Jeremiah Smith straight up WENT OFF against Maryland Saturday, scoring touchdowns on his first two touches and enhancing his Heisman profile, but No. 5 Ohio State’s 45-16 win was messy as heck right before a brutal three-game gauntlet that will define their season. Julian Sayin tossed four TD passes for the Buckeyes, helping them build a decent lead, but the sloppiness was a huge red flag given what’s coming up.
Smith Is Playing A Different Game, Man
Dude, Smith is just on another level right now. He had a season-low four catches for 93 yards, but holy smokes, he made every single one count. Turning those two short catches into dazzling scores in the first half? That’s just insane. He gave the Buckeyes a 7-0 lead by snatching a short pass, breaking a tackle, and bolting down the sideline for a 33-yard TD. Later, he restored order with his 11th TD in three weeks, and then pulled off a jaw-dropping one-handed grab before Sayin hit Mason Williams. We’re talking about a player who already owns every major Ohio State record and now has 38 career receiving TDs, just one shy of the Big Ten record. The source says he’s considered college football’s best player, and watching him, you just know it. Maryland had no answer for him, period.
Messy Wins Don’t Cut It Against Ranked Teams
While Smith was doing his thing, the rest of the Buckeyes were a bit of a mixed bag. Sayin connected with tight ends Nate Roberts and Mason Williams for TDs, helping them to a 31-10 halftime lead. But the “sloppy moments” were real. Maryland linebacker Daniel Wingate even picked off a deflected Sayin pass and returned it 51 yards for a TD in the third quarter, pulling them within 31-16 and sending a shiver through the Ohio State crowd. Plus, the Terrapins capitalized on four defensive penalties against Ohio State to get QB Malik Washington’s 5-yard TD run earlier. Coach Ryan Day, who just hit his 100th game at Ohio State with an 87-13 record, has *plenty* to gripe about this week. They eventually regrouped, with Bo Jackson putting it away with runs of 25 and 2 yards, but you can’t be making those mistakes when you’re No. 5 in the country.
Buckle Up: The Gauntlet Starts Next Week
This win, messy as it was, just warmed them up for what’s coming. The Terrapins, who are now 0-10 against Ohio State, are in the rearview mirror. Now, it’s time for the real test. The Buckeyes visit No. 7 Indiana next Saturday, a team that nipped them 13-10 in last season’s Big Ten championship. That sting has gotta fuel them. After that, they’ll head to No. 19 Southern California on Oct. 31 before hosting No. 13 Oregon on Nov. 7. That’s a three-game stretch that could absolutely define their entire season. If they play like they did against Maryland, it’s gonna be a tough road.
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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