Jeremiah Smith keeps making Ohio State look different.
The Buckeyes are still sitting at No. 5 in the country as they head into this weekend’s matchup with Maryland, and the offense has been the engine again. Even after the minor setback a few weeks ago against Texas, Ohio State has stayed among the nation’s best teams, with Smith driving a huge chunk of that production.
The star receiver has been operating on another level. Through the first five games, Smith has caught 44 passes for 823 yards and nine touchdowns, and he has gone over 200 yards in back-to-back games. He has given quarterback Julian Sayin exactly what every quarterback dreams of: a true go-to target who changes the way defenses have to play.
That connection between Sayin and Smith has only grown stronger each week. The two have become the face of Ohio State’s offensive success, and the results have shown up in the numbers and in the way opposing defenses have been overwhelmed.
College football analyst Will Compton was blunt in his praise of Smith’s dominance. Compton said Smith looks like he has been playing against high school competition, a stunning thing to say about a player producing at this level.
But when you look at what Smith has done, the reaction makes sense. He has been the best player in college football this season by far, and there’s no sign he’s easing off.
Smith has also forced his way into the Heisman Trophy conversation. At this point, it looks like the award is his to lose. Sayin was in the Heisman race a year ago, and he said his mission this season was to help his star wideout win it.
If Smith keeps stacking performances like this, Ohio State could climb even higher in the rankings. For now, he’s the center of everything the Buckeyes are doing on offense, and he’s made the early part of this season feel like a showcase.
In Other News...
Former Ohio State Coach Brian Hartline Just Took A Brutal First Step Back
Brian Hartlines first months at South Florida had gone smoothly enough, with the former Ohio State offensive coordinator off to a 4-1 start before a stumble at UTSA snapped the momentum. The trip also came with a side note that got plenty of attention, after Hartline made comments about the noise inside the opponents stadium and then had those remarks revisited in a very public way once the game was over.
From Ohio States perspective, Hartlines next chapter is still part of the larger coaching tree story, but the Buckeyes have their own issues to sort out as the schedule rolls on. The offense has had trouble getting the rushing game where it needs to be, and while Hartline is now trying to settle in as a head coach, his rough first step back served as another reminder that the margins get small fast once conference and nonconference tests start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Elite Passing Game Is Hiding A Bigger Running Back Issue
Ohio States passing game has been humming along at a level few teams in the country can match, but the ground game is carrying a very different kind of conversation. The Buckeyes sit 81st in rushing yards per attempt, a ranking that stands out for a team with this much offensive firepower and one that has had to lean on a rotating backfield rather than finding a clear weekly answer.
The workload has bounced among Ja'Kobi Jackson, Bo Jackson and Isaiah West, with true freshman Legend Bey also part of the early mix. Beys limited role has drawn attention because of questions around why his touches have thinned out, and while there has been speculation about professionalism concerns, nothing has been officially confirmed. For a team built to pressure defenses in every way, the bigger issue may be less about who is getting the carries and more about whether Ohio State has settled on the right one. [Read more 🡒]
Maryland Brings Coaching Drama And A Defense Ohio State Can Exploit
Maryland arrives with plenty of noise around the program, and not much of it has anything to do with what happens between the lines. The uncertainty around Mike Locksleys future has hung over the Terps for a while now, with the athletic director potentially waiting until after the bye week to make a call, and that backdrop only adds to the sense that Ohio State is catching Maryland at a tense moment. At the same time, the offensive side has slipped, with Malik Washingtons play trending down and the Terps searching for steadier footing.
There is still enough on the defensive front to make Maryland worth studying, especially along the line, where a few key pieces can flash and disrupt a game if the rest of the unit holds together. The problem, as Michael Howes pointed out, is that the tackling has not been dependable enough, and those misses have repeatedly undercut the defense. For Ohio State, that creates a familiar sort of opportunity, one that starts with pressure up front and can quickly turn into a longer afternoon for a defense already carrying too much uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]