Ryan Day is 1-4 against Michigan and riding a four-game losing streak against the Wolverines. That includes last year’s shocking 13-10 loss as more than a three-touchdown home favorite. One of the biggest issues in that loss was the lack of involvement from then-superstar freshman Jeremiah Smith.
Smith finished with five catches, but for just 35 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes played Michigan’s game, getting dragged into a low-scoring rock fight with the Wolverines. For Day to avoid that type of game this year in Ann Arbor, getting Smith back healthy will be key.
Now a superstar sophomore, Smith missed his first game of the season in Ohio State’s Week 13 win over Rutgers, 42-9. With both Smith and fellow star wide receiver Carnell Tate sidelined, Ohio State leaned on its running game, rushing for 275 yards while Julian Sayin attempted just 19 passes. Seven of those were completed to tight end Max Klare.
While Smith was seen hobbling on the sidelines, there is optimism surrounding his availability for Week 14. Day told the media that “everybody was out there” at Ohio State’s Wednesday practice, which presumably includes both Smith and Tate. That came after Smith asserted that he’d be “good to go” for The Game on Caleb Downs’ podcast early in the week.
Last week, despite having an embarrassment of riches in Brian Hartline’s wide receiver room, Buckeye wide receivers caught just three passes for 33 yards. That recipe was fine for running up the score on Rutgers, but Ohio State may need its explosive element in the passing game to end its four-game losing streak to that team up north.
Smith leads the team with 69 catches for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns. With a higher volume of targets and an even bigger role in the Ohio State offense this season, Smith is averaging just 13.1 yards per reception, down from 17.3 a year ago
Latest Jeremiah Smith injury updates:
Smith assured Ohio State fans that he’ll be “good to go” for Saturday on teammate Caleb Downs’s podcast after missing the team’s Week 13 win over Rutgers. Then, Day told the media that “everybody was out there” at Wednesday’s practice.
All signs point to Smith taking the field in Ann Arbor on Saturday as Ohio State looks to secure its first win over Michigan since 2019 (the two teams did not play in 2020).