COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jeremiah Smith has terrorized defenses in big games over the last two-plus seasons.
The only one Ohio State’s All-America wide receiver hasn’t done it against is Texas.
As the top-ranked Buckeyes and No. 4 Longhorns meet Saturday for the third straight season, Smith will be looking to reach the end zone for the first time against Texas.
Ohio State won the last two meetings, but Smith was a nonfactor. He had one catch for 3 yards in a College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl during the 2024 season and six receptions for 43 yards in last year’s season opener in Columbus.
“I’m always looking forward to a matchup like this. You want to play big games, so I’m always excited for the big ones,” Smith said during a television interview after Saturday’s 56-3 victory over Ball State. “They are definitely loaded, have a great defense and we have to be prepared for that.”
Only the coaching staff and teammates know Smith’s thoughts on the matchup against the Longhorns secondary. He is not being made available to the media this week.
Quarterback Julian Sayin, who made his first college start in last year’s game against then-No. 1 Texas, said several factors kept Smith in check, even though half of Sayin’s 20 pass attempts targeted him.
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“Whether it’s a certain coverage or they tried to double-team him, sometimes the ball just didn’t go as well,” Sayin said. “There were opportunities last year where I could have thrown to him. I wouldn’t say they limited him in any aspect.”
Smith goes into Austin with momentum. He had eight receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns during the first half against Ball State. He did a Heisman pose after his 3-yard, toe-tapping TD catch in the back of the end zone late in the second quarter.
The junior also hopes to continue his penchant for big performances in key games. Despite losses last season to Indiana in the Big Ten championship game and to Miami in a CFP quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl, Smith had at least seven catches and 144 yards in both games, including one catch for at least 50 yards.
During the Buckeyes’ 2024 run to the national championship, Smith had 151 receiving yards and two touchdowns during the first half of the CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. He then had a 56-yard reception on third down late in the fourth quarter of the CFP title game against Notre Dame that set up a field goal to put the Buckeyes up by two scores.
“I mean it’s no mystery that when the ball is in his hands, good things happen,” coach Ryan Day said. “And so he’ll always be a part of how we game plan and what we do.”
Two key factors are Will Muschamp as Texas’ defensive coordinator facing Smith for the first time and the growing chemistry between Sayin and Smith in the 54 weeks since the last Ohio State-Texas matchup.
“Coach Muschamp’s a great coach and we all respect him, but he hasn’t called the game in a while,” Day said. “So there are unknowns about how it will play out and what they’ll do defensively.
“We know there’ll be a plan to stop Jeremiah. Identifying that and having contingency plans is important. Julian will be a big part of that because he has to recognize what’s going on and respond.”
Smith leads the nation in receptions (171), receiving yards (2,709) and touchdown catches (29) since entering college football in 2024. Even though Muschamp hasn’t faced Smith, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian knows what they’re up against.
“The challenge with him is the size, speed and the catch radius,” Sarkisian said. “He’s a big, physical guy who can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. It doesn’t always look like it, but it almost feels like it. You can feel his presence on the field. Because he is so strong, 50-50 catches are very difficult with him.”
Day knows other receivers must step up with more attention on Smith.
Devin McCuin had 97 yards and a touchdown last week, while Brandon Inniss also can move the chains.
“We have other guys on the field, and there’s a balance we’re striking, but we all know the impact he can have on games,” Day said of Smith. “And when he has the impact like he’s done in other games, you see what happens to the rest of the guys.
“What makes a great player great is he makes everybody better. Jeremiah certainly does that. We’re going to work hard to make sure he has a major impact on the game.”