Ohio State rolled past Ball State 56-3 behind Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, then immediately shifted its attention to a monster road game at Texas.

Ohio State football didn’t spend much time celebrating Saturday.

The No. 1 Buckeyes handled Ball State 56-3 at Ohio Stadium, building a 28-3 halftime lead before Ryan Day began pulling key starters. But the season opener was treated almost like unfinished business once the final whistle sounded.

Next up: No. 5 Texas.

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Day said Ohio State’s players were given roughly 15 minutes to enjoy the victory before preparations shifted toward Austin and one of the biggest games of the young college football season.

“The minute we left the locker room, it’s on to Texas,” Day said.

That urgency makes sense.

Ohio State has beaten Texas in each of the past two seasons, including a 14-7 victory over the then-No. 1 Longhorns in last year’s opener. The Buckeyes also knocked Texas out of the College Football Playoff two seasons ago during their run to the national championship.

Before worrying about the Longhorns, however, Ohio State gave itself plenty to like Saturday.

Quarterback Julian Sayin was sharp, completing 21 of 25 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns before leaving early in the third quarter.

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was even more explosive.

Smith torched Ball State for 151 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the first half before Ohio State shut him down for the afternoon. Those numbers pushed Smith to 2,709 career receiving yards, moving him past Marvin Harrison Jr. on Ohio State’s all-time list.

Smith’s two touchdown receptions also gave him 29 for his career, moving him ahead of Cris Carter and into fifth place in school history.

That’s a productive afternoon for a player who barely saw the second half.

Day said the game plan was intentionally built around getting Smith involved early. That mission was accomplished, and once Ohio State had control, there was no reason to expose its biggest offensive weapon to unnecessary snaps.

Now the stakes change dramatically.

Ball State was a tune-up. Texas is a measuring stick.

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Day called next weekend’s trip a “monster game” and said Ohio State’s offseason preparation was built around being capable of winning games like this away from home.

Sayin made it clear the players have been thinking about Texas for months.

Ohio State took care of the easy part Saturday.

Now the real season begins.