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Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith makes case as best receiver in the country at Rose Bowl

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Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith makes case as best receiver in the country at Rose Bowl


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PASADENA, Calif. – It’s only been 14 games, but Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly had already seen enough of receiver Jeremiah Smith to make his proclamation.

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“He’s the best receiver in the country, and he showed it tonight,” Kelly told USA TODAY Sports.

It’s hard to argue.  

As the College Football Playoff stage gets bigger, the Buckeyes freshman receiver continues to shine. His latest offering – a dominant performance against top-seeded Oregon in the Rose Bowl to get his team into the semifinals. He finished the night with seven catches for 187 yards – a career-high that broke the school record for most receiving yards in a game by a freshman – and two touchdowns. He was named Rose Bowl offensive MVP.

It only took three plays for his impact to be felt Wednesday. Smith took a short toss from quarterback Will Howard and evaded multiple tacklers before so jogging into the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown. 

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As he made his way into the end zone, he held up a peace sign and signaled to the Oregon crowd to quiet down, and that’s pretty much what they did anytime No. 4 got his hands on the ball.

Smith was doing it about any way he wanted to. He was winning one-on-one matchups against a top 10 passing defense and he was maneuvering through the secondary to find himself wide open for big plays. Each time Howard threw the ball toward Smith’s direction, you could sense the impending doom awaiting the Oregon fans and the anticipation to celebrate for the scarlet and gray.

What’s more impressive about Smith’s performance is that most of his damage came in the first half. Smith had five catches for 161 yards as Ohio State was comfortably ahead 34-8 at the break, while Oregon has accumulated only 131 total yards.

It’s bee quite the run for Smith since a loss to Michigan knocked the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten title game. Through two playoff games, Smith now has 13 catches for 290 yards and four touchdowns as Ohio State has gone up against two of the top defensive units in the country. 

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There may have been an extra incentive for Smith to show out against Oregon. Leading up to the Rose Bowl, he recalled the disappointment of the one-point loss to the Ducks in October and how that experienced helped Wednesday’s performance.

“We knew we had to get the ball to the perimeter, take shots and just win one-on-one matchups, and that’s what we did,” Smith said. 

Oregon coach Dan Lanning had Smith capabilities in that first meeting as he finished with nine catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. 

Now after seeing Smith befuddle his defense again, Lanning believes he’s ready for the next level – even if he has to wait two more seasons. 

“He’s strong, attacks the ball in the air as well as any receiver I’ve ever seen. The guy is NFL-ready. He’s that talented and that special,” Lanning said. “He’s got all the tools. A really talented player.”

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There is some irony that Ohio State is full of veterans and transfers lured through name, image and likeness, yet it’s a true freshman that’s setting the tone in the postseason. 

But that was the feeling Buckeyes coach Ryan Day had when Smith first stepped foot on campus. 

You just aren’t the nation’s top recruit by accident. Day said Smith has a serious demeanor and isn’t one to talk much, but whenever he does speak up, “people listen.”

“He had a look in his eye he wanted to make an impact as a freshman,” Day said. 

It’s clear there’s maturity, accountability and confidence in Smith. He recalled telling Howard, who had his own big day with 319 passing yards and three touchdowns, just to get the ball to him and other receivers and they’ll make the play for him.

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“It doesn’t matter if it’s a bad ball or not, we’ll make our quarterback look good,” Smith said. 

Ohio State has been a cottage industry of producing standout receivers in recent years. Smith is looking every bit of someone who will be on the NFL draft stage in 2027. Before then, Buckeyes fans have the rest of this playoff run and more to marvel at their new star.

“He’s got a couple more years until he goes, but he’s as good as I’ve ever seen,” Kelly said.



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Ohio State Buckeyes Transfer Expected to Land with Rising Big Ten Opponent

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Ohio State Buckeyes Transfer Expected to Land with Rising Big Ten Opponent


The Ohio State Buckeyes have seen a handful of players opt to enter the NCAA transfer portal. One of them is offensive lineman Zen Michalski.

Michalski joined Ohio State in the 2021 recruiting class. In that class, he was the No. 22 ranked offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 3 recruit in the state of Indiana.

When he originally committed, the Buckeyes felt that he had a chance to become a huge piece of the future. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.

Now, it sounds like he has found his new team. That team also happens to be a rising opponent for Ohio State in the Big Ten.

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According to a report from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Michalski is expected to take his talents and transfer to the Indiana Hoosiers.

