Jeremiah Smith’s Heisman Trophy bid? Yeah, it’s pretty much done. His shot at the most coveted individual award in college football is likely lost after the Buckeyes picked up their third loss of the season. Ohio State got absolutely rocked by Oregon, going down 41-28 in a brutal beatdown on November 7.
Oregon Stuns the Buckeyes With a 38-Point Run
Talk about a gut punch. The Buckeyes actually started strong, leading 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. Things looked great, right? Wrong. What happened next was a complete collapse: they surrendered a shocking 38 straight points to the Ducks. Losing three regular season games for the first time in 15 years, that’s a stat that tells you everything about how this one felt. It wasn’t just a loss, it was a stunning upset that nobody in Columbus saw coming, especially not after that strong start.
Smith’s Late Efforts Can’t Save the Day
For Smith, a majority of his production in this game came when it was already too late. He was putting in work, sure, but it was after the Buckeyes trailed by multiple scores late in the fourth quarter. He caught a 13-yard touchdown pass with only 3:25 left on the clock. It’s tough, because this is the same guy who was striking a Heisman pose back on October 3, 2026, after catching a school record-breaking touchdown pass in their 31-14 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes. He’s got the talent, but when the team takes that kind of L, especially one that surrenders 38 unanswered points, it just crushes those individual dreams.
The Heisman is about leading your team to victory, about consistently being that game-changing force. When your team drops three games, and one in such a spectacular fashion, it’s almost impossible to keep that Heisman momentum rolling. It’s a tough pill to swallow for Smith and for Buckeyes fans everywhere.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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