Jeremiah Smith is still sitting at the front of the Heisman race, but Ohio State’s quarterback situation has suddenly become the issue hanging over everything.
Julian Sayin is “doubtful” to return in the regular season, and that changes the conversation around the Buckeyes’ star receiver. Smith’s case is already unusual - a wideout trying to crash a race that usually belongs to quarterbacks - and now he may have to do it with a new starter behind center for the first time since the start of last season.
Even after a four-catch, 68-yard outing with a touchdown in Ohio State’s win over Indiana last Saturday, Smith’s odds moved from -215 a week ago to -105/-110 this week, according to DraftKings and FanDuel. The drop had more to do with the uncertainty at quarterback than anything Smith did against the Hoosiers.
For now, the job appears likely to fall to either Luke Fahey or Tavien St. Clair, with the true freshman Fahey leading that battle.
That could simplify the Buckeyes’ passing game compared with what they had with Sayin, a second-year starter under center. But there’s another side to it, too: Arthur Smith could shape the offense to get playmakers, including Jeremiah Smith, working closer to the line of scrimmage and create more chances for Fahey to settle in.
Ohio State’s bye week lands at a good time. With injuries stacking up, the week off gives Day, Arthur Smith and the offense room to sort things out while also giving Fahey - and St. Clair - more reps with the first-team group.
Through seven games, Jeremiah Smith has piled up 52 catches for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has more receiving yards than six FBS teams, and only 12 fewer than Michigan. He also has more receiving touchdowns than 87 teams.
That production is why he remains the favorite, even with the quarterback change. Since Michigan’s Desmond Howard won the Heisman in 1991, only one full-time wide receiver has taken home the trophy: Alabama’s DeVonta Smith in 2020. Travis Hunter won it in 2024 while playing both wide receiver and cornerback, but in the traditional sense, this is still quarterback territory.
So the comparison matters. DeVonta Smith finished 2020 with 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns in 13 games. Over his first seven games that season, he had 65 receptions for 903 yards, 10 touchdown catches and a rushing touchdown.
Jeremiah Smith is ahead of that pace through seven games in several key areas, including yards, touchdowns, yards per catch and yards per game. The numbers line up like this:
DeVonta Smith vs. Jeremiah Smith Through Seven Games
65 REC 52
903 YDS 984
10 TD 12
13.9 YPC 18.9
129 YPG 140.6
The quarterback challengers behind him have also shifted. Miami quarterback Darian Mensah moved from +975 to +315 this week after Sayin’s injury and the questions around Ohio State’s offense.
Mensah was sharp in Miami’s 43-35 overtime win over Florida State last Saturday night, finishing 23 of 34 for 326 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He has now thrown at least three touchdowns in five of six games this season, and through six games he is 135-of-167 passing for 1,764 yards, 18 touchdowns and one interception.
Miami is unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll this week.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss also climbed, moving ahead of Notre Dame’s CJ Carr after the Fighting Irish lost at BYU last Saturday night. Chambliss helped Ole Miss beat Missouri 31-3 last weekend, going 20 of 36 for 214 yards and three touchdowns while adding 14 rushing yards and a score. For the season, he has completed 142 of 210 passes for 14 touchdowns and four interceptions, and he has rushed for 127 yards and six scores on 36 carries.
Troy Smith was the last Buckeye to win the Heisman in 2006. DeVonta Smith was the last full-time receiver to do it in 2020. Seven weeks in, Jeremiah Smith still has a shot to end both droughts at once, even if the road just got a lot more complicated.
In Other News...
Ohio States Bye Week Just Became A Crucial QB Decision
Ohio States bye week has turned into more than a breather. With Julian Sayin dealing with an injury, the Buckeyes are using the open date to sort through their options at quarterback, and that means taking a hard look at freshman Luke Fahey and sophomore Tavien St. Clair as possible replacements if the position remains in flux.
Across the rivalry, Michigan has already made a change of its own, benching Bryce Underwood and moving freshman Tommy Carr into the starting role for the upcoming game against Indiana. The timing only adds to the pressure around Columbus, where the Buckeyes are watching not just their own depth chart but a busy Week 8 slate that could ripple through conference standings and shape the bigger picture in the Big Ten race. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Gave Fans A Classic TBDBITL Moment At The Woody
The Ohio State Marching Band brought a little extra buzz to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center this week, and the timing fit the mood around the program. With the Buckeyes in their bye week, coach Ryan Day shifted the visit there to keep the routine steady during rivalry week, while Jeremiah Smith, Jamir Perez and Earl Little Jr. were among the players who got a turn conducting and performing with the band.
It was the kind of classic TBDBITL moment that reminds everyone how tightly woven the band and football program are in Columbus. The visit also followed a recent high-profile stop for the band at a Twenty One Pilots concert at Ohio Stadium, another sign that Ohio States marching tradition keeps finding fresh ways to show up in the spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Just Made A Loud Statement About Its National Pull
Week 7 offered another reminder that Ohio State still sits near the center of the college football TV universe. The Buckeyes matchup with Indiana on FOX topped the national viewership charts, a strong showing that underscores how much attention follows Ohio State whenever it is in a marquee slot, especially against a ranked Big Ten opponent.
The rest of the top ten only reinforced how crowded the sports biggest stages can get, with notable games from the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 all drawing major audiences. Alabama-Tennessee led the SECs weekend numbers, but Ohio States latest television footprint is the kind of data point that speaks to more than one Saturday - it speaks to the programs reach every time it takes the field. [Read more 🡒]