Eric Boggs
Ohio State fans who have been paying close attention, especially those who listen to The OHIO Podcast, won’t be surprised by what they’ve seen from freshman running back Bo Jackson. His vision, burst, power, and physical running style have been discussed for weeks, and on Saturday night in Ohio Stadium, he made it clear to everyone else: the Buckeyes have found their next star in the backfield.
Jackson carried the ball just nine times against Ohio University, but turned those touches into 109 yards, averaging a staggering 12.1 yards per carry. His 64-yard dash down the sideline, where he shed multiple defenders and stiff-armed another before being shoved out of bounds, was the type of run that changes the complexion of an offense. Even without that play, Jackson averaged more than five and a half yards per attempt, consistently creating big gains in key moments.
“Bo has some home run-hitting ability, which is a weapon for us and we’ll figure out how that fits in moving forward,” Ryan Day said after the game. “And the more he plays, the more he’s gonna learn. But you can see the vision and you can see the explosiveness.”
The difference when Jackson is on the field is striking. Ohio State’s offense looks faster, sharper, and far more difficult to defend when he’s taking carries. While C.J. Donaldson and James Peoples have provided depth and solid moments, Jackson is the one who makes defensive coordinators nervous. As Chris Simms noted during the broadcast, the Buckeyes’ elite wide receivers can only be fully utilized if defenses are forced to respect the run game. Jackson gives Ohio State that balance.
Even his teammates recognize his impact. “I’ve been saying it. Like I said, Bo Jackson is that guy,” wide receiver Jeremiah Smith said. “You’re gonna be seeing that throughout the rest of the season.”
Jackson’s emergence doesn’t mean the other backs are irrelevant. Donaldson remains a strong short-yardage option, while Peoples flashed in the second half against the Bobcats with 47 yards on seven carries. As a team, Ohio State finished with 225 rushing yards on 31 attempts, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. But even Ryan Day admitted the Buckeyes have more to clean up, particularly in the red zone, where too many promising drives ended in field goals. “I don’t know if (rushing struggles are) so much the story as it is just not converting in the red zone,” Day said. “When you have, on 63 plays, just under 600 yards, I think it’s more about when we got down to the red zone, we weren’t able to execute. And those runs were not efficient.”
Still, the message is clear: Ohio State has found something special in No. 25. His vision allows him to hit holes with patience and purpose, his burst eliminates pursuit angles, and his physicality wears down defenses. Defenders see it too. “He’s a good player, I feel like he’s flashing, making the plays that I expect him to make because I see it every day in practice,” safety Jaylen McClain said.
Now comes the bye week and then the gauntlet of Big Ten play, starting with a road trip to Washington. It’s one thing to rack up yards against Ohio; it’s another to prove it against conference contenders. But everything about Jackson’s early performances suggests he’s ready for the spotlight. If Ohio State leans into his talent, he could be the piece that unlocks the full potential of this offense and helps fuel another championship run.
Saturday night might not have been the official announcement, but it felt like the beginning of the Bo Jackson era in Columbus. And if you’ve been tuned into The OHIO Podcast, you knew it was only a matter of time.
