Jeremiah Smith backed up his trash talk, but the Hurricanes got the last laugh over the Buckeyes
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Jeremiah Smith had some bold words for the Miami Hurricanes ahead of their Cotton Bowl matchup on New Year’s Eve. And there’s no doubt that the Buckeyes’ superstar back up his words with a strong performance.
Unfortunately, not enough of his teammates did the same. The Miami Hurricanes defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes 24-14 to claim the Cotton Bowl and advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Smith made some headlines leading up to the game when he talked about some fans’ obsession with the 2003 Fiesta Bowl and that the Buckeyes had something for the Hurricanes.
“Oh yeah, for sure, I mean, you see it all over the internet, all over Twitter,” Smith said. “They’re still talking about it twenty years later. They’re still worried about it, but we’ve got something for them come New Year’s Eve.”
Jeremiah Smith had a big game, but it wasn’t enough to carry Ohio State to victory against Miami
Smith delivered the goods for the Buckeyes and was pretty much the team’s offense outside of RB Bo Jackson on the first drive of the second half. Once Ohio State’s offensive line settled in during the second half, Julian Sayin had time, and Smith was the main beneficiary, finishing with 7 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown.
However, Smith did say “we’ve got something for them”. We. He certainly did. However, Miami ended up having something for the Buckeyes, from the coaches to the players. Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson called a great game, balancing the ground game with a passing game that was just efficient enough to keep some drives moving. Corey Hetherman’s defense was physical for the majority of the game, and outside of the third quarter and early fourth, the Hurricanes were physically superior on that side of the ball.
Smith’s recruitment was one of the biggest South Florida recruiting battles in recent memory. It certainly paid off for the Buckeyes last year on the way to the national championship. But one year later, Hurricanes fans finally got the last laugh over Smith, his teammates, and the Ohio State fanbase.
This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Jan 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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