'We're not intimidated at all': Ball State gears up for No. 1 Ohio State

Coaches give the impression that they are never satisfied, and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day professes to be no different when assessing his top-ranked team, despite having Heisman Trophy hopefuls in quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, plus an abundance of talent elsewhere that is the envy of many programs.

So, with the Buckeyes (12-2 in 2025) a 50-point favorite over Ball State in the season opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, Day sees a work in progress.

"We have a monster schedule, and I think that we have 51 new guys, so there's a lot of unknown," Day said. "Our guys have the right attitude. We have a chance to be a smart team, but we're going to have to be a disciplined team.

"There's a lot of things that I've seen that are encouraging, that's been good, but we're nowhere near where we need to be."

Ball State (4-8 in 2025) isn't expected to be among the Buckeyes' toughest opponents, but the Cardinals will serve as a stepping stone to the Ohio State showdown vs. No. 5 Texas in Austin on Sept. 12.

"In this game right here, the first thing that you want is to play clean. We can control everything that happens before the snap," Day said.

This season, the Buckeyes -- who lost to Miami 24-14 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals last season -- also will play at No. 22 Iowa, at sixth-ranked and defending national champion Indiana, and at No. 14 USC, with home games vs. No. 2 Oregon and No. 16 Michigan.

The aura surrounding Ohio State, which won the inaugural CFP championship in the 2014 season and again in 2024, can be overwhelming, but Ball State defensive back Derek "DJ" Fields said he believes his team is up to the challenge.

"We're not intimidated at all," Fields said. "Everybody knows Ohio State is a big-name school, but at the end of the day if we go in and execute at our level, we will be in the game and have a shot."

The Cardinals, under second-year coach Mike Uremovich, are rebuilding, with just seven returning starters (five on offense) and 59 new players -- 35 via the transfer portal.

One transfer is starting quarterback Keldric Luster, who came from Texas State after two seasons with SMU.

"I feel like we are all really tight, honestly," Luster said. "As more things get brought into the game plan, and the more we practice it, the more the confidence level goes up."

Still, it will take a Herculean effort to hang with the Buckeyes, who have four of five starters returning on the offensive line to protect Sayin, who finished fourth in Heisman voting in 2025, his first season as a starter.

He is working with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach who joined Day's staff after serving as the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator.

Sayin passed for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns last season, completing 77% of his passes. He threw eight interceptions.

"He continues to impress. He doesn't feel like a young player to me because he sees the game so well," Arthur Smith said. "He understands football. He's so smart."

The Buckeyes have replaced eight starters on defense, the same number as last season, before they went on to lead the nation in total defense and scoring defense.

--Field Level Media