Gilbert: Buckeyes Need Consistency To Make Most Of Smith’s Career

The football trip to Iowa was worth the 1,020 miles I put on my CRV. And other stuff.

Delayed reactions from the trusty, old suede recliner – My semi-regular lunch buddy wanted to know Monday what part of Ohio State football should we be most concerned about.

I was more interested in talking about the convenient parking to Kinnick Stadium and postgame boxed lunch the good people of Iowa provided to the press box folk on Saturday.

He only smiled. It’s a media thing, and no one else cares. I get it.

Answer the question … please.

I thought for a moment. Had to. Because I didn’t think about the Buckeyes on my Sunday drive from Iowa while listening to WLW pregame chatter about the Bengals game, then the game, which ended in a disappointing loss. At that point I was nearing the state line, navigating never-ending Indiana I-70 road work, and turned on my Spotify list of favorites.

I’d had enough football for a while. Gimme some Eagles and Steely Dan.

After my friend grabbed some more fries, I provided my expert analysis.

Well, I began, the passing game might be the most dangerous in the country because of Smith, Smith and Sayin. Seems obvious, but I hadn’t previously paused long enough to consider the idea that that’s probably true. The running game just played its best game of the season at Iowa. The offensive line played better.

He nodded. We also agreed on the tastiness of the fried pickles.

The run defense for sure played its best game. The pass rush gained steam. The secondary isn’t locking everyone up, but you can see the talent. Devin Sanchez will be fine, he said.

Conclusion: the more the front six produces, the better the secondary looks.

The answer to his question is consistency.

The more each facet of the 2026 Buckeyes executes and produces consistently, the more and more difficult they will be to defeat. I mean, does anyone really think if they played Texas 10 times, they wouldn’t avoid a terribly inconsistent fourth quarter and win at least seven or eight of them.

I mean, isn’t Ohio State one quarter from being the unanimous No. 1.

So, yes, inconsistency might be the only way this team beats itself. The passing game is great. The rest is trending toward really good. And that might be good enough this season.

Consistency, however, is often wanted but rarely found.

Not like the repeated landmarks on my drive through rural Indiana, Illinois and Iowa: corn fields, bean fields, windmills, cell towers and orange barrels. A model of consistency.

Not predicting the Buckeyes will become consistent enough to win it all. But it’s their best chance.

I didn’t mention special teams. Those who put foot to ball might face the greatest challenge to be consistent. The field goal kicker may or may not be ready to make a kick to win the game. He missed one at Texas that would have been enough to win. And the punting is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you will get except that it will mostly be flavors you don’t care for.

Still, this is the team to beat in the Big Ten and a cinch to make the playoffs

And that’s not the fried pickles talking.

The Hawkeye Wave and the magic of that moment caught me by surprise. Stunned me, actually.

I expected it to be a neat thing, all of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium acknowledging the kids in the hospital as they watch from their top-floor perch high above the stadium. The entire stadium, including the players and coaches, turned to wave between the first and second quarters.

Many reporters in the front row of the press box waved. Being in there, especially in the second row, I hadn’t considered we could be a part of it.

But as it began, the experience moved my soul more than I could have imagined. I wish I had waved, but I couldn’t move. If I had, I might have cried.

I raised kids. I have grandkids. Any of them could be in that situation. Makes you count your blessings, and raises your empathy meter big time.

Jeremiah Smith’s greatness is measured by most people by his numbers because that’s the limit of their imaginations. That could also be the reason why he could lose the Biletnikoff Award because some guy at a Group of 6 school catches 120 passes against lame competition.

For those who don’t watch every second of every Ohio State game, here’s your assignment.

Watch him play. I mean, really watch. No one competes harder.

He never waits for the football to get to him. He snatches the aptly labeled Nike Vapor Elite out of the air with his sticky gloves like a bullfrog’s sticky tongue snaps the life out of a fly.

He precisely runs routes as if guided by a GPS.

He’s already the standard at wide receiver at Ohio State. Is he making a case as the greatest Buckeye ever? Maybe.

Archie Griffin owns two Heismans. Orlando Pace owns two Lombardis, an Outland and was fourth in the Heisman voting. A fun debate some day, or for this Saturday during the rout of Maryland.

Smith needs a Heisman to win that debate. Right now, he is the clear favorite.

Buckeye basketball doesn’t take center stage this week, but on Wednesday we get a first glimpse of the team Jake Diebler assembled after winning 21 games, finishing eighth in the Big Ten and playing in the NCAA Tournament.

Premature as it is, this team will be better and contend for more with a deeper array of talent. Call me crazy, and I know you will if you think Diebler isn’t cut out for this job.

But what I see is a growing culture that portends many good seasons. Championships? Too early to tell, but this basketball administration is not the train wreck many predicted.

The Buckeyes play an exhibition against Cincinnati outdoors on center court where the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament is held every year along I-71 across from Kings Island. The Buckeyes tip off at 3 p.m. followed by Dayton and Xavier in the CareSource Invitational.

If the Buckeyes crack the Big Ten top four and more favorable NCAA seeding, it will be because the holdovers got better, Cal transfer Justin Pippen is the answer at point guard, freshman Anthony Thompson plays like a five-star, added size means something and depth is a real thing.

Those are a lot of factors to count on. But all seem likely. I’m eager to see how all the new parts mesh with preseason all-Big Ten selection John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum.

An important element for this team will be depth to protect against injuries and allow for more aggressive defense, even some full-court action that Diebler very much wants to employ.

If so, the Buckeyes can only hope the fans will respond and fill more seats at the Schott.

Would be nice to see and hear.

And it will be nice if the football Buckeyes don’t have to wait nine years again to play a football game in Iowa City.