Jeremiah Smith keeps making the same point in different stadiums: if Ohio State wants to feed him, good luck stopping it.
At Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, the Buckeyes’ star receiver turned a 57-yard touchdown into another signature moment in Ohio State’s 31-14 win over Iowa. Smith finished the play standing alone in the north end zone, with the nearest defender still on the ground after failing to stay with him. Smith then flashed the pose that has become part celebration, part warning sign - and part weekly reminder that college football’s top Heisman hopeful is hard to contain.
That touchdown was Smith’s second of the game, and it was the kind of grab that answered the sport’s biggest question about Ohio State’s offense. The answer, at least when it comes to Smith, is simple: there isn’t one.
Smith’s day in Iowa City was his sixth game with at least 100 receiving yards over his last seven outings. The only exception came Sept. 19 against Kent State, when he had 85 yards before Ohio State emptied the bench and rested its starters.
What’s happened around him matters, too. Ohio State has finally started fully unlocking its superstar, and the results have followed.
Even in losses - against Indiana and Miami last year, and Texas this year - Smith has been tough to slow down. In wins, he has been flat-out overwhelming.
A big part of that has been Ryan Day building the offense with the right pieces in place. Julian Sayin has given the Buckeyes a quarterback with elite accuracy, the kind who can fit the ball into tight windows and still find Smith. Iowa got a front-row look at that on a 54-yard catch Smith made between multiple defenders.
Then there’s Arthur Smith, the play-caller who has a long history of making sure his best weapon stays at the center of the offense. He built his reputation with the Titans by leaning on Derrick Henry. With the Falcons, Kyle Pitts had his only 1,000-yard receiving season in 2021, Drake London saw 117 targets in 2022, and Bijan Robinson came close to 1,000 rushing yards as a rookie in 2023.
When Arthur Smith was hired in 2024, the conversation started immediately. Reporters asked whether there was such a thing as getting Jeremiah the ball too much. Arthur’s answer brought Henry into the discussion.
That’s where Ohio State is now. The Buckeyes had a receiver whose talent already pointed toward something special, but the 2025 game plans had not always reflected that.
This season, that has changed. Arthur Smith and Day are shaping an offense built around Jeremiah, and the Heisman buzz is showing up everywhere Ohio State goes.
Iowa got the latest look. Other teams will get theirs too.
In Other News...
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Just Added Another Chapter To Ohio State History
Jaxon Smith-Njigba turned Ohio Stadium into a showcase on Saturday, piling up 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns as No. 5 Ohio State handled No. 14 Iowa, 31-14. It was the kind of afternoon that reminded everyone why the Buckeyes have long been a factory for elite receivers, with Smith-Njigba producing the kind of big-play outing that can change a game in a hurry.
By the time the dust settled, Smith-Njigba had moved into first place in Ohio State history in receptions, receiving touchdowns and receiving yards, adding another line to a program record book already crowded with stars. Julian Sayin helped make it possible, completing 20 of 27 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, giving the Buckeyes a passing performance that kept Iowa chasing from start to finish. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Can Turn Homecoming Into A Bigger Big Ten Problem
Ohio State heads into homecoming weekend still carrying the momentum of its 31-14 win over Iowa, and Maryland is next on the schedule with the Buckeyes expected to keep rolling. The matchup gives Ohio State a chance to protect its place in the Big Ten race while also putting another conference opponent in a difficult spot on a festive weekend in Columbus.
Maryland arrives with a lot more pressure attached than the usual road trip, which is part of what makes this game worth watching beyond the spread. Mike Locksleys program has been struggling again this season, and another rough outing against Ohio State would only deepen the questions around where things are headed for the Terrapins. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Just Got A Harsh Reminder Of The Gap They Face
Ohio State left Iowa with more than another conference win after Saturdays 31-14 result. The Buckeyes latest showing was enough to push them to the top of ESPNs FPI rankings, another sign that the national machine in Columbus is rolling early and creating separation from the rest of the Big Ten pack.
Jeremiah Smith was at the center of it again, turning the trip into a showcase performance and further underscoring why the Buckeyes are built so differently right now. Iowa got a reminder of the gap it still has to close, while Ohio State kept adding to the sense that its ceiling is rising with each week. [Read more 🡒]