COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State is done with its nonconference schedule, and it's accomplished everything any realistic fan could've asked for.

The Buckeyes beat No. 1 Texas in the opener, which remains one of the best wins by any team. They blew out Grambling State, as expected, and handled Ohio on Saturday, winning 37-9 despite struggling in the red zone.

Ohio State enters its first idle week ranked No. 1 in the AP poll and second in scoring defense (5.3 points per game) with only two touchdowns allowed, and it is bringing along a new quarterback and backfield. Though there's room for Ohio State to grow, it deserves credit for replacing 14 NFL draftees and still looking like one of the best teams in the country.

The Buckeyes will be tested on the road for the first time on Sept. 27 against Washington. But first, here are some final thoughts from Ohio State's win over the Bobcats:

The first three games were used for Julian Sayin, a five-star recruit who played sparingly in his first year, to learn and for the coaching staff to understand what he could handle before Big Ten play.

Against Texas, Ohio State learned that the first-year starter could handle a big moment and still deliver the ball accurately. Against Grambling, Ohio State showed off Sayin's elite ball placement. Against the Bobcats, he did so again, but the question for the California native is how well he can throw the ball in the red zone.

He didn't have a big issue against Grambling State, throwing touchdowns to Carnell Tate from 13 yards out and Jeremiah Smith from 9 yards, but he did have an interception.

Young quarterbacks can be inconsistent in the red zone because the field shrinks and timing and accuracy become even more important. Sayin is deadly accurate, but it's timing and knowing where to look where he struggled a bit against Ohio, hitting 4 of 8 passes in the red zone.

He was just a step slow on where his eyes needed to be:

On fourth down on the first drive, he faced zone coverage and looked to Tate right away on the slant. Although the linebacker and corner took him away, Tate came open across the middle, but right tackle Phillip Daniels got pushed into Sayin's lap, so he had to move before he wanted to. If he had time, that was a touchdown to Tate, and he missed CJ Donaldson, who was open in the flat early. When I watched the play back on Sunday, it wasn't as egregious of a miss as I thought live, but you'd like for that to be a quicker read.

Then there was another read in the red zone, in the second quarter:

Ohio State ran a similar concept earlier in the game, which led to Tate getting a one-on-one fade.

This time, instead of looking at the sideline, where Brandon Inniss came in motion and then beat his man, Sayin looked to the middle of the field at Smith, who was working across the back of the end zone. Smith got open late, but the pressure forced him out of the pocket. Again, this is just eyes: He never looks at Inniss, which is something he'll learn from.

Outside of the red zone mishaps, Sayin has been better than I thought he would be. When he throws the ball, he's incredibly accurate and his ball placement looks a lot like C.J. Stroud. He's that good.

He didn't throw deep against Texas, but against Grambling and Ohio, the Buckeyes opened it up more. He completed four passes at least 30 yards downfield against Ohio, two of which were touchdowns.

His two interceptions on Saturday aren't a major cause for concern. I was looking forward to seeing his 2-minute drill, but he got unlucky that the defensive lineman made a nice play tipping his pass at the line of scrimmage. The second one was a pass protection break down where he should've just taken the sack. That's on him, but still not something I'm too worried about because Max Klare was wide-open on the play, so he made the right read.

Through three games, he's second in the country in completion percentage and third in pass efficiency rating. That's pretty good for a first-year starter.

The reason people are so excited about freshman Bo Jackson getting into the lineup is his explosiveness, which is something both Donaldson and James Peoples lacked through three games. Between the two of them, their longest run of the year has been the 27-yarder by Donaldson against Grambling State.

Jackson has made an immediate impact. His first college carry was a touchdown against Grambling, and his 64-yard run against Ohio is a perfect display of his home run ability.

If you watch that 64-yard run, you'll see it's not just the speed that is impressive. It's his ability to break a tackle in the hole, get to the second level, make defenders miss and then run away from them.

Ohio State will find the best way to manage all three, because Peoples and Donaldson aren't going anywhere, but it's clear Jackson needs a sizable role, regardless of opponent.

