Michael Irvin is making waves again, and this time the subject is Jeremiah Smith.
The former Miami star sounded stunned on The Dan Patrick Show when discussing Smith’s decision to stay at Ohio State, even after Miami reportedly pushed hard to lure him away. Smith has said he turned down a $10 million offer from the Hurricanes last offseason, and Irvin did not hide how unbelievable that sounded to him.
"What I heard, I don't understand why he didn't do it, but what I heard is that Jeremiah Smith got up to $10 million offered. I don't know how you could get offered $10 million and not go home to play football."
That comment only adds more heat to a situation that already had plenty of it. Miami has been trying to pull Smith away since he committed to Ohio State, but he has remained with the Buckeyes throughout his college career. Irvin’s remarks all but reinforced the idea that Miami crossed a line while trying to land him.
Smith’s choice, meanwhile, makes plenty of sense from Ohio State’s side. He’s already spent two seasons with the Buckeyes, and there’s no obvious reason for him to walk away now when he’s projected to be a first-round pick next year.
Ohio State also gives him a better shot at a national title, and if the Buckeyes keep rolling, Smith could even work his way into Heisman Finalist conversation. On top of that, Ohio State has produced five straight first-round wide receivers, and Smith would be the sixth.
The bigger question now is what comes next, if anything, for Miami. The Buckeyes should file a suit against the Hurricanes for tampering with their player.
If they aren't going to follow the rules, they should face consequences for their actions. Why wouldn't Ohio State want to protect their guys from other teams reaching out to their guys?
The only reason why they wouldn't is that Ohio State could be doing the same thing to other programs, just to lesser-known players. Almost every major program seems to be doing this, but not every program is promising players on other teams $10 million to transfer.
Even if this never turns into anything official, the story is already out there. Miami fans spent plenty of time urging Smith to come to Coral Gables, and he never budged. The only thing that could top that for Ohio State would be a College Football Playoff matchup with Miami and a chance to settle the score after last year’s loss.
Ohio State is used to being successful. Miami isn't in the modern era. Irvin and other Miami fans just don't understand that.
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For Illinois, the best chance to stress Ohio State may come from Lunneys ability to create answers before Patricias defense settles in. For the Buckeyes, the challenge is just as clear: adjust quickly, keep the Illini from finding rhythm, and make sure the game is decided by the side with the stronger game plan rather than the cleaner script. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Is Forcing A Massive Ohio State Debate Already
Jeremiah Smith has already done something at Ohio State that usually takes a full career to chase down. Early in his junior season, the wideout moved past the Buckeyes all-time receiving mark, a list that includes plenty of celebrated names, and the pace of his production has the program talking about him in a way that most players never get talked about.
Urban Meyer recently raised the temperature even more by calling Smith the best receiver in college football history, and it is exactly the kind of claim that invites a bigger argument. The numbers behind Smiths start are elite, but when you stack him against some of the sports other great college receivers, the debate gets more complicated, especially with his NFL future still unwritten. [Read more 🡒]