Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith Dominates Oregon Ducks, Sets Big Ten Touchdown Record

After strong comments of becoming a “different player” before the Rose Bowl game against the Oregon Ducks, Ohio State Buckeyes freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had an electric start to the game.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) makes a catch in the first quarter against the Oregon Ducks in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

PASADENA - They’re the comments heard round the football world. Now, after calling out the Oregon Ducks’ man-to-man coverage, Ohio State freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith turned in an incredible first quarter performance at the Rose Bowl to back his words up.

Within a minute of the game starting, Smith caught a 45-yard pass from quarterback Will Howard to score Ohio State’s first touchdown of the game. After that score, Smith holds the Big Ten Conference record for the most receiving touchdowns by a true freshman.

Smith’s electric performance comes off some inflammatory comments the young athlete made during a Rose Bowl media availability.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) makes a catch against Oregon Ducks defensive back Dontae Manning (8) in the first quarter in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

"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."

Shots down the field were frequent during the first quarter for the Buckeyes. During the first quarter, Howard threw 8-12 for 212 yards with Smith catching 6 for 118 yards, including a 32 yard gain for a first down with a little over two minutes left in the first quarter.

This is Smith's fifth 100-yard game, with Smith being one of 12 Ohio State athletes to accomplish such a feat. He is the only freshman to hit those numbers for the Buckeyes in program history. He also set the record for receiving yards for an Ohio State freshman during the third quarter.

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

On the season, Smith boasts 1,037 yards from 63 receptions and 12 touchdowns. Smith averages 11.8 yards per reception against AP top 25 teams.

Oregon has yet to find a response for the Buckeyes, as Oregon’s defense struggles to contain Smith and the Buckeye offense. The Buckeyes are averaging 26.5 yards per completion from the first half compared to Oregon’s 5 yards per completion. 212 of Ohio State’s 233 total yards are from the passing game, with Smith as a lead figure in the Buckeyes’ air attack against the Ducks.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) runs against Oregon Ducks defensive back Jabbar Muhammad (7) in the first quarter in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

When asked about facing Ohio State’s offense for a second time, Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi stressed that the Ducks faced top talent frequently throughout their 2024 season.

“They (Ohio State) got great skill players. We see great skill players every day,” Lupoi said. “Thankfully facing our offense, we get to see first rounders everyday ourself.”

“The best thing we can do is strengthen the things we did well at and be curious about the things where we faulted, starting with me,” Lupoi said. “What can I do better as far as calling the game and putting our guys in the right situation…That might be manipulating a coverage, might be doing something a little different up front, or go back to what we did successfully and try to apply that again.”

After the first quarter, Smith scored a 43-yard touchdown to continue the Buckeye's offensive dominance.

Oregon entered the Rose Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes are the No. 1 team in the nation, with a historic 13-0 record, and a previous win against the Buckeyes in October 32-31.

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