Ohio State football: Was the Rose Bowl a setup for Jaxon Smith-Njigba?

Was the Rose Bowl a setup for Jaxon Smith-Njigba? Although what the junior from Texas did to Utah on New Year’s Day was almost criminal, I’m not talking THAT kind of setup. Rather, with his 15-catch, 347-yard performance, did Smith-Njigba set up himself up to be in line for postseason awards this season and lead the Ohio State football team to a national title?

No, awards are not handed out based on what a player did the previous year. But, without question, a player can put himself at the front of a voter’s mind with a strong performance late in a season, especially in a high-profile bowl game, and set up himself for future consideration. Smith-Njigba may have done just that.

When you look at receiving stats from last season, Smith-Njigba had only five fewer receptions (85 to 80) in the regular season than Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison of Pitt. So, why didn’t he get more attention from voters? First, he was overshadowed for the majority of the season by Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.

Second, 45 of his 80 receptions came in the final four games of the regular season. He was not really on the radar of any voter until the final third of the season. Many times voters have their minds made up early-well before November. And now you see why the Rose Bowl may have served as a setup for Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

What makes those 15 catches for an all-time bowl record 347 yards even more impressive is he did it without Olave and Wilson on the field. The other two starting receivers that day, Julian Fleming and Marvin Harrison, Jr., entered the game with just twelve receptions combined.

Both played well, especially Harrison (6 catches for 71 yards and 3 touchdowns), but voters will have noticed Smith-Njigba put up those numbers despite two future first-round draft picks not being on the field. Olave and Wilson were not there to pull the majority of Utah’s coverage away from him. Smith-Njigba’s performance was eye-popping and, most of all, memorable (watch his Rose Bowl performance here).

The Rose Bowl was a setup for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He is set up to be at the front of the mind of voters to start the season. Once the season begins, it will be up to him to keep himself there with more outstanding performances.