Ohio State is entering the most critical stretch of its season with two of its star receivers banged up. And while head coach Ryan Day insists there are no long-term concerns about Jeremiah Smith or Carnell Tate, the injury situation has Buckeyes fans on edge. Smith has been dealing with a lingering ankle issue, while Tate sat out entirely for two consecutive games with a calf injury. So is it something to worry about? If history serves as a reminder, then yes.​​

Dillon Davis from the Delaware Gazette appeared on The Bill and Doug Show this week. And he laid out exactly why Ohio State fans should be at least mildly concerned about the receiver injuries. He put his worry level at about 40 out of 100. But the reasoning behind that number should grab your attention.

“One of the reasons I put it at a 40, and not 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 said, referencing the star receiver who never played another snap for the Buckeyes after Day downplayed his injury status. Davis recounted how Smith-Njigba returned against Iowa on October 22, 2022, after missing several games with a hamstring injury, only to leave that game with a reaggravation. When reporters asked Day about it in the following days, the coach maintained it was just a pitch count situation.​

“I remember when Jaxon came back to that Iowa game, and he played sparingly, and it appeared he left that game with an injury,” Davis explained. The next week, when Ohio State prepared to face Penn State, there were natural questions about Smith-Njigba’s availability, and Austin Ward asked Day if Jaxon had hurt himself again in a different way during the Iowa game. 

Day downplayed that notion, telling reporters it was just a pitch count thing. Davis wasn’t satisfied with the vague answer, so he 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 responded with a flat “no.” Davis then asked the obvious follow-up: “So that means he’s on track to play on Saturday against Penn State?” Day’s response? “That’s the plan.” History tells us what happened next. Smith-Njigba never suited up for the Buckeyes again. He eventually shut it down for the season and declared for the 2023 NFL Draft after consulting with doctors.​

The parallels to the current situation are uncomfortable. Smith’s ankle injury stems from a physical play against Northwestern at Wrigley Field. Tate’s situation is similarly murky. 

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Ohio State travels to Ann Arbor on November 29 to face Michigan in a rivalry game that’s become an annual nightmare for the Buckeyes. They’ve dropped four straight to their hated rivals. With a College Football Playoff berth on the line and revenge against Michigan at the forefront of every Buckeye fan’s mind, having Smith and Tate at less than 100% would be catastrophic.

Day’s reluctance to provide detailed injury updates has only fueled anxiety among the fanbase. As Davis put it, “I understand why people are concerned in that regard because we’ve seen Ryan kind of handle an injury where he just didn’t want to be forthcoming with it.” Whether Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate will actually be at full strength for The Game remains to be seen. But if Day’s track record is any indication, Ohio State fans won’t know the truth until kickoff.

Why the timing couldn’t be worse for Ohio State

Davis didn’t mince words when asked about the timing of these injuries heading into these last weeks. “Look, the timing of it is not great. You’re heading into the penultimate week of the regular season. For Jeremiah to be dealing with a nagging injury is not a great place to be in.” And he’s absolutely right. These aren’t minor depth pieces dealing with bumps and bruises. 

Jeremiah Smith has been Ohio State’s most explosive offensive weapon all season, hauling in 69 catches for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns. Tate, meanwhile, had been carving out a significant role by posting 711 yards on only 39 receptions. Having Tate miss both the Purdue and UCLA games is one thing when you’re blowing teams out by 30-plus points. But rolling into The Big House on November 29 without having played, or potentially even practiced much, for three straight weeks is a completely different scenario. 

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As Davis pointed out, “That’s a tough spot to be going up to Ann Arbor, having not played. And who knows how much he’s really even practiced for three weeks prior to that.”​

The urgency for both receivers to get healthy is crucial for Ohio State’s entire offensive identity this season. The Buckeyes’ run game has been, to put it charitably, inconsistent all year long. They rank 61st nationally in rushing offense at just 161.8 yards per game. If Smith and Tate aren’t at full strength, or worse, if either can’t go at all, Ohio State’s margin for error against a Michigan team that’s beaten them four straight years shrinks dramatically.​