Jeremiah Smith is making Ohio State history almost every week, and the Buckeyes look better because of it. But that might be exactly where the problem starts. Rece Davis believes Ohio State is becoming too reliant on Smith, leaving Ryan Day with a dangerous question to answer.
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“I mean, Ohio State looks the part. I’m not sure that they’re as dynamic and disruptive on defense as they were last year. They don’t have as many, at this point in the season, as many playmakers, but man, it’s like the old thing. They have Jeremiah Smith, and you don’t, and they’ve got plenty of other guys around him, too,” said Davis while having a conversation on ESPN College Football.
In Ohio State’s 31-14 win over Iowa, Jeremiah Smith erupted for 11 catches, 206 yards, and two touchdowns, becoming the Buckeyes’ all-time leader in career receptions and touchdown catches. Just two weeks earlier, he broke Ohio State’s receiving yards record against Kent State. Now, Smith owns every major career receiving record in program history.
However, the problem is that the Buckeyes appear not only to be too dependent on him but also to expect Jeremiah Smith to erase every Julian Sayin mistake.
Against Iowa, Sayin fired into triple coverage when another option was likely available. Smith turned the risky throw into a 54-yard gain. Ryan Day called it “not a great read.” Somehow, Smith made it look brilliant.
So far, Jeremiah Smith has 44 receptions for 823 receiving yards, nine touchdowns, 18.7 yards per catch, and 35 first downs this season. Those are not normal numbers; his production has been exceptionally high.
The nearest wide receiver to him on the roster is Devin McCuin, who has 17 receptions for 245 receiving yards and two touchdowns. That gap highlights a clear lack of balanced production from Ohio State’s other receivers.
More importantly, Smith’s role in Ohio State’s passing game has expanded significantly this season. He is being targeted on 42% of his routes, up from 29% in 2025, while his average target now travels 16.1 yards downfield, nearly five yards deeper than last season.
For Davis, the biggest concern isn’t that Smith is handling most of the offense; it’s what happens if he fails. Davis also questioned Ohio State’s defense, which looked better against Iowa compared to the game against Illinois.
The Hawkeyes fumbled on the first drive but had 90 yards on the next two drives, both of which ended in field goals. However, the OSU defense didn’t let it get out of hand, as Iowa went scoreless in the second quarter. In total, the Hawkeyes had 236 yards on offense.
In Week 4, Illinois piled up 462 total yards despite scoring just 19 points. Through five games, Ohio State has allowed 63 points, with 38 coming in the fourth quarter. That worrying trend raises questions about the unit’s ability to close out games effectively.
Some of the issues are understandable given the change in defensive personnel. Last season, they had Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, and Caleb Downs. Matt Patricia no longer has reliable playmakers on defense. However, against ranked opponents, the unit may need to make plays late in the fourth quarter.
This didn’t happen against Texas. Despite leading 23-3 after the third quarter, the Buckeyes gave up 21 points on three consecutive drives. Rece Davis expects that if Ohio State and Ryan Day can solve their defensive problems and find more balance offensively, the Buckeyes could get closer to another national championship.
“They’ve got a really good system strategy. They’ve got a brutal schedule. If Ohio State, I will say this, if Ohio State gets through all of this schedule and still has just the one last-second loss to Texas, they’re number one on the road,” Davis concluded.
In Week 6, Ryan Day’s team is set to host Maryland.