Jeremiah Smith blasted a hole in the Heisman Trophy conversation right out of the gate, hauling in eight passes for a massive 151 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone for the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes against Ball State. This isn’t just a sensational performance; it’s a direct challenge to every quarterback in the early race, especially when you consider how rare it is for a wide receiver to even be in this discussion.
Smith’s Sensational Start and the QB Problem
Smith was absolutely electric, leading the Buckeyes to a dominant 56-3 home win. Think about this: he ripped off a 48-yard touchdown catch in air-tight coverage to open the scoring! Then, to cap off the first half, he got a nifty toe-tap touchdown in the final seconds of the second quarter, putting OSU up 27-3. The dude literally struck a Heisman pose afterward. You love to see that confidence. It’s a huge statement because since 2000, quarterbacks have won the Heisman 21 times, compared to just three running backs, one wide receiver, and one two-way player. Smith is making a killer case that he deserves to break that trend. His quarterback, Julian Sayin, looked great too, completing 21-of-25 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns without a single pick. Sayin was done early in the third quarter after setting up a 65-yard touchdown rush.
Manning Rises Early, Moore and Hoover Impress
While Smith is turning heads as a receiver, Texas quarterback Arch Manning also got his second season as a starter off to a blistering start. He completed 20-of-27 passes for 305 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in a 59-7 home rout of Texas State. Manning threw two of those scores to Cam Coleman, then found Hollywood Smothers for a 13-yard touchdown that put Texas up 41-7, ending his day with 7:55 left in the third. It was a fantastic showing, and Manning, currently at +1100 odds alongside Smith, faces a massive test next week when the No. 5 Longhorns host the No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in a rematch of last year’s season opener, which OSU won 14-7. A big performance there could absolutely vault him into the early Heisman lead.
Elsewhere, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore had himself a day, throwing for 378 yards and three touchdowns on 28-of-37 passing in a gritty 34-27 home win over the Boise State Broncos. The No. 2 Ducks had to fight back after being down 17-7 early, but Moore helped them score 17 straight points and later secured a 34-27 advantage with a 62-yard touchdown to Dakorien Moore. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover stepped into big shoes, following a Heisman winner, and dropped four touchdowns on 13-of-16 passes for 231 yards in a 52-16 win over North Texas. The dude got busted up during the game, drawing a facemask penalty, but still kept playing. Talk about toughness! One of every four of his throws was a touchdown, which is just wild. Hoover and the Hoosiers will now face Howard on Saturday.
The stage is set for next week’s Texas vs. Ohio State clash. That game is going to be HUGE, and for both Manning and Smith, it’s a chance to stake a serious claim in what’s shaping up to be a wild Heisman race. Don’t miss it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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