Ohio State Buckeyes superstar Jeremiah Smith continues to draw strong praise from the opposition, a list that now includes the coach of a team that has won 22 straight games.
“He’s raised the bar, no question. I think he has nine touchdowns in the last three Power Four conference games. There’s nobody like him right now playing at this level,” Indiana Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti said of Smith in a press conference Monday. “He’s a freak and we’re going to have to do a great job with him.”
No. No. 5 Indiana (6-0) hosts No. 4 Ohio State (5-1) on Saturday (12 p.m. ET on FOX), with FOX’s “Big Noon Kickoff” in Bloomington for the Big Ten showdown. Last year, Indiana defeated Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship en route to winning its first national championship in program history.
The Hoosiers are coming off a Week 6 scare on the road against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, as they rallied from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to escape with a 20-17 victory.
As for the expected scare for Indiana in Week 7, Smith, who was already a big standout during his freshman and sophomore seasons, has taken his game to another level this season for Ohio State.
In fact, Smith is done the Buckeyes’ all-time leader in receptions (211), receiving yards (3,474) and receiving touchdowns (38). Prior to Ohio State’s Week 6 win against the Maryland Terrapins, he combined for 23 receptions for 423 yards and six touchdowns in wins over the Iowa Hawkeyes and Illinois Fighting Illini.
In all, Smith has recorded 48 receptions for 916 yards (19.1 yards per reception) and 11 touchdowns, all of which lead the Big Ten and are each second in the nation, in Ohio State’s six games this season. In 2025, he led the Big Ten with 87 receptions and 1,243 receiving yards, while leading the conference with 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024. FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt recently said that Smith is “entering the chat“for the Buckeyes’ greatest player ever.
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The upcoming heavyweight battle features an Ohio State offense that is first in the Big Ten in total yards (503.5 per game) and points (42.7 per game) going up against an Indiana defense that has given up the fewest points in the conference (11.8 per game) and is third in opponent total yards (263.5 per game). Meanwhile, Indiana’s offense is second in the Big Ten in total yards (462.7 per game) and third in points (40.2 per game) and will face an Ohio State defense that is second in the conference in both total yards (246.8 per game) and points (13.2 per game).
