Ohio State got exactly the Jeremiah Smith performance it needed against Illinois, and then some.
In the Buckeyes’ 42-19 win over the Illini at the “Shoe” in Week 4, Smith put on a show that looked built for Heisman voters. He finished with 12 catches, 217 receiving yards and four touchdowns, and he did it every way a receiver can hurt a defense - winning routes, battling for 50/50 balls and turning short catches into big gains after the catch.
One of his best moments came on his second touchdown of the day, when he left Illinois defensive back Mac Resetich spun around twice after the catch. The third score was even more ridiculous: Smith hauled in a fade in the corner of the end zone, got his left foot down and pinned the ball with one arm while cornerback Juice Clarke was all over him.
That kind of day has Smith in rare company. He is the since the 2008 season.
Then-Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree was the last player to do that. He was a Heisman finalist that year.
At minimum, Smith looks like a lock to be in that conversation too.
Depending on where you get your odds, Smith is now the frontrunner for the Heisman.
If he gets there, he could become the first full-time receiver to win the award since DeVonta Smith in 2020. Travis Hunter won in 2024 largely because he also played corner for Deion Sanders’ Colorado program.
What makes Jeremiah Smith so dangerous right now is that he isn’t just producing - he’s carrying the offense. Arthur Smith has been able to build the game plan around his star receiver, and with continued chemistry with quarterback Julian Sayin, JJ Smith is playing the best football of what has already been a legendary career.
Still, the bigger picture for Ohio State is impossible to ignore. Devin McCuin had four catches but averaged under nine yards per reception, and he was the only other Buckeyes receiver with multiple grabs. The offense has elite talent, but it has not looked like anything close to a complete passing attack.
The running back room is deep, but Ohio State still hasn’t found a dominant run game in Smith’s offense. The right side of the offensive line hasn’t fully come together, either, and Sayin won’t always have the luxury of clean pockets the way he did against an Illinois pass rush that never really threatened him.
Smith’s rise is a huge individual storyline, but it also comes with a warning label. Ohio State can’t keep leaning on one player forever, especially not when tougher defenses start making every snap about taking him away.
For now, though, Jeremiah Smith has done everything necessary to force his way into the Heisman race. The question is whether Ryan Day’s team can build enough around him to make the rest of the season match the moment.
In Other News...
Ohio State Heads Into Kinnick With A Problem Iowa Can Expose
Ohio State left its win over Illinois with plenty to like on the scoreboard, but not nearly as much to feel secure about on defense. Giving up close to 200 rushing yards is the kind of detail that tends to linger, especially with a trip to Kinnick Stadium next on the schedule and an Iowa team that just knocked off ranked Michigan with a late touchdown.
Iowa does not need style points to make a game uncomfortable. The Hawkeyes are built around physical football and ball control, which is exactly the sort of formula that can stress a defense still trying to clean up its run fits and consistency. Buckeye fans have seen this movie before, too, including the 2017 loss in Iowa City, and the setting suggests Ohio State may have to prove it can handle a grinder before it can move on to bigger ambitions. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces Fresh Spotlight On A Road Test That Matters
Ohio States next trip already had some weight to it, and now it comes with an added national stage. College GameDay is headed to Iowa City for the Buckeyes matchup with Iowa, the first time in 20 years the show has made that stop, giving a midseason road game a bigger spotlight than usual. The Buckeyes are coming off a win over Illinois, while Iowa arrives with momentum after beating Michigan, which only sharpens the attention on a meeting that already looked like a useful measuring stick.
For Ohio State, the trip also lands at a time when the discussion around the team has not been limited to the win column. Defensive concerns have been part of the conversation, and the schedule does not offer much breathing room after this one, with more ranked opponents waiting ahead. A game like this tends to reveal whether a team is simply surviving the calendar or starting to answer the tougher questions that come with it. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's Title Hopes Face A Stretch That Will Tell Everything
Ohio State has steadied itself after the gut punch in Week 2, when a 20-point fourth-quarter lead against Texas slipped away. Since then, the Buckeyes have handled Kent State and Illinois, and they still sit fifth in the rankings with advanced metrics that say their national title path remains very much alive. Even with the early setback, there is enough talent and enough rsum left to keep the conversation pointed toward January.
The next stretch, though, is where the season starts asking harder questions. Ohio State needs a better running game and a tougher run defense to hold up against what is coming, beginning with an undefeated Iowa team that will tell a lot about how sturdy this roster really is. The Buckeyes do not need perfection yet, but they do need proof that the issues exposed by Texas are getting fixed before the schedule gets any less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]