Jeremiah Smith Sends Unfiltered Message for Heisman Voters as He Sets Final Non-Negotiable Goal at Ohio State

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Jeremiah Smith has run out of Ohio State records to rewrite. After Saturday’s 31-14 win at Iowa, the wide receiver made it clear that he wants more than just being the program’s all-time leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. That includes both team and individual honors. Smith struck the Heisman pose after scoring a touchdown against Iowa. After the game, he made his feelings even clearer.

“To bring the team to the National Championship,” Smith said, according to an X post by CBS Sports College Football. “I mean, that’s all I’ve been chasing since the season started, since we started fall camp. That’s a goal of mine before I leave here, and I’m very committed to that.”

Smith reached multiple all-time school records at Kinnick Stadium as he finished with 11 catches for 206 yards and two touchdowns. The first came with 12 seconds left in the first half, which was a 12-yard grab where he stretched across the goal line to tie Chris Olave’s record at 35 career touchdowns. The second was a 57-yarder in the third quarter that made it 24-6 and put him at 36 career touchdowns, where he hit the Heisman pose in the end zone.

A few minutes later, his 206th catch passed Emeka Egbuka for the career receptions record. He already owned the yardage mark, and now, along with holding three program records, he has tied Marvin Harrison Jr. for 15 career 100-yard games. Naturally, the Heisman discourse is fully on, and Smith has established himself as one of the favorites.

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“Definitely. That’s definitely on my mind. I’ve got to get to New York this year. I had to,” Smith said, according to CBS Sports College Football.

“I was surprised I had 200 yards. I didn’t know I had that much. But yeah, just got to keep the Heisman voters, or whoever it is, to know that I’m the best player in the country, so I got to be there,” Smith said during a presser after the game, according to an X post by Big Ten Network.

A receiver hasn’t won the Heisman award since DeVonta Smith in 2020. Given how he’s playing, Jeremiah Smith can easily repeat that feat come January. The OSU WR1 is also on pace to threaten the NCAA single-season receiving yardage record if the Buckeyes play deep into post-season.

Last year, Smith caught 87 passes for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. In just five games this season, he has accumulated 823 yards and nine touchdowns on just 44 receptions. That includes the 164 yards against Texas and 85 against Kent State in a blowout win, then 217 yards and four touchdowns against Illinois and the recent matchup against Iowa.

“As you can imagine, drawing plays up for him is a lot of fun,” Ryan Day said, according to CBS Sports College Football’s X post. “But the most amazing thing about Jeremiah Smith is his work ethic every day… This is the best player in the country right here.”

Smith’s size, speed, and strength give him a physical advantage, but Day believes his discipline and willingness to keep improving each day are what separate him from other talented players at his position.

“I can’t say enough about the person he is… he works really, really hard every day,” Ryan Day said about his wide receiver, according to Dan Hope of Eleven Warriors. “He’s not selfish, but he’s very, very competitive. All he cares about is winning. He’s a man of few words, but I can tell you, he feels strongly about this fan base.”

After the 24-23 loss to Texas, the Buckeyes wanted to bounce back, and they have done it against Illinois and Iowa with a strong offense. Julian Sayin went 20-for-27 for 324 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers, while Ja’Kobi Jackson ran for 72 yards and a touchdown. Bo Jackson added 70, and the Buckeyes finished with 484 total yards. Iowa’s defense hadn’t allowed 30 points at home in a decade, and this upset loss came during a brutal stretch for the Hawkeyes.

Ohio State is set to face Maryland on the road on October 10, followed by a game against defending champions, the Indiana Hoosiers, on October 17. Given the current state of the Big Ten teams, the Hoosiers are the only team that can challenge the Buckeyes. Michigan has had back-to-back losses. USC is struggling, and even Oregon can’t stop leaks on defense.

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