Ohio State football opened the 2026 season with a dominant 56-3 win over Ball State, a game that went about as expected. The Buckeyes had the majority of their starters out by midway through the third quarter, allowing depth pieces to rotate in and get reps.

Now, Ohio State has a big-time matchup on Saturday against Texas in Week 2 of the college football season. 

Coming off the opener, a few storylines are worth tracking as the Buckeyes prepare for a significant step up in competition.

Quarterback Luke Fahey has unseated Tavien St. Clair as the backup

The backup quarterback spot was a major talking point coming out of the Ball State game. True freshman Luke Fahey was the second quarterback into the game behind starter Julian Sayin, while sophomore Tavien St. Clair was the third quarterback in for the Buckeyes. Fahey unseating St. Clair to this point is a notable development. The 5-foot-11 California three-star recruit was underrated for his height coming out of high school, but Ohio State thinks he looks the part at quarterback since arriving on campus.

If Fahey has already passed St. Clair despite the sophomore having a year’s head start, that’s a big storyline. Neither will play against Texas unless something goes wrong with Sayin, but this is a situation worth monitoring throughout the season. Whether Fahey has solidified the No. 2 spot for good, or whether this remains an even battle where St. Clair still has a chance to be that second guy, could have lasting implications. Where St. Clair sits on the depth chart at the end of the season could go a long way in determining whether he stays on the team next year or enters the transfer portal.

The backup running back competition is far from settled

The second running back behind Bo Jackson was Florida transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson, and he played well against Ball State with 83 yards on 8 carries and 1 touchdown. It was Jackson who received the bulk of the second-team carries over Isaiah West, who had generated plenty of offseason buzz as a potential split-carry option alongside Bo Jackson.

In the opener, that split didn’t materialize. West had just five carries for 27 yards, and Ja’Kobi Jackson was the better player against the lesser opponent. Ohio State could have more things to work through on who’s going to be the second most-used running back. Freshman Legend Bey also had six carries for 37 yards, so this spot is far from solidified. Ohio State looks to have a committee of running backs at their disposal this season, not a bad thing. 

Legend Bey’s role against Texas will be telling

Bey had a good showing for the most part against Ball State, but he did have a couple of mistakes on kickoff returns when he brought kicks out of the end zone that he shouldn’t have. Teammate Brandon Inniss tried to tell him not to, and Ohio State coach Ryan Day wasn’t happy with those decisions by Bey. It will be worth watching whether Ohio State still goes with Bey as the kick returner against Texas. There’s reason to doubt that happens.

Beyond the return game, how much Ohio State utilizes Bey on offense against Texas is going to provide a barometer for how serious the coaching staff views his fit in their game plans this season against a quality opponent. Bey caught two passes for 37 yards and a touchdown against Ball State, showing his ability to make defenders miss and create explosive plays. How much Ohio State plays him Saturday is going to be a preview of what to expect from the freshman this season.