Defenses hated him last year. But what about this year? Constant improvement is the expectation in Columbus but Urban Meyer is warning Buckeye Nation that it might not be that simple for Jeremiah Smith. The 5-star phenom lit up the stat sheet as a freshman with 76 catches, 1,315 yards, and 15 TDs. But his sophomore year looks like a much steeper climb. But of course, that has nothing to do with his undeniable talent. It’s about the pieces around him that no longer exist.

In a new episode of THE HERD on CFB ON FOX on August 22, Urban Meyer didn’t sugarcoat things for Ryan Day’s team. “An elite wide receiver’s best friends are number one, a running quarterback. Will Howard. They had that,” he said, “Number two. A strong run game. They had that with two terrific running backs. And number three, a strong number two. That was Emeka. All three of those guys are gone.” Will Howard was that run threat, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins gave the ground game. And Emeka Egbuka was the WR alongside him. The major reality check is that all of them are gone. 

Urban Meyer’s film study backs it up. In the Cotton Bowl, Texas basically invented the “Stop Jeremiah” defense. They bracketed him all game, forcing him into his worst performance yet with just one catch for three yards. Last season, Ohio State’s run game averaged 166.4 rushing yards per game with Henderson and Judkins each surpassing 1,000 yards. That balance meant teams couldn’t double the star WR without risking a big play elsewhere. Without them, that’s a lot of missing pieces around the league’s top young receiver.

This year, the landscape has shifted dramatically. He’s the lone focal point. Will Howard is replaced by the more pocket-oriented Julian Sayin. And without the threat of a run game or a trusted second option this fall, the genius football coach says defenses will double Jeremiah Smith until Ryan Day proves they can’t. His challenge isn’t solo though. How the new QB handles pressure matters just as much.

Urban Meyer drops a bold QB reality check

Here’s a bold part of Urban Meyer’s comments which is his comparison between Julian Sayin and Arch Manning. Both are first-time full-time starters. Both are still learning. And both will be on the same field when Texas and Ohio State collide in Week 1. “Because you can say Arch Manning is not much different than Julian Sayin. He’s not done a lot either. So you better protect these quarterbacks,” he said. “It would be a mistake to just hand the b— to these guys and let them go play early in their careers like this.” And that’s a direct challenge to Ryan Day’s play-calling.

Yet, in true Buckeye fashion, Jeremiah Smith isn’t flinching. On The Triple Option, the sophomore doubled down on his faith in the receivers around him. “I feel like this year they’re going to shock a lot of people, especially Carnell (Tate),” he said. “Brandon (Inniss) the same way. He got that dog in him. So I feel like this year, our room is very special.” His confidence in Julian Sayin is there. “I’m expecting Julian to just go out there each and every week and put on a show,” he said. “Julian’s a smart player, smart QB, can make any and every throw.” That’s the confidence you expect from a wideout wearing scarlet and gray.

Now it all comes down to August 30. Noon ET. FOX. Texas vs. Ohio State. Arch Manning vs. Julian Sayin. Urban Meyer’s warning vs. Jeremiah Smith’s belief. And here’s the catch, somebody is about to get humbled.