Coming into Saturday, the Ohio State football program was playing the most talented team they'll face on the road. The only tougher game they'll play away from The Shoe is the final game of the year against the TTUN. That game is only harder because of the history of the rivalry and the last four years.
Luke Altmeyer was the best quarterback Ohio State has faced all year, and they made mincemeat of him. The Ohio State Buckeyes won the game 34-16 thanks to a very consistent offense. Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate were able to show that they can't be stopped by any defense, too.
Smith finished the game with five catches for 42 yards, including this sick route for a touchdown. Tate continues his trajectory of being a first-round pick in next year's draft by recording four catches for 41 yards on his own. While those numbers weren't the biggest, Ryan Day couldn't stop singing their praises.
Ohio State football coach Ryan Day runs out of words to describe how good Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate are
Following the game, Day was asked about his receivers in the postgame press conference. Day was struggling to find the right words to describe just how important those two receivers are to the offensive game plan.
“When you have a team that understands what needs to be done, that’s when you have a chance to be special.”@OhioStateFB head coach Ryan Day praises Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. pic.twitter.com/Q3bANOMCz9
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 11, 2025
"Oh yeah, Jeremiah is, I can't say enough about him, about Carnell. In a game like this, we found ourselves down in there (the red zone) a lot, and ran the ball a lot. And they're into it, just like everybody else. I mean, they want it to look like last week every week. But when you have a team that understands what needs to get done, that's when you have a chance to be special."
With how good Smith and Tate are in the red zone, opposing defenses are put in a bind about how to defend close to the goal line. Do they pack the line of scrimmage and keep the running backs from gaining ground? Or do they use resources to keep the receivers from getting the ball?
The size that Tate and Smith have make it very hard for teams to keep them from getting easy touchdowns on fade routes. That's why Day is so happy with their unselfishness. They don't get as many opportunities as they probably should, and they're okay with that.
Ohio State has two elite receivers, just like they do every single year.