Ohio State football is in transition in 2026, specifically on defense
Ohio State football is undergoing significant changes in 2026, particularly on defense. The team has lost several key players and is adjusting to a new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith. USC aims to capitalize on these transitions when they face Ohio State as Big Ten opponents for the first time.
- ▪Ohio State will have a different offensive coordinator for the fourth consecutive season, with Arthur Smith taking over the role.
- ▪The Buckeyes have lost several key defensive players, including Downs, Reese, and Kayden McDonald, who all opted to skip their final college seasons.
- ▪USC's offense is expected to exploit favorable matchups against Ohio State's transitioning defense.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ohio-state-football-transition-2026-132616718.html","headline":"Ohio State football is in transition in 2026, specifically on defense","datePublished":"2026-05-24T13:26:16.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-24T13:26:16.000Z","keywords":["Ohio State","Arthur Smith","USC football","offensive coordinator","Jeremiah Smith","Atlanta Falcons","Buckeyes","Penn State","Big Ten football","USC","Cortez Hankton","Sonny Styles","Pittsburgh Steelers","Tennessee Titans","Quincy Porter","South Florida","Kayden McDonald","Mylan Graham","Tegra Tshabola","James Peoples","Illinois","Kentucky","Max Klare","Oklahoma"],"description":"Ohio State should be very good this season, but USC is facing an opponent…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Yahoo Sports.