The Ohio State Buckeyes took care of business against the Michigan State Spartans in their Big Ten debut. Their 38-7 win covered the 24-point spread and included a dominant second quarter. The Buckeyes were even more dominant than the score suggested, as they inserted backups before the start of the fourth quarter.

Of course, although the stars earned their roses, especially Jeremiah Smith, three breakout players emerged for the Buckeyes. We'll look at the trio of promising performances and what their development could mean for the next stretch of the schedule. 

Top Ohio State Breakout Performers vs. Michigan State

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Gee Scott Jr., TE

Gee Scott only had three catches for 14 yards and his first touchdown of the season, but understand that his involvement was something new. Prior to 2024, Scott had only caught 20 passes for 140 yards and two scores over three seasons. He had only one catch for five yards entering this matchup.

Ryan Day's offense has featured tight ends slightly more as he's gotten more talent at the position, namely Cade Stover. Scott, athletic and able to be a move tight end who creates mismatches, might be an even better weapon for Chip Kelly. 

Chip Kelly is proving to be the perfect mad genius to help Ryan Day's Ohio State offense hit its peak

The Ohio State Buckeyes welcomed their first Big Ten foe with a resounding answer as to whether they'd be ready for battle. Their beatdown of Michigan State went so well that both teams had backups in by the fourth quarter.  While the Ohio State defense represented itself more than well enough with three forced turnovers, […]

The toughest part of getting Scott more involved is taking targets away from other stars. But Kelly has done extremely well to distribute targets, and having Scott as a viable option against tougher foes who will key in on other playmakers. Plus, Ohio State's other tight ends are simply not playing well, so Scott almost has to be the receiving threat amongst the unit.

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Caden Curry, EDGE

Playing 19 snaps on Saturday, Caden Curry is emerging as the go-to reserve defensive end. This isn't shocking, but Curry outproduced every other pass-rusher on the team. That includes starters Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, who logged 33 snaps each.

We've been begging the Buckeyes' pass rush to play better, and Curry proved to be the solution. Mitchell Melton also had a few moments, logging one sack and a hurry. But Curry had two hits and two hurries, showing off better consistency and impact level. 

Ryan Day's involvement in defensive rotation is a damning sign for key Ohio State assistant

The Ohio State Buckeyes sit 3-0 and have blown out each opponent thus far, but Saturday's contest against Marshall revealed a concern for Ryan Day and one of his staff members. With the Big Ten schedule starting this week, as Ohio State travels to Michigan State, one potential area for weakness has emerged. Day stepped […]

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Jermaine Mathews Jr., CB

The second cornerback spot across from Denzel Burke has been a bit of an uncertainty this season. Davison Igbinosun has had some good moments this season but had a rough game in Week 5. He was the lowest-rated player on the Buckeyes' roster by PFF, which matched the eye test.

In his place was Jermaine Mathews Jr. Mathews rotated in for 16 snaps and certainly held his own. He was targeted three times, allowing two catches for 20 yards, but one of those went for 16. Compare that to four receptions on five targets for 69 yards and a touchdown for Igbinoson. 

It's too early to say we'll see a change in the starting lineup, but Ohio State might be seeing its future emerging in Mathews. I wouldn't be surprised if the Buckeyes are starting Mathews and two freshmen in 2025 and Igbinoson transfers elsewhere, based on the early results of this season and how the recruiting board is playing out.