From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the best of times or the worst of times. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our Floor vs. Ceiling articles here.
Several of Ohio State’s most recognizable offensive players will be back on the field in Scarlet and Gray this fall, including 2025 Heisman finalist Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, the wide receiver oft-heralded as “the best player in college football.” But if something still feels different about the 2026 offense, don’t be surprised.
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While much of the talent on the field is the same, the man calling the shots from the sideline is not. As Brian Hartline’s replacement at offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith’s hiring marks a new chapter for the team.
Much like defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, Arthur Smith’s resume is loaded with NFL experience—17 years’ worth—including three years as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. He spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Now, Smith brings his offensive approach to Columbus, and it should mark a noticeable departure from Hartline’s scheme. With it comes one of the widest floor-to-ceiling variables of any of Ohio State’s offseason additions.
Inherently, the ceiling is already high for this team, with or without Smith.
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Sayin, the most accurate quarterback in the country last season, returns as starter, but behind him is an embarrassment of riches in Tavien St. Clair, who finished the spring game with 166 yards in the air and a touchdown.
Having added depth at the position allows St. Clair to continue developing, continues the quarterback pipeline and provides additional insurance in case of injury.
At wide receiver, the Buckeyes will be without Carnell Tate this season as he starts his NFL career, but in addition to Jeremiah Smith, the Buckeyes will have veteran Brandon Inniss, as well as Henry Jr. (a five-star recruit from the 2025 class), and a pair of transfers in Devin McCuin and Kyle Parker.
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The Buckeyes will also have a strong veteran presence on their offensive line, with four of the front five returning, and at running back, Bo Jackson will be back for his sophomore year after becoming just one of five running backs in school history to top 1,000 yards as a true freshman.
All this to say, despite a few notable departures, there is a lot of consistency on the Buckeyes’ offense, and with additional maturity and experience from the returning veterans, the ceiling should be high.
But there’s also an unknown in Arthur Smith. Arguably, he was hired precisely for the ways in which he brings something new to the program. The offense always had the raw talent to score points, but surely Ryan Day brought Smith on because he saw the potential to raise that ceiling.
Arguably, Smith was hired precisely for the ways in which he differs from what’s been done in the past. He has the skills to play to the team’s strengths (NFL quarterbacks coached by him have won 60% of their starts since 2019, for example, which bodes well for continued success for Sayin), but he also has the pedigree to fill some gaps. Smith’s teams have historically featured run-heavy attacks, something the Buckeyes desperately needed to improve on from last season.
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He also has a history of strong tight end production, something we saw more of from Max Klare last season, but with Klare’s departure for the NFL, Smith is probably the right person to continue that trend. Tight ends have accounted for 25% of the receiving production on his NFL teams in the past three years, so it’s likely he will look to sophomore Nate Roberts (the projected starter) to pull some weight on that front.
There are still some unknowns—the offensive line, for example, will need to look substantially better than it did in the last two games of the 2025 season, where they were an enormous liability. With some key aspects of the O-Line still in flux, it remains to be seen who will start where. Smith will play a huge part in putting that puzzle together, and the team’s offensive success could hinge on his ability to do so.
If they can’t land on the correct configuration, it could certainly lower the floor for the entire offense in 2026.
The question becomes, then, does Smith’s focus on consistency over explosion raise the ceiling or lower the floor?
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From a glass-half-full lens, it’s also possible that given the continuity from last season, Smith will be able to conjure up the magic, intangible thing that takes them all the way, some perfect combination of efficiency on the ground and in the air.
If his offensive vision doesn’t take shape, it could leave the team scrambling to find its identity and leave the fans with a sense of deja vu harking back to the end of 2025. But if it works, the Buckeyes’ offense could be the most complete it’s been in a long time, and the sky could be the limit.
