Ohio State’s path over the final three games of the 2026 season runs straight through Jeremiah Smith, and Arthur Smith made it clear Tuesday that the Buckeyes know it.
The offensive coordinator said the plan is to keep finding ways to get the Heisman Trophy candidate the football as much as possible, especially with Ohio State sitting at 6-3 and needing to win out to keep any realistic College Football Playoff hopes alive.
“It’s always the focus,” he told the media on Tuesday, addressing getting the Heisman Trophy candidate the football more.
That urgency has only grown after the Week 10 loss to Oregon, when Smith put up the kind of line that usually looks like a breakout night - seven catches, 133 yards and a touchdown - but much of it came after the game had already tilted away from Ohio State.
The Buckeyes led 14-3 in the second quarter before Oregon took over and rolled to a 41-28 win. Smith then went nearly two quarters without a target, and his touchdown didn’t come until 1:01 remained, with Ohio State already down by nearly three touchdowns.
He was visibly frustrated for much of the game, and the way the offense went quiet around him has become a major talking point as the Buckeyes try to salvage their season.
“We’d love to have him touch the ball every play,” he said of the star wideout.
For Ohio State, getting Jeremiah Smith involved early and often may be more than a preference. It may be the difference between staying alive and watching the season slip away.
In Other News...
Ohio State Suddenly Has A Receiver Problem Before Northwestern
The quarterback situation already had enough attention heading into Ohio States matchup with Northwestern, with both teams set to be without their starters under center because of injuries. But the Buckeyes may be dealing with a wider offensive shortage than expected, since three of their top six wide receivers are listed as questionable, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game that already looked like it would require some adjustment.
Brandon Inniss, Phillip Bell and Brock Boyd are all in question, while running back JaKobi Jackson and tight end Max LeBlanc remain sidelined. Northwestern is also shorthanded, with eight players out including starting quarterback Aidan Chiles and cornerback Josh Fussell, so this could turn into a game defined less by star power than by which side handles the attrition better and finds enough reliable options to function on offense. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Week 10 Spiral Says Plenty About This Teams Ceiling
Ohio States Week 10 slide has turned into more than a bad stretch, it has become a clear reminder of how thin the margin is when the offense loses its rhythm. With three losses on the books and the Buckeyes trying to navigate life without quarterback Julian Sayin, the conversation around the program has shifted from weekly fixes to bigger questions about how high this team can actually climb in the Big Ten race.
The latest conference pecking order reflects that uncertainty, with Ohio State sitting eighth after Week 10 while other league contenders continue to build momentum around it. For a program that expects to be in the thick of every major postseason discussion, the current spiral says plenty about the ceiling this version of the Buckeyes can reach unless the pieces start coming together soon. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States 2027 Running Back Picture Just Got More Interesting
Ohio States 2027 running back board picked up a notable addition when Daylon Gordon, a four-star prospect from Wylie, Texas, committed to the Buckeyes after previously being pledged to Texas State. Gordon arrives with a Power 4 offer sheet and gives Ohio State another talented name to build around as the class starts to take shape.
Even with Gordon on board, the Buckeyes are not treating the position as settled. They are still pursuing more running backs for the 2027 class, which keeps the room competitive and leaves open the possibility that this group could grow into one of the more interesting pieces of the cycle. [Read more 🡒]