Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is absolutely torching college football right now, and the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers are next in his sights for a massive Week 7 showdown. This guy isn’t just playing well, he’s averaging an insane 11.5 receptions for 211.5 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games alone. The defending national champion Hoosiers, currently riding a 22-game winning streak, will host the No. 4 Buckeyes this Saturday at 12 p.m. ET on FOX, a rematch of last season’s Big Ten Championship.
Indiana’s Past Trauma: Smith Went Off, Buckeyes Still Lost
The last time these two powerhouses met was in the 2025 Big Ten Championship, and if you’re Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, you’ve probably had nightmares about it. Smith absolutely ripped apart the Hoosiers’ defense, reeling in eight receptions for 144 yards. That was his fifth 100-plus-yard receiving game of that season, an incredible individual performance. The gut punch, though? Ohio State still lost the game, 13-10, after a brutal 7:57 drive ended with Buckeyes kicker Jayden Fielding missing a 22-yard field goal with just 2:48 left in the fourth quarter. Both teams were 12-0 heading into that title game, and it marked Indiana’s first win against Ohio State since 1988. So yeah, Smith can do his thing, but sometimes it just isn’t enough when the chips are down.
Smith Is Breaking Records and Big Ten Defenses
Fast forward to this season, and Smith is somehow even better. Through Ohio State’s first six games of 2026, he’s piled up a staggering 48 receptions for 916 yards, averaging 19.1 yards per reception, and has already hauled in 11 touchdowns. Those numbers don’t just lead the Big Ten, they’re second in the entire nation! And get this: in the Buckeyes’ recent Week 4 and 5 victories against Illinois and Iowa, Smith averaged a jaw-dropping 11.5 receptions for 211.5 yards and three touchdowns per game. FOX Sports Research confirmed he’s only the second player in Big Ten history to have back-to-back 200-plus-yard receiving games. No wonder Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti straight up said there’s “no one” like Smith “playing at this level.” The guy is a machine. He’s already Ohio State’s all-time leader in receptions (211), receiving yards (3,474), and receiving touchdowns (38). He’s only two touchdowns shy of taking the Big Ten all-time lead, currently held by Michigan’s Braylon Edwards with 39 scores. Smith also led the Big Ten in receiving yards in both 2024 (1,315) and 2025 (1,243), and receptions in 2025 (87), plus touchdowns in 2024 (15). He is just an absolute force.
A Glimmer of Hope For The Hoosiers?
While Smith’s 2025 Championship performance against Indiana was spectacular, it wasn’t always that way. Back in a Week 13 matchup in 2024, the Hoosiers came into the game undefeated at 10-0, but Ohio State stomped on that streak with a 38-15 win. The Buckeyes completely outgained Indiana in total yards, 316-151, with quarterback Will Howard completing 22 of 26 passes. What’s interesting is Smith had a much quieter day then: just three receptions for 34 yards, with a 12-yard carry. That 34-yard receiving total was the second-lowest of his entire three-year collegiate career. So, while Smith is on a historic tear right now, Indiana has shown they can, at least partially, keep him under wraps in the past and still lose the game.
This Saturday’s “Big Noon Kickoff” at 12 p.m. ET is going to be electric. Indiana is out for revenge from their undefeated streak being broken in 2024, and Ohio State wants to show last season’s championship loss was a fluke. With Smith playing at an otherworldly level, can the Hoosiers find a way to stop him and defend their 22-game win streak, or will he add another record-breaking performance to his already legendary resume?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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