Joining the Hoosiers will be somewhat of a homecoming for Michalski. He is from Indiana and will be joining a team that ended up making the College Football Playoff this season.

Under head coach Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers are back on track. They got blown out in the playoff, but the program is building the right way and has a chance to be a very serious contender in the coming years.

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Michalski could end up being a huge get for Indiana. He would have a chance to play a consistent role and prove that he still has the ability that made him such a high-profile recruit back in 2021.

Coming into the offseason, the Hoosiers needed to find a right tackle. Michalski would be able to slide right into that position and start for Indiana. It’s a perfect fit for both the team and the player.

As for the Buckeyes, the loss of Michalski should not impact them much at all. He did not play much and they will have plenty of talented offensive line depth in 2025.

Seeing him land with the Hoosiers stings a bit, but Ohio State shouldn’t lose sleep over this likely outcome.





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Michigan State Insider Podcast: Recapping Spartans’ Win Over Ohio State

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Michigan State Insider Podcast: Recapping Spartans’ Win Over Ohio State


No. 18 Michigan State extended its win streak to seven games with its 69-62 victory over Ohio State on Thursday.

The Spartans went into Columbus and were able to pull off the road win, despite blowing a 14-point lead in the second half.

It was a valiant late-game effort for Michigan State, which improved to 12-2 on the season and is 1-0 to start 2025. The Spartans are also 3-0 in conference play.

Our Aidan Champion recaps the contest on this postgame edition of the Michigan State Spartans Insider Podcast.

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You can watch the episode below:

Michigan State senior center Szymon Zapala led the way with 15 points. He also recorded two blocks. Spartan senior guard Jaden Akins did his part on offense as well, scoring 14 in the victory.

Redshirt freshman guard Jeremy Fears Jr. was arguably the MVP of the game for the Spartans as he posted 6 points, six rebounds and seven assists.

Sophomore forward Xavier Booker had a bounce-back performance after falling off in his last two outings. He finished with 9 points and two blocks.

Junior forward Jaxon Kohler nearly ended up with another double-double, scoring 8 points while collecting 10 rebounds.

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Sophomore forward Coen Carr tallied 11 points. He was efficient from the charity stripe, knocking down 7-of-8 free throws.

The Spartans were tested by veteran guard Bruce Thornton, who was a huge part of the Buckeyes’ comeback late. They also had to deal with Ohio State’s leading scorer in the contest, junior guard Micah Parrish, who finished with 13 points and also excelled down the stretch.

Michigan State struggled from deep in the contest and continued to have trouble turning the ball over. But it was able to overcome those issues and secure the road win, a tough feat in the Big Ten, especially considering the setbacks.

The Spartans will look to build on their perfect start to conference play with a home matchup against Washington on Thursday. It will be the first time the two teams face off since 2010 when Michigan State narrowly defeated the Huskies, 76-71, in the Maui Invitational. That game is set for 8 p.m. EST.

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

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Texas Coach Gets Brutally Honest on Ohio State Matchup

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Texas Coach Gets Brutally Honest on Ohio State Matchup


The Ohio State Buckeyes look like a buzzsaw at the moment, and Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is well aware of that fact.

Ohio State will be facing Texas in the Cotton Bowl next Friday with a trip to the National Championship Game on the line, and Sarkisian understands that the Longhorns are big underdogs.

The Buckeyes have opened as 5.5-point favorites over Texas, which actually seems like a rather slim margin considering what they just did to the previously undefeated Oregon Ducks.

But keep in mind: the Cotton Bowl will actually be played in Arlington, so the Longhorns technically have homefield advantage.

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Still, it will be difficult to find anyone outside of the Lone Star State actually picking Texas in this game, and Sarkisian knows that.

“I need Longhorn Nation to show out in Arlington. We’re going to need everything we’ve got to try to win this game,” Sarkisian said, via Eleven Warriors. “Clearly, we’re massive underdogs. Nobody’s going to give us a shot. So we’re going to need all that we can to try to win this game.”

The Longhorns are one of the best teams in the country, but they don’t quite match Ohio State in terms of raw talent.

We saw the Buckeyes’ scary talent on display in the Rose Bowl, when they jumped out to a 34-0 lead against Oregon and ultimately came away with a 41-21 victory.

Meanwhile, Texas nearly lost to the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Peach Bowl, surviving in a double-overtime thriller.

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Of course, stranger things have happened on the football field, so Ohio State absolutely cannot take the Longhorns lightly.



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