Saturday has turned into a straight-up survival test for Ohio State. The Buckeyes meet the Oregon Ducks with their postseason hopes hanging in the balance, and the math is simple: win, and the season keeps breathing. Lose, and they’re staring at a path to the College Football Playoff that would require a miracle.
That urgency is what makes last week’s stumble against USC so hard to shake. Ohio State went into that game with a true freshman quarterback, but he was hardly the issue. The Buckeyes were off in all three phases, and now they have to clean that up fast if they want to keep control of their season.
The path forward starts with Jeremiah Smith, and it starts early. Ryan Day and Arthur Smith have talked about the value of multiple tight ends and different personnel looks, but none of that matters if No. 4 isn’t the center of everything.
He caught 10 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown last week, which is a strong line on paper. Still, the Buckeyes need him involved in a bigger way on Saturday - important targets, drive after drive, series after series.
If that sounds like too much, it isn’t. Ohio State’s best shot is to make No. 4 the focal point of the offense every time out.
The defense has to clean up its pursuit, too. Against USC, the Buckeyes had trouble rallying to the football and finishing plays with enough bodies around the ball.
That’s where things slipped away. Two big USC plays ended up being the difference, and if Ohio State closes those down, the result might look very different.
Whatever went wrong in Matt Patricia’s first real rough night as defensive coordinator, the fix starts with better gang tackling and better urgency to the ball.
Then there’s the pass rush, and that may be the biggest swing factor of all. The Ducks will get whichever version of Dylan Raiola shows up, and that’s a dangerous proposition either way.
When he’s hot, he can look like one of the best throwers in the country. When he’s cold, he can look like one of the worst.
His performance also shifts depending on what’s happening around him, which puts even more pressure on Ohio State to live in the backfield and make the pocket miserable.
For the Buckeyes, this really does come down to three things: feed Jeremiah Smith, tackle better, and get after the quarterback. Do that, and they’ll give themselves a real chance against Oregon.
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Ohio State Still Has A Path But Two Problems Need Fixing Fast
Cris Carter still sees a route for Ohio State to salvage its season and stay in the College Football Playoff conversation, but the path is getting narrower by the week. The Buckeyes have already felt the sting of recent losses, and with national championship expectations never far from the surface in Columbus, the margin for error has basically disappeared.
What stands out now is how much has to come together at once. The defense needs to tighten up, Luke Fahey has to keep developing, and Ryan Day is carrying the kind of pressure that comes with every big-game stumble. The next stretch will say plenty about whether Ohio State can steady itself in time to keep its postseason hopes alive. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces One Oregon Threat Fans Can't Ignore
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For Ohio State, the attention naturally shifts to Jeremiah Smith, who has been one of the teams top performers this season and a central part of the Buckeyes passing game. With both sides bringing high-end receiver talent into a game that could shape the playoff picture, the early read is that big plays and momentum swings may decide more than just the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Smith Enters A Weekend That Could Change Everything For Ohio State
Jeremiah Smith heads into a weekend that has the feel of an early hinge point, not just for Ohio State but for the wider Heisman conversation. Around the country, several quarterbacks and playmakers are attached to matchups that could reshape the award race, with names like Kenny Minchey, Sam Leavitt, Keelon Russell, Trinidad Chambliss, Gunner Stockton, Devon Dampier and Bear Bachmeier all in the mix as fans and evaluators look for the next surge.
For Ohio State, Smith sits in the middle of that buzz, with every big performance carrying extra weight for both his trophy case and the sports card market that tracks these breakout moments so closely. The stakes are bigger than one Saturday, too, because wins and losses in these spotlight games can alter playoff paths and change how quickly a candidates profile rises, leaving this weekend with the potential to redraw the Heisman picture in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]