Texas coach Steve Sarkisian doesn’t sound intimidated by Jeremiah Smith. If anything, he sounds like a man who’s spent two years figuring out how to keep Ohio State’s star wideout from taking over a game.
That history matters heading into Saturday’s matchup. In two meetings with Texas, Smith has only seven catches for 46 yards and no touchdowns. One of those outings was especially quiet: just one catch for three yards in the College Football Playoff semifinal back in 2024.
But the Longhorns haven’t shut down Ohio State’s passing game across the board. When Smith hasn’t been the problem, someone else has picked up the slack, and in both of those games that player was Carnell Tate. Tate caught seven passes for 87 yards in the semifinal, then added two catches for 49 yards and a touchdown in last year’s Week 1 meeting.
Sarkisian was asked Monday how his defense handles Smith and the Buckeyes’ attack, and his answer made clear just how highly he views the sophomore receiver. He said, "He (Smith) garners your attention, and he deserves our attention.
He's arguably the best player in college football. The challenge is with him is the size, speed, and catch radius.
He is a big, physical guy who can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time... You can feel his presence on the field...
You have to have a plan, but when you have a plan, you just can't throw fastballs... We've got to be able to mix our pitches up."
He kept going from there, but the message was already clear: Texas respects Smith enough to build a plan around him, and that approach has shown up in the results so far. The Longhorns have leaned on changing coverages and looks throughout the game, shifting from man coverage to zone and back again to keep Ohio State guessing.
That strategy has worked well enough to make the Buckeyes beat them elsewhere. So far, that’s exactly what has happened.
Now the focus turns to Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and receiver Devin McCuin. Both need strong performances Saturday if the Buckeyes want to come away with the win.
McCuin flashed against Ball State and looked like the clear No. 2 option in the receiver room, but this is a different challenge altogether. His career at UTSA included a pattern of fading against top competition, and Saturday gives him a chance to change that.
Sayin has his own opportunity in front of him. The Texas game last year was his first start at Ohio State, and while he didn’t play well, it was still considered acceptable in that setting.
This time, the Buckeyes need more. He has to process quickly, make smart decisions, and capitalize when openings appear.
With Texas already showing it can make life difficult for Smith, Ohio State’s other playmakers may end up deciding the game. Saturday should tell the story.
In Other News...
Ohio State Faces A More Dangerous Texas Test Than Last Year
The rematch on the schedule already carries enough weight, but this one comes with a different feel for Ohio State. The Buckeyes and Texas are meeting for the third straight year, only this time it is in Austin at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium, with ESPNs College GameDay on hand and the Longhorns carrying a 1.5-point edge. After the last two seasons gave both programs a fresh look at each other, the matchup now arrives with even more attention and a bigger stage.
For Ohio State, the challenge is not just the venue or the buildup, but the version of Texas waiting on the other side. Arch Manning gives the Longhorns a new layer at quarterback, while new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp adds a familiar edge to that side of the ball. For a Buckeye team used to measuring itself against the nations best, this one feels less like another early heavyweight game and more like a true test of how much has changed since the last time these teams lined up. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Kienholz Just Sparked An Ohio State QB Debate
Lincoln Kienholz spent enough time around Ohio State to know how unforgiving the quarterback conversation can be there, and his latest outing at Louisville gave the discussion a fresh jolt. In his debut against Ole Miss, the former Buckeye showed the kind of production that turns heads quickly, topping 300 yards and throwing three touchdowns while looking comfortable as both a passer and a runner.
For Ohio State fans, the appeal is obvious because it feeds into the never-ending question of what might have been and what the Buckeyes missed when Kienholz moved on. His path also says something about the fit in college football: sometimes a player needs a different setup, a cleaner runway and a coach like Jeff Brohm to let the full skill set show up on game day, even as the foundation built in Columbus still shapes how he leads and handles the position. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan's QB Uncertainty Just Added Intrigue To The Game
Ohio State opened its season with a comfortable win over Ball State, while Michigan had a far less reassuring afternoon in a narrow escape against Western Michigan. That alone would have been enough to keep Buckeyes fans watching closely, but the storyline got more interesting when Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham left the door open on Bryce Underwoods status at quarterback, a notable twist for a position that usually settles the tone for the rest of the rivalry week chatter.
Underwoods uneven play has only deepened the questions around Michigans offense, and it carries extra weight because of what this game means beyond one Saturday in September. For Ohio State, any uncertainty on the other sideline only adds to the intrigue heading into a meeting where the Buckeyes will be paying attention to whether Michigan can steady itself, or whether the Wolverines are heading toward a bigger change than anyone expected. [Read more 🡒]