Jeremiah Smith is making it clear heading into 2026 that Ohio State has not forgotten where the team fell short last year. After late-game collapses crushed their championship hopes in 2025, the star wide receiver revealed that finishing strong in the fourth quarter has become head coach Ryan Day’s absolute top priority.
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Ohio State sailed through a 12-0 regular season in 2025, but the wheels came off when the pressure hit max volume. The Buckeyes dropped the Big Ten Championship game to Indiana before taking a painful Cotton Bowl loss to Miami. The root issue wasn’t a lack of talent; it was a young offense settling for short field goals instead of touchdowns inside the 20-yard line. When defenses clamped down late, the Buckeyes simply ran out of answers in the fourth quarter.
“We discuss it [the tough schedule] a lot,” Smith said during his appearance on the Triple Option podcast on August 26. “We know we have to win the game in the fourth quarter. That’s the biggest emphasis for us. Something Coach Day came up with, and that’s something that’s our team motto right now. So, just trying to find any way, anything to make us win a game in the fourth quarter.”
The frustration in Columbus stems from how fast that standard slipped over a two-year stretch. Back in 2024, behind veteran offensive leaders who consistently closed out tight games, Ohio State sustained drives and scored on over 85% of their fourth-quarter red-zone trips.
By contrast, in 2025, with a fresh starting lineup finding its footing, that late-game edge evaporated. Their crunch-time red-zone efficiency dropped below 50% in their two season-defining losses.
The program’s struggles brought the pressure back on Day to lead the team to a deep playoff run. For a program built around three ultimate goals, that include a Michigan win, a Big Ten title, and a national championship run, another failure in critical moments could only heighten the scrutiny on Day.
“Not good enough, not at Ohio State,” Smith said, per On3 Sports. “That’s why they pay us, why they pay Coach (Ryan) Day, to reach all our goals. The first one is to beat the team up north. Then it’s winning the Big Ten championship, and the third one is winning the national championship. It’s the reason you come to Ohio State, to accomplish those three things, and I feel like this year we’ve got a very good chance to do that.”
Now stepping into a major leadership role as a 2026 team captain, Smith spent his offseason working on fine details with new receivers coach Cortez Hankton. He focused heavily on run blocking and route precision while refining his chemistry with quarterback Julian Sayin.
Individually, Smith is targeting 1,500 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns, and the Biletnikoff Award, but he maintains that personal awards mean nothing without a ring.
While Smith’s leadership gives Ohio State a clear standard to chase, meeting it will require more than late-game execution. Ryan Day still has to build a disciplined and complete team capable of surviving the toughest schedule the program has faced.
Ryan Day reveals Ohio State’s biggest concerns as brutal schedule looms
Fixing late-game execution is only half the battle for Ryan Day. As fall camp wraps up, the head coach knows that fourth-quarter strength requires deep team discipline, especially with a brutal schedule ahead.
“I think we have a chance to be a smart team, but we have to be a disciplined team,” Day said during a press conference on August 25, according to Hanna Williford of Sports Illustrated. “And the first step to being a championship team is to not beat yourself. We cannot beat ourselves early in the season. So we are going to be all over that part of it. There’s a lot of areas that we gotta improve in fast.”
Integrating 51 new players onto the roster makes that task even tougher, especially with a punishing schedule featuring powerhouse programs like Texas, Indiana, USC, Oregon, and Michigan. The Buckeyes won’t have time to ease into the season.
Their journey starts on September 5 against Ball State, giving Smith and company their first real test to show their fourth-quarter struggles belong in the past.