Ryan Day gives positive update on Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate with the Michigan game just a few days away

Tate reportedly felt tightness in his lower body prior to the Purdue game, and the Buckeyes held him out as a precaution. The junior wideout didn’t play the next two games either and has been in street clothes on the sideline for the last two weeks. Tate has 711 receiving yards and seven touchdowns this season, and he has taken off in a major way — likely setting himself up to be a first-round pick next April.

Smith played a quarter against UCLA before sitting out against Rutgers. The star sophomore has been dealing with a nagging injury, and holding him out last week was believed to be a cautious move with Michigan looming. Smith has 902 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns this season. Having both players available against Michigan will be crucial. Ohio State will head north as a two-score favorite on Saturday, but that has to be thrown out the window. The rivalry game is always physical and usually goes the distance of four quarters of close football. If the Buckeyes have their star wideouts back, they’ll feel much better about their chances.

window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll && event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-1524').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-1524').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');

This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.