Buckeyes' Jeremiah Smith, Julian Sayin got extra motivation in playoffs after snubs

The nation is about to find out in the College Football Playoffs that they messed up with Ohio State Buckeyes stars Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin after snubs.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) celebrates a touchdown by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) during the second half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio Bobcats at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 13, 2025. Ohio State won 37-9. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes might have gotten the respect within their own conference in the Big Ten, but the nation is sleeping on them. A mistake they will find out soon enough.

Last week, the college football awards were given out to the top players in the nation. For Ohio State, all eyes were on offensive stars Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin as they were up for several ways, but came away empty-handed.

Smith was up for the Fred Biletnikoff Award
for the nation's best wide receiver, but the award went to USC Trojans receiver Makai Lemon. Sayin was up for several awards, including the Davey O'Brien Award for best QB, the Maxwell Award for best player in the nation, and the Heisman Trophy. He lost all three to Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

What ultimately cost Smith his award was missing time late in the season due to injury and having to make it up. He finished with 80 receptions for 1,086 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season.

Sayin ultimately had too many similarities to numbers to Mendoza in the passing game, but Indiana won the Big Ten title and finished undefeated, so Mendoza got the edge. During the season, Sayin completed 78.4% of his passes for 3,323 yards and 31 touchdowns to six interceptions.

If between Smith and Sayin, there should be more motivation; it's Sayin who has been overlooked too often this season. He didn't even finish in the top three of the Heisman Trophy, which is the ultimate disrespect for the nation's most accurate and efficient quarterback.

Buckeyes fans shouldn't have to worry, though, as Smith and Sayin are about to use this as motivation to really take it to any opponent they face in the College Football Playoffs. Smith was spectacular in the playoffs last year, with 19 receptions for 381 yards and five touchdowns in four playoff games en route to a national title.

While this Ohio State team might be different from last year's, Smith and Sayin are one year older and one more year ticked off since they were disrespected. Smith has been disrespected for national awards for two years in a row, while Sayin has been hit multiple times with it.

This playoff run has the potential to be magical as it's going to be the revenge tour led by Smith and Sayin as they look to make the voters for those awards look silly for passing on them.