Ohio State beat Illinois 42-19 on September 26, expanding its winning streak in the series to 11 games and keeping the Illibuck rivalry trophy in Columbus. While Julian Sayin had an impressive game, his WR1 again stole the headlines. Jeremiah Smith’s 4-TD performance not only took him closer to another Ohio State record but also enhanced his chances to win a coveted trophy.

Smith finished with 12 catches for 217 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He already had eight catches for 150 yards and three scores by halftime. After the game, Polymarket listed him as the Heisman Trophy favorite at 26%. That stands out because quarterbacks usually control this race.

The wide receiver entered Saturday as a major contender, not the clear favorite. Polymarket sat him in the 10 to 14% range, behind quarterbacks such as Trinidad Chambliss and Darian Mensah. After Illinois, Polymarket moved him to 26% and made him the favorite on that market. Even FanDuel has Smith leading the Heisman odds at +270.

Following him is Miami’s Darian Mensah, who continues to impress at Coral Gables. The Duke transfer was 71-of-79 for 873 yards, 11 touchdowns, and zero interceptions through three games. In Miami’s Week 4 win against Central Michigan, Mensah went for 338 yards and three touchdowns. However, Miami’s early schedule has been soft, so voters will want a harder look.

Week 4 wasn’t too kind to two other Heisman contenders. Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss lost to Florida. And even though Arch Manning’s Texas won against Tennessee, the QB didn’t have a great game. He is currently out of the top 6 Heisman contenders, according to FanDuel.

Smith’s production through four games is around 33 catches, 617 yards, and seven touchdowns. He is averaging more than 19 yards per catch, so he does not need a huge target share. Ohio State staying in the national-title picture will help him too.

The old problem is still there. Only four wide receivers have won the Heisman. Johnny Rodgers in 1972, Tim Brown in 1987, Desmond Howard in 1991, and DeVonta Smith in 2020.

The Buckeyes already have one loss to Texas. Another Big Ten loss, especially to Michigan, would make it much harder for a non-quarterback to stay in the race.

Smith’s best shot is to keep this pace through November. A finish around 1,600-plus yards and 18 to 20 touchdowns, with Ohio State still in the CFP picture, would give him a real finalist case. He is the strongest wide receiver Heisman candidate since Smith in 2020.

More records for Jeremiah Smith

Jeremiah Smith became only the second Buckeye to record 200-plus receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in the same game. Terry Glenn did it first on September 23, 1995, against Pittsburgh, with nine catches for 253 yards and four scores. No other Ohio State receiver has combined those numbers in the 31 seasons since.

With 9:34 left in the first quarter, Smith caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from a high point. Ohio State had already rushed for 23 yards on that series. The score was 7-0.

The next one came with 3:39 left in the first. After Illinois pinned Ohio State at its own 7, Julian Sayin found Smith running free down the middle. Smith then scored from 72 yards. That catch was the second-longest reception of Smith’s career. 

With 4:12 left in the second quarter, Smith made a 9-yard toe-tap. The play was reviewed and confirmed at the end of a long 19-play drive. That catch gave him his first career three-touchdown game, finished before halftime. 

Sayin also scored himself on a 7-yard scramble with 15 seconds left in the first half, making it 28-10 at the break. With 10:11 remaining in the fourth, Ohio State already led 28-13 after an Illinois field goal in the third. On first-and-10 from the Illinois 26, after Sayin kept it for 3 yards on third-and-1 from the 29, he dropped back and hit Smith for a 26-yard touchdown.

That one reception gave Smith his fourth score and pushed him past 200 receiving yards at the same time. 

The 200-yard club now includes Jaxon Smith-Njigba (347 and 240 in 2021), Glenn (253 in 1995), Santonio Holmes (224 in 2004), Gary Williams (220 in 1981), David Boston (217 in 1998), and Smith. The four-touchdown receiving list includes Noah Brown, Dane Sanzenbacher, Glenn, and Bob Grimes. Only Glenn had done both in one game.

Smith also became the first Ohio State wide receiver to reach 3,000 career receiving yards. He entered with 2,958 and needed 42. He crossed the mark in the first half and finished near 3,175 career yards in 34 games, the 13th player in Big Ten history to do it.

Those records explain why his odds jumped. Ohio State also improved to 3-1 and 1-0 in the Big Ten. The team result was settled. The Heisman part is not.