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Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates a touchdown catch during the second half of the College Football Playoff first round game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 22, 2024. Ohio State won 42-17. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith Sends Message to Oregon Ducks Ahead Of Rose Bowl

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI
By Olivia Cleary | Last updated Jan 1, 2025 2:23 PM ET

LOS ANGELES – Confidence appears to be at an all-time high for Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith. Smith and the Buckeyes are gearing up to take on the No. 1 Oregon Ducks on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl. Ahead of the highly anticipated game, Smith had a warning for Oregon's coaching staff.

"I'm just laughing in my head. 'Why are y'all really playing man-on-man against us?' Or against me, I should say?" said Smith. "And when we see man [coverage] against any of our receivers, we're going to take a shot down the field."

"So I'm just letting everybody know right now that if you play man Wednesday, we're taking a shot," Smith continued.

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Smith, a true freshman wide receiver out of Miami Gardens, Florida, has been a key factor in Ohio State’s success this season. This season, Smith has caught 63 passes for 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Smith enters the Rose Bowl fresh off a dominant performance against Tennessee, where the Vols played man coverage. In Ohio State’s 42-17 victory over the Vols, Smith had six catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

The Ducks and Buckeyes faced off back in October when Ohio State was ranked No. 2 and Oregon was ranked No. 3. Oregon went on to win that game 32-31, ultimately helping the Ducks secure the No. 1 spot.

Ben Lonergan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Although the Ducks emerged victorious in the first matchup, Smith was a problem for Oregon’s secondary. The freshman caught nine passes for 100 yards; however, it was not enough to secure a victory.

In the fourth quarter, with just 22 seconds left to play, Smith caught a deep pass from quarterback Will Howard to put Ohio State in prime scoring position at the Oregon 21-yard line. However, a flag was thrown on the play as Smith was called for offensive pass interference. Officials called the penalty after Smith seemingly pushed off of Oregon defensive back Nikko Reed. That penalty sent Ohio State back to Oregon’s 43-yard line, and the Buckeyes would not score again.

Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

“I think about that call probably every day,” Smith said. “It was a crazy call. The DB was holding me; I just cleared his hands. I guess receivers can’t be physical in football anymore, but DBs could hold 10 yards, 15 yards down the field. It’s behind me. I know the move from here on out when the DB is grabbing me. I guess you can’t be physical as a receiver in college football anymore. We’ll just see how things play out in this game.”

This time, Smith and the Buckeyes are seeking revenge, and Smith seems more confident than ever in his ability to disrupt Oregon's defense.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"They're going to see a completely different player than the last time," said Smith. "Even [receivers] Coach [Brian] Hartline told me the other day that I'm a whole different player from the first time we played Oregon until now. It started with understanding the game plan and knowing what the defense is trying to do."

The Ducks and Buckeyes will face each other for a second and final time this season in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.