After the game, it didn't seem like coach Ryan Day was too upset about what he got from the rushing attack. After all, Ohio State ran for 225 yards and averaged 7.3 yards per carry.

But the Buckeyes weren't efficient in the red zone, and that put a lot on Sayin's shoulders. Ohio deserves credit for playing with a lot of heart in the red zone, but while Ohio State's offensive line looked good in the middle of the field, the mistakes were amplified inside the 20. Linemen missed blocks or didn't hold them the way many expected.

On this play, Tegra Tshabola got beat off the ball, forcing Donaldson to take a different hole before running into a defender who center Carson Hinzman was on until the hole shifted. The play before that, there appeared to be a miscommunication up front as the pulling guard and the tight end blocked a defensive end, while a linebacker came in clean to tackle Donaldson.

I think there's also a lack of burst or elusiveness from the running backs in the red zone, as well. Ohio struggled in the open field because it wanted to stop the run with its safeties in the box, but it couldn't play man on the outside the entire game. When it got inside the 10, it got its safeties involved. Between them and the linebackers, they filled running lanes well and finished tackles.

Ohio State will spend much of this week trying to figure out its red zone offense and its rushing attack because it has to improve in Big Ten play.

Ohio State had a fantastic plan for Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro.

The Bobcats' star quarterback injured his hand in the first half, missing much of the second quarter, but he returned in the second half and finished with 94 passing yards, one touchdown and 3 yards rushing.

Ohio was outmatched by a bigger, stronger and more athletic Ohio State defense, but defensive coordinator Matt Patricia put together a strong game plan, and the defensive line plus linebacker Arvell Reese executed it to perfection.

The first thing Ohio State had to do was stop the run. I thought going into the game that if Ohio State forced Navarro to be a passer, it would have success against the Bobcats. Stopping the run had to be the priority, and Ohio ran the ball 34 times for just 68 yards. Its longest run was 11 yards.

Staying in running lanes was key. Kayden McDonald'd sack happened because defensive end C.J. Hicks made a smart play to contain quarterback Nick Poulos inside the pocket, allowing McDonald to get upfield.

The entire defensive line played a part. Defensive end Caden Curry had his best game, finishing with seven pressures, one sack and one pass breakup. Beau Atkinson and Hicks had three pressures, according to TruMedia, and Kenyatta Jackson, McDonald and Reese had two pressures.

Reese acted as a spy against Navarro and chased him down throughout the game, keeping him either in the pocket or limiting what he could do outside of the pocket. Saturday's performance shows a good blueprint for how Ohio State will handle mobile quarterbacks throughout the year.

Day wanted to see more from his special teams unit on Saturday, especially on punt returns. The Buckeyes flashed more potential there, though they still had some mishaps.

Inniss fielded six punts and fair-caught all but two of them, one of which he returned for 28 yards, his longest of the season. Smith caught a punt too and lost 6 yards. The Buckeyes were also called for a block in the back on a punt.

None of it was going to make a major difference in Saturday's final score, but it remains a good thing for Ohio State to focus on before Big Ten play.

I know people expect so much from Ohio State receivers that it's hard to see a receiver go with zero catches in a game in which the Buckeyes attempted 32 passes.

Despite the lack of involvement, I think Inniss played well. I thought he did a nice job of winning against man coverage, including in the red zone, but zone coverage is hit or miss and dictated by the play call and designated reads.

Just because Inniss wasn't targeted in the game doesn't mean he wasn't open. There were multiple times when I watched the game and thought, "That's a nice route by Inniss," only for the ball to go elsewhere.

Inniss has five targets this year and five receptions, but he's playing with Tate, who has 14 targets and 12 receptions, and Smith, who has 26 targets and 20 receptions. Those two have to get their targets each game, along with the plethora of tight ends. If Sayin is going to throw the ball 18 times a game, like he's averaging now, and Smith and Tate get 13 of those per game, there are limited targets to go around. And when Sayin misses him for a touchdown or elsewhere, it's hard to notice his potential impact.

Ohio State still loves what Inniss brings to the field, and it will get him the ball as the season progresses.

Ohio State has a lot to like in Julian Sayin, Bo Jackson: What I learned from Ohio