Ohio State football witnessed history in its 28-19 victory over Northwestern via wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Yet Smith breaking a new Big Ten Conference part wasn't the part said out loud.
College football insider for Yahoo Sports Dan Wolken said what the nation's feeling about the 2026 Buckeyes.
“Ohio State really needed that win. But I can’t imagine it convinced a lot of people that they’re on their way to a national title,” Wolken posted on the social media website X, formerly Twitter.
Ohio State snapped a brutal two-game slide that saw lopsided defeats against USC and Oregon. And both losses came by margins of 12 and 13 points, respectively. But the Wildcats applied a scare to OSU too.
Quarterback Luke Fahey threw a costly interception inside the red zone on a pass intended for Chris Henry Jr. The pass bounced off Henry and into the hands of Northwestern for the costly turnover.
Fahey looked up-and-down during the first half even after hitting 11-of-16 passes. He settled for only 92 yards at halftime with just one touchdown and the pick. Running back Bo Jackson put OSU up by a wider halftime margin of 14-6 by taking a direct wildcat snap.
Article Continues BelowFahey managed to hit 201 yards throwing and tossed two more touchdowns, ending with three total. OSU also improved to 7-3 overall. But still, the 2026 campaign has seen too many disappointment from Buckeyes nation. Which includes members of the fanbase calling out coach Ryan Day for the dismal performances in the losses.
And this nine-point victory clearly doesn't increase the confidence involving OSU's slimmer Big Ten title pursuit.