​Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Arthur Smith talks to head coach Ryan Day during the first practice of training camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center in Columbus on Aug. 6, 2026. | Source: Lastwordonsports.com – Drew CrabtreeThe wait is nearly over! The 2026 Ohio State Buckeyes are about to take on the Ball State Cardinals for the first time in program history. In addition to the 51 new players on the roster, Ryan Day added a few assistant coaches to his staff this offseason. The most polarizing figure among them all is Arthur Smith. Will another failed NFL head coach pay dividends for the Buckeyes under Day? It worked with Chip Kelly and Matt Patricia, so the Buckeyes have earned the benefit of the doubt.The Ohio State offense was efficient last year, but frustrating, especially when it came to the big games. What is different? How will it perform against a perceived lesser opponent?The Arthur Smith Era in Columbus BeginsThe Best FiveThe Ohio State offense returns eight starters on offense. Of those, four are on the offensive line. In today’s college football landscape, where older, more experienced teams are built to make a run in the College Football Playoff, this should be a massive source of optimism.However, there is some pessimism surrounding the offensive line. Of course, the Lunatic Fringe™ are never truly happy, so grain of salt.Even those not in the Fringe have recency bias surrounding the offensive line. Against Indiana and Miami, it struggled. However, when you return a unit as strong as Ohio State, you have to expect it to be better.While nothing has been announced, the Ohio State offensive line looks like it’ll be, from left to right, Ian Moore (third-year), Luke Montgomery (fourth-year), Carson Hinzman (fifth-year), Austin Sierveld (fourth-year), and Phillip Daniels (fourth-year). That combination of offensive linemen totals 89 starts and 5,947 career snaps.Smith was brought in to fix the running game. The last time Day brought in a former NFL coach to fix the run game and call the offense was in that national championship season.The PlaymakersOhio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) looks to hand the ball off to Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.Behind that offensive line, Julian Sayin returns as the first quarterback to enter a second season under Day since C.J. Stroud’s 2022 season. Last year, he led college football in completion percentage and added 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns with just eight interceptions in his first season of college football. He was great, but he knows that he can be more. The team elected him as captain for a reason.If there is an area in which Sayin will have to improve, it would be his scrambling ability. He doesn’t have to be Braxton Miller or even Will Howard, but if Sayin can just take the free yards or roll out to give his receivers time to cook, i