Is Jeremiah Smith playing vs. Rutgers? Ohio State's vague updates give big hint

While we're pretty certain Jeremiah Smith is dealing with some sort of lower-body/foot/ankle injury, it's unknown the severity of it. And, of course, Ryan Day isn't helping matters out by being as evasive as possible.

What we do know is that the chances of Smith playing against Rutgers this week seem a little slim. No offense to the Scarlet Knights and I'm sure there's plenty of respect between Day and Greg Schiano, a former Buckeyes assistant from 2016-2018, but this game doesn't feel like one where Smith should risk his health.

Could Smith or Carnell Tate be on a 'snap count'?

It's senior day at the Horseshoe tomorrow, and it seems like a near certainty that junior Carnell Tate will declare for the 2026 NFL Draft, where he's projected to go in the first round. Does that mean he'll try to play tomorrow? And if so, will Day have Tate on a similar snap count that he appeared to have with Smith before removing him from the UCLA game last week?

It wouldn't be a surprise if Tate took on the role that Smith had last week against UCLA.  Last week, Day played Smith for several first-half possessions, getting him in some work (and an amazing catch) before letting him rest for the second half of the game. Smith sped up the rest of the process by seeming to reaggravate his injury, but the plan seemed to work fine. 

Tate probably needs to in-game work a little more than Smith, because the latter has played in the past two games. But don't be surprised if Smith is on a bit of a snap count too. It sounds like Day wants to get both players some work without really jeopardizing their health.

How close is Smith to a 1,000-yard season?

Smith has 69 catches for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns. He and Tate were both named semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award this past week. Even if he doesn't play against Rutgers this Saturday, there's a very good chance that Smith will reach 1,000 yards before the start of the playoffs. 

He is on pace to match or surpass his reception total from last year (76), but a little behind the pace of  his remarkable1,315 yard total from last season.