Controversial offensive pass interference call on Jeremiah Smith crushes Ohio State

In a heartbreaking 32-31 loss to No. 3 Oregon on Saturday night, a controversial offensive pass interference call against freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith frustrated Ohio State football fans.

With just 28 seconds left and trailing by one point, Ohio State faced a 2nd-and-10 from Oregon's 28-yard line. Quarterback Will Howard connected with Smith for an 8-yard gain, putting the Buckeyes in a good position for a potential game-winning field goal.

However, the officiating crew flagged Smith for offensive pass interference, resulting in a 15-yard penalty that pushed Ohio State back to the Oregon 43-yard line, knocking them out of field goal range.

Replays indicated that the defensive back initiated contact, leading many to believe the call was unwarranted. In high-stakes moments like this, such calls are rarely made, especially when the contact appears not that big and is started by the defensive back.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day commented on the impact of the call after the game, saying, "It cost us. But it shouldn't come down to one play. We want to leave no doubt. I feel like we should have done that tonight. Then you put it into the hands of a call, and you don't get it; then that's on us."

While Day acknowledged that this call wasn't the sole reason for the loss, the timing and rarity of the penalty left many questioning the decision and contemplating what could have been.

I think we can all agree that lately, not just in college but at the pro level too, there have been too many games coming down to one call by the refs. To me, that call at the end of the game probably could have gone either way. It's a call that Ohio State football fans have to live with. As Day said, it shouldn't have come down to that.