Jeremiah Smith keeps pushing the ceiling higher for Ohio State, and Saturday’s 42-19 win over Illinois gave him another shot at the record book.
The Buckeyes were walking into their Big Ten opener with a familiar talking point hanging over them: could anyone besides Smith be trusted to take pressure off the star receiver? Smith answered that question in loud fashion.
He put together a huge day, and the most eye-catching part came early - three touchdown catches in the first half alone. He wasn’t finished there.
Smith ended with 12 receptions for 217 yards and four touchdowns. It was the first four-touchdown receiving game by an Ohio State player since Noah Brown in 2016. More importantly for the Buckeyes’ history books, Smith is now one touchdown away from the all-time Ohio State receiving touchdown mark.
That record belongs to Chris Olave, who finished with 35 career touchdown catches. Smith has 34, which puts him in position to at least tie the mark next weekend against Iowa.
If he shows up the way he did against Illinois, he could break it then. Even with double coverage showing up often, Illinois never found an answer.
Julian Sayin was a big reason Smith had that kind of afternoon. The quarterback was sharp, going 27 of 36 for 367 yards and four touchdowns. He added 29 rushing yards and another score on the ground, giving Ohio State production in just about every phase of the passing game.
Still, the Buckeyes can’t let Smith’s brilliance hide the problems that showed up in the win. Ohio State is 42-19 over Illinois, but the defense and run game both left room for concern, especially with tougher games coming fast.
Illinois ran for 199 yards on 31 carries, a 6-yard average that Ohio State can’t afford to keep giving up. Matt Patricia has to get that cleaned up.
The Buckeyes also continue to hold Khary Wilder back from playing as many snaps as possible, something that stands out as a coaching miss. And on offense, Ohio State still hasn’t produced a 100-yard rusher in a game.
The next chance to sharpen things up comes against Iowa, which will be the Buckeyes’ first real test since the Texas fiasco.
In Other News...
Ohio State Freshman Legend Bey May Have A Bigger Problem Than Playing Time
Legend Beys first season at Ohio State has already been shaped by interruption, and not just because of the usual freshman learning curve. After an earlier suspension and an ankle injury, the running back has been working from behind for playing time, and his role has stayed limited as the Buckeyes have moved through the season. Even in areas where young players can sometimes find a foothold, his path has been narrow.
The latest sign came against Illinois, when Bey did not play and another player handled his kick-return work instead. For a freshman trying to earn more than a spot in the rotation, that kind of move can say plenty about where he stands with the staff. If the concerns run deeper than health or depth-chart traffic, it could become a bigger issue for Bey as he looks to settle his future in Columbus. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Future Talent Pipeline Is Starting To Look Different
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The next wave looks just as promising, if a little different in how it is forming. Ohio State has five commitments in the 2028 class, four of them top 100 prospects, led by quarterback Christopher Vargas at No. 4 nationally, and even the 2029 class already has a foothold with wide receiver Austin Miller, ranked No. 50. For a program that has long built its roster on blue-chip talent, the real question is how this early momentum will translate when the class rankings and the pressure both start to rise. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Growing Running Back Problem Behind Ja'Kobi Jackson
Ohio State got the win over Illinois in Week 4, but the running back room left Ryan Day with a lot to sort through. The group finished with 122 rushing yards, and Ja'Kobi Jackson accounted for the best of it with 56 yards and a touchdown, giving the Buckeyes a steadier presence than they got from the rest of the rotation.
What followed was more revealing than the box score. Day publicly singled out sophomores Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, questioning their effort when compared with Ja'Kobi Jackson, and the backdrop here is not just one uneven afternoon but a position group dealing with injuries and inconsistent play. For Ohio State, the bigger concern is whether there is a reliable answer behind Ja'Kobi Jackson, because right now the depth chart looks far less settled than a contender would prefer. [Read more 🡒]