The No. 12 Ohio State Buckeyes’ season took another hit on Saturday with a 41-28 home loss to the No. 23 Oregon Ducks, and Jeremiah Smith made his frustration clear for everyone to see.
The star wide receiver was caught screaming toward the Ohio State sideline late in the third quarter after making his first catch since the opening quarter with the Buckeyes trailing 31-14.
With Ohio State now 6-3 and its College Football Playoff hopes fading fast, one CBS Sports analyst believes that moment might have been a sign of things to come. In fact, he thinks Smith’s Buckeyes career came to an end Saturday in Columbus.
Is Jeremiah Smith’s Ohio State Career Over?
Former Alabama star turned analyst Damien Harris didn’t mince words after the loss during the CBS Sports postgame show.
“We just watched Jeremiah Smith play his last snap at Ohio State,” Harris said. “He’s done, he’s going to pack it up. He’s not playing anymore this season. The season is gone. We saw this isn’t a College Football Playoff team. They were already on the outside looking in, the season’s over.
“He’s already etched his name in history. He’s got the touchdown record, he’s got the reception record, he’s got a national championship. He’s not going to get a Heisman this year — what’s there to play for?”
“… In my opinion, there’s nothing to gain and everything to lose if you’re Jeremiah Smith. I don’t think that he plays again the rest of this season for Ohio State. And that’s not a knock on Ohio State, it’s not a knock on Ryan Day…it’s not a knock on Luke Fahey. It’s just there are bigger things out there for Jeremiah Smith than what the rest of this season has to offer.”
Harris isn’t wrong about Smith’s place in history.
The junior is already Ohio State’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
He also broke Braylon Edwards’ Big Ten record for career receiving touchdowns, and he helped Ohio State win a national championship as a freshman in 2024.
Why Jeremiah Smith Could Shut It Down
The bigger picture is what makes Harris’ prediction worth taking seriously.
Smith is widely viewed as the top prospect in the 2027 NFL draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him No. 1 on his big board and recently said there’s no way he finishes anywhere else, barring an injury.
“When you look at Jeremiah Smith, if you say grade and he’s a 99, the next guy would probably be a 96, 97,” Kiper said. “So, nobody’s going to be touching Jeremiah Smith in terms of rating for this draft.”
That’s a lot to risk for a season that appears to be slipping away. Things also haven’t been the same since quarterback Julian Sayin went down with an arm injury. Freshman Luke Fahey has now made two straight starts, and Ohio State has lost both games.
Smith still finished Saturday’s game with seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. But he went most of the second and third quarters without a target while Oregon ripped off 38 straight points, and the Ohio State faithful booed Fahey and Day as the game got away.
However, Harris himself left the door open for a final appearance against Michigan. There would be no bigger way for Smith to cap his Ohio State career.
“If he wants to continue to represent the brand, there’s still the game up north (against Michigan),” Harris stated. “It’s a possibility that’s still on the table.”
Jeremiah Smith Has Played His Last Snap for Ohio State, Says Analyst