There was a lot of talk leading up to The Game on Saturday about whether the Buckeyes would finally be able to take down the Wolverines after four long years of losing. However, that wasn't the only thing talked about leading up to the big ranked matchup.
There were a lot of questions as to whether star Ohio State wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate would be available after missing some time with lower-body injuries. Both players were good to go by game time, and both even caught passing touchdowns from quarterback Julian Sayin.
Now, with the Buckeyes heading to the Big Ten Championship to face No. 2 Indiana, all eyes will be on whether or not Smith and Tate will be good to go against the Hoosiers, and Buckeyes fans will be happy to hear the news.
Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate injuries shouldn't linger to the Big Ten Championship
Ryan Day said Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate came out of the Michigan game “as good as could be expected.” Day said Smith and Tate will be “excited to play” in the Big Ten Championship Game.
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) November 30, 2025
After Ohio State's massive 27-9 win over Michigan to finally bring home to hardware that has been with the Wolverines for way too long, head coach Ryan Day spoke to the media. Day probably felt a weight lifted off his shoulders after that win, not just for beating Michigan, but also for players coming out of the game pretty healthy.
Of course, everyone wanted to hear how Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate were faring after returning to play, and Day gave the update every Ohio State fan was hoping for. The Buckeyes' head coach said that both players came out of the game as well as could be expected, and they are excited to play for a Big Ten Championship.
Both Tate and Smith were dealing with lower-body injuries that kept the former out three games and the latter out just one game. Fans speculated that Ohio State took extra caution with both injuries, holding the players out in games they really weren't needed to get a big win.
Now, with Indiana on the docket, Ohio State looks like it will be heading into the game fairly healthy and ready to bring more hardware back to Columbus.