Bulletpoints: Kent State

• I'll start with the positives. First off, Jay Timmons is a ball player. I loved the back-to-back sequence where he crashed down here:

• Then was responsible for Riley Pettijohn's interception:

Timmons has great instincts and gives the defense really nice versatility on the back end.

• Pettijohn feels like one of those players who always finds a way to not just get to the football, but does it with speed and a purpose. He makes the middle of this defense much better when he's in the game.
• For the 25 years I've watched Ohio State, I've never seen them sign a player with more recruiting hype than Jeremiah Smith had. They've brought in plenty of guys over the years people immediately expected to be stars, but the talk surrounding Smith was something different. This was a guy getting praise as a top-ten NFL prospect the day he stepped foot on campus - and not by just the fanbase or the f̶a̶n̶b̶o̶y̶s̶ media covering the team. Somehow, he's exceeded that hype. Smith passing Michael Jenkins for No. 1 on the school's all-time receiving yards list is a well-deserved accomplishment, and it's likely that he'll be at the top of both the receptions and receiving TD category before we hit November, too. Enjoy these last two handful of games that he plays in Scarlet and Gray: we're watching arguably the best pure football player in program history.
• Khary Wilder was noticeable (once again) on the limited snaps he (once again) played. I'd like to see him in more than just a third-down rusher role - which is what Day said they're utilizing him as now in his postgame presser.
• I don't care that it's against Kent State: Chris Henry Jr. scoring a long touchdown where he showed off his ability after the catch is a great sign. This offense is in desperate need of playmakers outside of Smith. Getting a guy who has this in his bag more involved is a necessity:

• Alright, it's time to complain. Day and the players talked a lot this week about playing "angry/pissed off," which makes sense after the way they lost to Texas. That should be the baseline after any loss - much less one where they blew a 20-point fourth quarter lead. It also doesn't mean anything when their main issues have nothing to do with their effort level or playing with passion. Ohio State played focused and intense today. That didn't help them avoid some of the same mistakes and systemic flaws they showed against Texas.
• Day said he's, "Not really in a joking mood" after the game. So ungrateful after a 56-point win. Is he certified Lunatic Fringe now? Can Kirk Herbstreit please discuss this?