Jeremiah Smith added another line to Ohio State’s record book on Saturday, and this one came with a familiar name attached to it.
In the third quarter against Iowa, Smith passed Emeka Egbuka for the most career receptions in program history. The milestone also brings back the story of Egbuka’s career, which ended with him as one of the defining players of the Ryan Day era.
Egbuka set the record in 2024 in his final game as a Buckeye, and he did it while helping Ohio State win a national title. It was the second time the mark changed hands under Day, following K.J. Hill’s record-breaking moment in 2019.
Hill’s achievement carried weight because it came from a fifth-year senior captain who broke a 21-year-old record. Egbuka’s moment had a different feel, but it still landed as a major chapter for a senior captain who reached the top while also capping a standout college career.
The twist, of course, was that his stay at the top was never going to last long. Egbuka had come back for a fourth season in Columbus in part to help guide the next wave, and Smith was the freshman he was helping bring along.
That role fit the bigger reason Egbuka returned. Like the rest of Ohio State’s 2021 recruiting class, he had spent his first years without the kind of tangible success the program expected. Being the bridge from one era to the next mattered, and it came alongside a career that produced 205 catches, 2,868 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Egbuka and Smith, along with Marvin Harrison Jr., are the only players in school history with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
When confetti fell in Atlanta on Jan. 20, 2025, after Ohio State won the national title, Egbuka celebrated knowing he owned the school’s career receptions record. He also knew exactly who was standing to his left, and why that hold on the No. 1 spot would not last forever.
Now Smith has it, and he did it in a moment Ohio State needed against a ranked opponent pushing the Buckeyes to the edge.
In Other News...
Ohio State Just Delivered The Kind Of Road Win Fans Needed
Ohio State went into Kinnick Stadium and delivered the sort of response win its fans had been waiting for, beating Iowa 31-14 and handing the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season. The Buckeyes controlled the game on both sides of the ball, piling up 484 total yards while keeping Iowa to 238 and a paltry 39 rushing yards, which made this feel less like a tense road test and more like a statement about the gap between the two teams.
Jeremiah Smith was at the center of it, turning the trip into one of those performances that travels well beyond the box score. He finished with 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns, giving Ohio State a dynamic edge whenever it needed one and helping offset a couple of turnovers forced by the defense. For a team that needed a clean, convincing road result, this was exactly the kind of night it was looking for. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Just Put Ohio State Fans On Notice Again
Jeremiah Smith kept the Buckeyes moving in Iowa City, turning a road test against the Hawkeyes into another showcase for Ohio States passing game. The freshman wideout tied the Ohio State touchdown record while finishing with 11 catches for 206 yards and two scores, a performance that helped push the Buckeyes to a 4-1 start and add another layer to what has already become a must-watch season in Columbus.
Smiths latest breakout only raises the stakes for what comes next, because Ohio State now heads back home to face Maryland with its young star drawing even more attention. For a team that has spent the early part of the season trying to establish its identity, his ability to create production anywhere on the field has become one of the biggest reasons the Buckeyes keep looking like a contender. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Earned The Big Ten Spot Fans Wanted Most
Week 5 brought a clearer picture of the Big Ten race, and Ohio State came out of it looking like the conference team fans expected to see at the top. The Buckeyes handled Iowa in a game that carried more weight than a typical early-season road test, adding a quality win to a rsum that is starting to separate from the pack as the league standings and the national picture begin to take shape.
The rankings around them still have plenty of movement left, with Indiana continuing to push forward, Oregon and UCLA drawing attention for different reasons, and Michigan still trying to sort out its own path. But Ohio States recent momentum is the kind that can hold up as October approaches, especially if the Buckeyes keep matching style points with results in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]