After another horrible loss, the Ohio State football program looks like it's in free fall. Getting pantsed at home by Oregon ends any shot of the Buckeyes winning the Big Ten or making the College Football Playoff. Ohio State is likely going to go through several changes at the end of the year.
Jeremiah Smith is the one player who has given everything he has to the program. He's an all-time great and was clearly frustrated because Luke Fahey refused to look his way. With nothing left to play for, Smith could decide to no longer play football this season.
The case for Jeremiah Smith ending his Ohio State football career early
It's very clear that Smith will be a top-five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. He's the best receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson, and there's a chance that he could end up being the number-one overall pick. Even after losing to USC last week, Smith was still the Heisman favorite, as well.
With a third loss on the season, it's highly unlikely that Smith will be able to accumulate the stats to actually win the Heisman. Fahey clearly doesn't have the confidence to throw the ball to Smith when he is a little bit covered, something that Julian Sayin didn't have an issue with.
The worst-case scenario for Smith would be for him to get hurt in the final three games of the season that could affect his draft status. He stands to make a lot of money as one of the top draft picks in the 2027 draft. Why would he risk that payday when he has no shot to win a national title?
There is a very real chance that Saturday night was the last time that Ohio State fans have seen Smith take the field for the Buckeyes. If he did decide to do that, fans likely wouldn't begrudge him for doing so. He's a great player who will always be loved in Columbus.
The case for Jeremiah Smith to keep playing for Ohio State
Even with all of the reasons for Smith to hang it up, he loves playing football. More than that, he clearly loves the Ohio State Buckeyes. He had several chances to transfer out of the program. In fact, multiple programs have tried to drag him out of Columbus over the last couple of years.
Smith is one of the most competitive players on the roster. We saw that when he was barking at the sidelines when Fahey went two full hours without targeting him with a pass. He was clearly frustrated with the fact that he wasn't getting the ball, because he knows that is the best way for the team to win.
Despite the back-to-back losses, Smith still has a shot to win the Heisman. His receiving numbers are ridiculous, and he's very clearly the best player in the country. With nothing left to play for this year, Ohio State could try to force-feed Smith the ball to pick up those Heisman-caliber stats.
If I had to guess, I would say that Smith is still going to play for the Buckeyes for the rest of the year. He's too competitive to sit out.
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