Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate's injuries could alter Ohio State's perfect season

The Ohio State Buckeyes might have a sticky situation with injuries to their top two wide receivers in Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) celebrates a touchdown by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Oct. 4, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Things looked a little different in the Ohio State Buckeyes' 48-10 win over the UCLA Bruins in Week 12 action, mostly due to the offense not having the same weapons it is accustomed to having.

Ohio State played that game without wide receiver Carnell Tate, who missed a second straight game due to an injury. Tate is not expected to be out for the season at this time, with the hope that he will return soon.

Another star receiver, Jeremiah Smith, was not 100% going into the Bruins game, as he only played for part of the first half before getting benched. Smith finished with four receptions for 40 yards on 22 snaps as Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day said they were playing it safe with Smith.

Smith and Tate are critical to the success of the passing game as they are the two leading receivers on the team. Coming in first is Smith with 69 receptions for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns. Tate is second with 39 receptions for 711 yards and seven touchdowns.

The Buckeyes need both players for the upcoming postseason run, as they play major roles in the offense. Tate is the speed guy who can make a big play, while Smith can do it all for Ohio State.

For Day and his staff, Ohio State has to be careful to play this right. Rushing Tate and Smith back will be fatal to the Buckeyes winning another national championship, since the passing game runs through both players.

So far, the Buckeyes have played this smartly by keeping Tate out and Smith limited. It might even be smart for the team to do the same thing in Week 13 against the Rutgers Scarlett Knights, as they could win that game without both guys. Get them healthy and ready to go for the regular season finale against the Michigan Wolverines.

Ohio State got some life from the running game, with Bo Jackson leading the way, as C.J. Donaldson was out with an injury against UCLA. Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin can still play at an elite level without his top receivers.

Don't forget that Ohio State's defense is playing at a historically high level, so even if it ends up being a low-scoring game, the Buckeyes' defense will do its part to hold things together and secure a win.

The end goal is to ensure that Smith and Tate are close to or at 100% for the Michigan game and the postseason that follows. Don't be surprised if Day plays it safe with his top offensive playmakers.