Ohio State walked away with a 42-19 win over Illinois on Saturday, and Jeremiah Smith had one of his most solid outings. The Buckeyes receiver finished with 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns, but one play in particular left an Illinois defensive back spinning.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
After the game, a reporter asked Smith if he ever feels bad for a defender after making a play that leaves him in a tough spot. Smith’s response was pretty telling.
“I could say I feel bad for him. When I did that, I just started laughing when it happened. I feel kind of bad for him,” Smith said during the post-game presser.
The defender in question was Illinois defensive back Mac Resetich, who found himself on the wrong end of one of Smith’s best plays of the afternoon in the first quarter.
Julian Sayin took the snap and sent a deep pass down the middle of the field, with Smith getting behind Resetich. Smith caught the ball at the Illinois 27-yard line with plenty of grass still ahead of him.
Smith initially cut to his right before quickly moving back the other way. Resetich tried to stay with him, but the change of direction left him turned around. Smith then had nothing but open field in front of him and ran the rest of the way for a 72-yard touchdown.
It was not just a case of the Ohio State star outrunning a defender, either. The move showed one of the biggest changes in Smith’s game this season. His route running has become more polished, allowing him to create separation before his speed even becomes a factor.
Head Coach Ryan Day noticed that part of Smith’s game, too, as he pointed to the double move on the 72-yard touchdown as an example of Smith becoming more deliberate with his routes. Day said Smith’s speed has always allowed him to make plays, but he is now adding more precision to the way he runs his routes.
“The double move, I mean, he spun the guy around, which was well timed and thought out,” Day said. “In the past, he’s so fast sometimes he would run the route and still do a great job, but you’re seeing a little bit more definition on the route.”
That makes the game even harder for defensive backs. If a defender gives Smith too much room, he can use his speed to create a big play. If the defender stays close, Smith can use his routes and change of direction to create separation.
QB Sayin also revealed that the Buckeyes had worked on the route during the week. The play was not something Smith simply improvised after the snap.
Smith made an immediate impact as a freshman in 2024, breaking the FBS freshman receiving record and helping the Buckeyes win a national championship. He built on that in 2025, earning a Unanimous All-American honor.
Interestingly, growing up, he had always dreamed of playing for Alabama under Nick Saban, but that school never recruited him. He chose Ohio State instead, turning down offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, and USC.
Smith’s route running is making him even harder to defend
Smith scored his first touchdown on a seven-yard catch after getting leverage on Illinois defensive back Juice Clark. His third score was another highlight, with Smith making a contested catch in the corner of the end zone while getting his left foot down in bounds.
His fourth touchdown came late in the fourth quarter on a 26-yard catch that extended Ohio State’s lead to 35-13. By then, Smith had already done more than enough damage.
The numbers were ridiculous with his 12 receptions and 217 receiving yards, both career highs, while his four touchdown catches tied the Ohio State single-game record. He also became the first Ohio State player to finish a game with at least 10 catches, 200 receiving yards, and four touchdowns.
The performance came just one week after Smith became Ohio State’s career leader in receiving yards against Kent State. He entered Saturday with 21 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns through his first three appearances, then nearly doubled his season touchdown total in one afternoon.
That is what made the question about feeling bad for an Illinois defender so funny. Smith had spent most of the afternoon making the secondary pay, and one particular play was so clean that even he could not help but laugh at it afterward. Next, Ohio State will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on October 3 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa.