The Game is finally here. And for Ryan Day, Saturday’s showdown in Ann Arbor represents his last, best chance to remove the one scar that’s defined his otherwise stellar coaching career at Ohio State. The Buckeyes haven’t beaten Michigan since November 30, 2019. And heading into the most important game of his coaching life, Buckeye fans got a bittersweet injury update about their formidable duo, Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.

Ohio State insider Austin Ward dropped an update about Smith and Tate on his morning podcast with Zach Boren. Ward said he’s “very confident” that star freshman Jeremiah Smith will play against Michigan, but Tate’s status remains “unclear.” Having both of them on the field is absolutely crucial for Ohio State, especially considering they account for nearly 58% of the team’s passing yards and 65% of its receiving touchdowns this season. However, there is still hope. There’s yet another update from a different insider that’s got Buckeye Nation buzzing.​

Dave Biddle of Bucknuts 247 Sports offered some encouraging news on Monday. “I’m hearing JJ’s going to play. No one’s shocked about that. I’m not sure how close to 100% he is. Let’s say he’s like 85%, though. That’s still an effective player. I have no doubt he’s going to play. I’ve had two sources tell me he’s going to play,” Biddle said. “Those same sources say the expectation is Carnell Tate will play. They both said Carnell Tate is expected to play. Everybody in the building thinks he’s going to play. So there you go. As of now, 5 days away, it looks like the Buckeyes are going to have both receivers.”

During his postgame press conference after the Rutgers win, Ryan Day gave no concrete update on Smith and Tate. He stuck to the classic coach-speak that reveals nothing. “The only thing I’ll say really is they are day-to-day, and the staff and those guys are working really hard to get ready to play next week,” Day told reporters Saturday night. 

Smith’s injury appears to be a lower-leg issue that cropped up during the UCLA game, where he was seen moving gingerly on the sidelines before being shut down for the second half. Tate’s situation is a bit more mysterious. He suffered what Day described as “lower leg tightness” during pregame warmups at Purdue and hasn’t played since, despite wanting to suit up against the Boilermakers.​​

The fact that Day held both receivers out against Rutgers despite Ohio State being undefeated and chasing a Big Ten championship game berth speaks volumes about how seriously they’re taking these injuries. Day admitted after the Purdue game that Tate “wanted to play,” but they held him out as a precaution because “we’ve got a lot of football ahead of us.” It was a clear reference to Michigan Week. 

Same script, different year

Austin Ward’s cautiously optimistic update has Buckeye fans breathing a little easier about Jeremiah Smith. But the whole situation has an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu for anyone who was there for Ohio State during the 2022 season. Dillon Davis from the Delaware Gazette appeared on The Bill and Doug Show this week and put his concern level for the receiver injuries at 40 out of 100. 

“One of the reasons I put it at a 40, and maybe a little bit less than that, was because you guys were in press conferences with Ryan when we talked about Jaxon Smith-Njigba back in 2022,” Davis explained, referencing the star receiver who never played another snap for the Buckeyes after Day downplayed his injury status. 

Smith-Njigba returned against Iowa on October 22, 2022, after missing several games with a hamstring injury, caught a couple of passes, and then limped off the field. When reporters pressed Day about whether JSN had suffered a new injury, the coach insisted it was just a pitch count situation. Davis followed up directly: “Hey Ryan, just to be clear, Jaxon didn’t leave that Iowa game for any other reason than a pitch count. He wasn’t hurt for any, you know, in any way?” 

Day’s response was a flat “no.” When Davis asked if that meant Smith-Njigba was on track to play against Penn State, Day said, “That’s the plan.” JSN never suited up for Ohio State again, eventually shutting it down for the season and declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft.​

The parallels to how Day is handling Smith and Tate’s current injuries are striking. And it’s why Davis said he understands why people are concerned. Day’s vague “day-to-day” updates feel eerily similar to the 2022 playbook. He refuses to provide specifics and leaves everyone guessing until game time.