downhill carries that kept the chains snapping. Smith looked like a mismatch from the jump, while Kacmarek stretched the field from tight end in a way that forced Grambling’s safeties to widen and guess. When the Tigers sat back, Ohio State ran right at light boxes and ripped off chunk gains. When they crept up, Sayin punished them over the top.
There was also a sense of control. Ohio State’s staff leaned into pace without rushing the decision-making. That combination—fast between snaps, patient with matchups—made the offense look effortless. Sayin trusted first reads and didn’t force hero balls. The ball placement on outbreaking routes invited yards after the catch. And when Day and the offensive staff emptied the bench, the shape of the attack stayed the same. That continuity in structure is the coaching detail you notice in September and appreciate even more in November.
For Grambling State, this was a first-ever meeting with Ohio State and a steep climb from the first whistle. Head coach Mickey Joseph framed it as “a great opportunity” and a chance to put the program on a grand stage, and that part landed. The World Famed Tiger Marching Band lit up halftime with a show that carried HBCU culture into a packed Horseshoe. On the field, though, the gulf in size, speed, and depth was obvious. The Tigers’ best sequences came on early-down runs that briefly set up manageable third downs, but the sticks moved too rarely to build rhythm.
There’s history here, too. This was the ninth time Ohio State has won by 70 or more and the sixth time it’s done so in a shutout. It was also the second time the Buckeyes have recorded a 70-plus margin against an HBCU, echoing the 76–0 win over Florida A&M in 2013. Nights like this show what happens when a top-end Big Ten roster with national title aims meets an overmatched visitor with far less depth.
If you’re hunting for meaning beyond the score line, start with the quarterback. Sayin didn’t just stack numbers; he operated with veteran calm. The ball came out at the top of his drop. He looked comfortable driving the middle of the field and throwing with touch down the sideline. And perhaps most important, he spread the ball around. When nine different teammates score, it tells you the quarterback isn’t locking onto one option. He’s letting the system breathe.
The defense offered its own statement. Third down was a dead end, early-down runs were limited, and Grambling’s passing windows tightened quickly. Pettijohn’s scoop-and-score was the headliner, but the ripple effect was field position. With short fields and clean possessions, the offense never had to press. That’s the ideal complementary model—defense flips the field, offense cashes in, special teams stay bored until late.
Context matters in September. Blowouts can blur flaws. But the habits travel: clean operation at the line, tempo without chaos, and tackling that stops drives on schedule. Ohio State ticked those boxes. The only visible lull came when the game was already out of reach and the staff prioritized health and reps for young players. Even then, the standard held.
For Grambling State, the tape still carries value. The Tigers saw top-tier speed in real time, which sharpens timing and spacing for conference play. They’ll also take home a handful of defensive snaps where leverage and pursuit angles were right—useful reps when the talent gap narrows. And their band’s halftime showcase in one of college football’s cathedrals was a reminder that these matchups are about more than a final score.
What it means and what’s next
Ohio State’s first night at No. 1 since 2015 looked the part. The schedule will stiffen, and there will be weeks when the Buckeyes need answers in the fourth quarter. But the opening act at the top was a tidy blueprint: strike fast, smother on defense, and spread the touchdowns across a roster deep enough to rotate without losing shape.
Day highlighted explosiveness and tempo for a reason. Those ideas shape everything. With Sayin delivering on time and the receivers separating, the run game faces lighter boxes and the playbook expands. With the defense choking off third downs, the offense gets more cracks at short fields. Put that together and you get 70–0 without a punt until the fourth quarter.
There’s also a personnel undercurrent worth noting. Smith’s early chemistry with Sayin gives the Buckeyes a true WR1 presence that changes how defenses align. Kacmarek’s vertical catch stretches the seam. Jackson’s burst offers a changeup behind a line that moved people around in both inside and outside zone looks. And Pettijohn’s scoop-and-score points to a defense that doesn’t just aim for stops—it aims for swings.
By the time the lights dimmed, the checkboxes were covered: clean quarterback play, a balanced yardage split, a deep scoring sheet, and a defense that turned third downs into exits. The ranking won’t change because of a mismatch, but the standard looked real.
- Next up: Ohio University visits Columbus on Saturday at 7 p.m., with the game available on Peacock.
By the numbers, the night reads like a stat sheet from a video game. But these are the figures on the board inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center this week:
- 70–0: The final, and Ohio State’s ninth win by 70-plus points in program history.
- 18-of-19: Sayin’s passing line, with four touchdowns in the first half.
- 16: Completions to start the game, a new program record (previous opening streak was 13).
- 651: Total yards, split 377 passing and 274 rushing.
- 119 and 2: Jeremiah Smith’s receiving yards and touchdowns on five catches.
- 108 on 9: Bo Jackson’s rushing total and carries.
- 8 of 9: Scoring drives to start the night before the first punt late.
- 3-for-14: Grambling State on third down.
- 166: Total yards allowed by the defense (94 rushing, 72 passing).
- 47: Yards on Sayin’s touchdown to Will Kacmarek, the longest play from scrimmage for the Buckeyes this season.
- 2–0: Ohio State’s record heading into another home date.
You can discount a blowout if you want. What you can’t ignore is how it happened. Efficiency at quarterback. Tempo without mistakes. A defense that squeezed the life out of third down. If that carries into league play, the No. 1 next to the name won’t feel like a label. It’ll look like the right fit.
