Ohio State is once again the holder of the Illibuck Trophy after a dominating performance against Illinois on Saturday. The 42-19 victory was impressive, especially from a passing-game perspective. Jeremiah Smith was on another level, having the best performance of his career.
Smith finished the game with 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns. He caught three of those in the first half, as well. Now, he sits just one touchdown away from tying the Ohio State record for career touchdown catches. That performance actually got an Illinois coach fired.
Illinois fires their defensive coordinator after Jeremiah Smith torces the Illini
The day after the Ohio State Buckeyes crushed Illinois, Bret Bielema decided to fire defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck. In a statement, he claimed that it was a mutual agreement for him to step away, but it's pretty clear that he was being relieved of his duties.
Ohio State put up 518 total yards in that game, which was not good enough from Illinois' perspective. Hauck was the one who took the fall, and now Illinois will have an interim DC for the rest of the season. Smith may have single-handedly gotten someone fired.
Hauck shouldn't feel too bad about getting canned. Smith is the best player in college football, and he showed on Saturday that he can do that to anyone. There hasn't been a singe team this season that has been able to stop him yet. Even Texas struggled with him in the first half.
Smith is clearly the premier weapon in college football. It's borderline impossible for any single team to stop him from being effective. He can make contested catches, get yards after the catch, and just run routes that easily get him open. There's a reason that he will be a top-five pick in next year's draft.
Ohio State still needs to find more weapons
While Smith is the best weapon in all of college football, the Buckeyes still need to find another receiver who can take some of the pressure that he faces. Teams double-team him, even if it doesn't necessarily work, almost the entire game. They need someone else to step up.
At some point, the Buckeyes will need another receiver whom Julian Sayin can trust. When the schedule starts to get tough, like it is now, Ohio State needs multiple guys they can turn to when yards and points are hard to come by. Who that is remains a mystery.
Devin McCuin was supposed to be that guy, but he hasn't materialized into that role. Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd are true freshmen, and that seems like a lot to lay at their feet. Kyle Parker hasn't played yet this season. Brandon Inniss can't be counted on at this point.
Saturday wasn't the first time that Smith has torn up an opposing defense, and it certainly won't be the last. He's too good, and the Buckeyes are lucky to have him. Winning another national title would be the perfect way for him to end his career.
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