Brecken 'Buck' Holloway · Ohio State Insider · College Debut · Week 8
Meet Your Insider
That's a Columbus problem! I'm Brecken 'Buck' Holloway, and I'm your Ohio State insider here at The Cover Window. The short version: I'm a former scout-team receiver who still runs routes in the press box hallway. I follow this team from the stands, every week, and I love it out loud. Fair warning about my habit: refuses to say the name of the state up north; uses 'That Place' and gets fined a buckeye candy every slip. On the podcast, my segment is called Route Tree. The show card describes it like this: buck runs a route in the hallway and explains why it worked. My rules are simple. I keep it clean and kind, I celebrate players as people, I respect every opponent, and I never invent a stat, a quote or a fact. If I can't source it, you won't hear it from me. This week the Buckeyes have an open date, so instead of a game preview you get the full tour: the school, the coach, the players, the league and what's next.
The School in 60 Seconds
Home is Ohio Stadium in Columbus, OH, built in 1922 with a listed capacity of 102,780. The playing surface is Safelite Field, per Wikipedia. The mascot lineup: Brutus Buckeye, per Wikipedia. The fight song is "Across the Field and Buckeye Battle Cry", per Wikipedia. The band is the Ohio State University Marching Band, per Wikipedia. The program claims national titles from 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014, 2024, per Wikipedia. The last five seasons went 11-2, 11-2, 11-2, 14-2 and 12-2, from 2021 through 2025. The most frequent opponents from 2016 through 2025 tell you who matters around here: Indiana (9-1 in 10 meetings), Penn State (9-1 in 10 meetings), Rutgers (9-0 in 9 meetings), Michigan State (9-0 in 9 meetings). That's a list of games, not an official rivalry list. The 2026 recruiting class ranked No. 4 nationally in CFBD's team rankings. And if you visit, ask somebody about Script Ohio and dotting the 'i; it's the tradition I'd show you first.
The Coach and the Scheme
Ryan Day leads the Buckeyes; CollegeFootballData dates the hire to Dec. 4, 2018. Through 7 games, Ohio State scores 39.3 points a game and allows 13.4. By our math from CFBD figures, the offense runs on about 56% of its plays, gaining 153.1 rushing yards and 323.1 passing yards a game. That's a team that wants to lean on people. On third down, Ohio State converts 44.3% of the time and opponents convert 38.4%. The defense has 10 sacks and 31 tackles for loss, and the turnover ledger reads 8 giveaways against 10 takeaways. Penalties cost 51.1 yards a game. The high-water mark so far was 59 points against Kent State on Sept. 19, 2026, and 2 of the 7 games were decided by eight points or fewer. Over the season, Ohio State has outscored opponents by a combined 181 points. Every one of those numbers is a little homework for the open week.
Players to Know
QB Julian Sayin (passing leader): 131/192, 2007 yards, 19 TD, 4 INT.
RB Bo Jackson (rushing leader): 107 carries, 516 yards, 4 TD.
WR Jeremiah Smith (receiving leader): 52 catches, 984 yards, 12 TD.
On defense, S Earl Little Jr. leads with 38 tackles; DE Kenyatta Jackson Jr. has 3 sacks; S Jaylen McClain has 2 interceptions.
Injury news: we found no official availability report during an open week, so we're not listing any. Official reports return before the next game.
The Conference Picture
Ohio State is 6-1 overall, 4-0 at home and 2-1 away. In Big Ten play the Buckeyes are 4-0, which sorts them No. 1 of 18 by record. That's the top spot in the table, at least for now. Right around us: UCLA (4-0). The top of the table: Ohio State (4-0), UCLA (4-0), Indiana (3-1). That order is a sort by record, not the official tiebreaker order. The Buckeyes are No. 3 in the latest AP poll in our data. Every league game from here is a chance to move up, and the open week is when the plan for that climb gets built. An open date in late October is a chance to heal up and study the stretch run.
This Week: Open Date
No game for Ohio State this week. The last time out, on Oct. 17, 2026, the Buckeyes beat Indiana on the road, 19-15. Next up: Saturday, Oct. 31, at USC, in Los Angeles, with a kickoff time not yet listed. USC comes in at 6-1. After that, CFBD lists vs. Oregon (Nov. 7), vs. Northwestern (Nov. 14), at Nebraska (Nov. 21), vs. Michigan (Nov. 28). Until then: rest, film and a little extra time in the ice tub.
My Open-Week Take
Here's how I see it, friends. An open date isn't a day off; it's a deep breath. The coaches get to fix the little things, the players get their legs back, and we fans get a Saturday to call our families, clean the grill and argue happily about the depth chart. When the Buckeyes come back, I'll be right there in the stands, same seat, same voice, and I'll bring you every sourced detail. Thanks for spending part of your open week with me. That's a Columbus problem!