Ohio State just lost a game it controlled for three quarters. The Buckeyes led Texas 23-3 heading into the fourth, then watched it slip away in a 24-23 collapse that’s already fueling doubts about their season. But former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy sees a more specific concern with wide receiver Jeremiah Smith’s usage for head coach Ryan Day.

McElroy laid out his case on ESPN’s College Football YouTube channel, breaking down his top 10 takeaways for Week 2. When he got to Ohio State, his concern centered on the lack of production behind Smith and whether the Buckeyes have enough depth in the receivers unit when defenses take Smith away.

“The one thing, though, that we have to go back to, and it’s a little bit of a concern, every single Ohio State receiver outside of Jeremiah Smith caught a combined two passes, two all night,” McElroy said. “The entire rest of the room. And I love Devin McCuin. I love Brandon Inniss. They got targeted five times between them. They caught one. So when Texas drops a linebacker underneath Smith, brackets him over the top, who is going to be the secondary guy that can step up? And Julian Sayin kept trying to throw it in that direction either way.”

The former QB believes that the Buckeyes rely heavily on Smith, and Texas utilized that to their advantage, resulting in a historic win over No. 1 Ohio State. WR Devin McCuin and Brandon Inniss combined for just five targets and one catch, which isn’t enough from a receiver room that is supposed to have more than one reliable option.

McElroy pointed out that Sayin struggled across the board, completing under 40% of his throws under pressure, from the pocket, and when targeting receivers. Once the Longhorns took away Smith, Sayin kept looking his way instead of finding other options.

He believes Sayin has potential, noting that he completed 77% of passes in the 2025 season. But he warned that Sayin has to look beyond Smith when defenses make him the obvious target.

Ohio State’s offense completely stalled after halftime. The Buckeyes ran 39 plays in the first half but only 26 in the second, and their six second-half possessions ended with a field goal, three punts, a missed field goal, and an interception. The Buckeyes managed just 27 snaps in the fourth quarter, as their defense was on the field for more than 10 of 15 minutes.

“And that defense didn’t necessarily collapse,” McElroy said. “The defense did not get enough help from the offense and could not stay on the grass. Right? So, here’s where the panic is wrong. Ryan Day has already proven that he can make tweaks. He’s done this before….And I believe that this year’s case will prove that out as well because, ‘hey, it’s adapt or die’. And that’s been Ryan Day’s approach this whole offseason.”

However, McElroy does not believe that the mistakes made in the Week 2 loss will be a season-long problem for the Buckeyes. He pointed to Day’s willingness to make tough decisions, which included benching a starting lineman a week before and rebuilding a defense after the 2024 Oregon loss, that led the program to a national title.

Though the loss to Texas exposed a problem, McElroy believes Day should make necessary adjustments rather than let one bad loss define the season.