It doesn’t take much to stir up Ohio State-Michigan talk, and Jeremiah Smith has already given fans plenty to chew on.
Through five games, the Buckeyes’ star wideout has piled up 823 receiving yards on 44 catches with nine touchdowns. That works out to about 165 yards per game, which leads all wide receivers nationally.
The number that really jumps off the page, though, is how close that average comes to Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood’s passing output. Underwood is at 176 passing yards per game, which ranks 99th in FBS.
Jeremiah Smith is nearly averaging more receiving yards per game than Bryce Underwood is averaging passing yards. pic.twitter.com/GvlbSMtK4G
That kind of split is bound to get attention, especially with The Game always looming in the background. Smith has been the center of Ohio State’s attack, and the production has been loud.
He went for 217 yards and four touchdowns against Illinois, then followed that with 206 yards and two scores at Iowa. The junior also already holds Ohio State’s career marks for receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches.
What makes Smith so hard to handle is the full package: size, speed, and the ability to win contested catches. Defenses have had no consistent answer for him yet.
Michigan, meanwhile, has been under a brighter and less flattering spotlight on offense. Underwood, a sophomore, has flashed as a dual-threat, but the inconsistency has been hard to ignore. His completion rate is below 60 percent, the downfield accuracy has been shaky, and turnovers have piled up with 4 interceptions against 5 touchdowns.
Michigan head coach Kyle Whittingham has pointed to more than just quarterback play, saying the offensive problems run deeper. Analyst and Wolverine-beater Urban Meyer called it “a train wreck,” and the issues have been tied to scheme fit and execution.
The numbers across the board tell the story. Michigan is averaging 23 points per game, which ranks 105th nationally. The Wolverines are 111th in passing at 180 yards per game, 100th in rushing, and 122nd in total offense among 138 FBS teams.
Ohio State’s profile looks much stronger: 14th in scoring, 2nd in passing, and 7th in total offense. The one softer spot is the run game, where the Buckeyes sit 71st nationally.
For now, Smith’s pace stands as one of the most eye-catching individual stories in the sport. For Michigan fans, it’s also a reminder of just how wide the gap looks on offense right now.
In Other News...
Ohio State Has A New PFF Debate As O-Line Questions Linger
As Ohio State keeps sorting out its offensive front, the conversation has spilled into an old debate about how to judge line play in the first place. Left guard Luke Montgomery pushed back on Pro Football Focus, arguing that offensive linemen are too dependent on each other for individual grades to tell the full story. It is a familiar complaint in football circles, but it lands differently when the Buckeyes are still working through personnel and continuity issues up front.
Ryan Day has already acknowledged the line is in a stretch of adjustment because of Phillip Daniels' injury, and the staff is still trying to integrate him back into the mix. For Ohio State, that leaves the spotlight on both performance and perception, with the Buckeyes trying to stabilize a unit where communication and cohesion matter as much as any single snap. The grading debate may never go away, but it is especially loud when the line itself is still very much a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has A Growing Devin Sanchez Problem To Fix Fast
Devin Sanchez has been drawing too much attention for the wrong reasons over the last two games, with the sophomore cornerback flagged multiple times for pass interference and now sitting at five penalties on the season. It has become a real issue for Ohio States secondary, because the Buckeyes can live with aggressive coverage, but not the kind that repeatedly hands opponents free yardage and extends drives.
Ryan Day has already made clear the answer starts with better composure and cleaner technique, and secondary coach Tim Walton is working on a plan to address it in practice. The timing matters with Maryland coming next and a passing offense that will put Sanchez back in the spotlight, giving him a chance to show the kind of correction Ohio State needs fast. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio Prospect Brydon Feister Is Stuck In A Fight Fans Need To Watch
The eligibility case involving Brydon Feister has become one more offseason subplot worth watching in northeast Ohio, where high school football and basketball families know how much can ride on a ruling like this. Brydon and his brother Brayton, both from Massillon, were ruled ineligible by the Ohio High School Athletic Association after a transfer dispute centered on whether the familys move was made for athletic reasons, a judgment that can reshape a players immediate future even before any college talk gets louder.
For Ohio State fans, the interest goes beyond one local prospect and into the broader question of how quickly this can be settled. The Feisters maintain the move was about residence, while the OHSAA has taken the opposite view, and now the matter is in Stark County Common Pleas Court, where a judge is expected to rule Friday on whether the associations decision will stand. The next step could determine how long Brydon stays stuck in limbo. [Read more 🡒]