Jeremiah Smith has been at the center of a storm since the Ohio State Buckeyes’ 41-28 loss to the Oregon Ducks on Saturday.
The star wide receiver went viral after cameras caught him screaming toward the Ohio State sideline late in the third quarter. And the moment has divided Buckeyes fans and media members alike.
Now, the man who built the Ohio State program into a juggernaut is weighing in on what happened.
Former Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer didn’t rip Smith for his outburst. But he did make it clear the 20-year-old needs to be more self aware when it comes to his behavior.
Urban Meyer Has Strong Message for Jeremiah Smith
During a recent episode of “The Triple Option” podcast, Meyer was asked what he would do if he were still coaching Smith. His answer was more of a teaching moment than a scolding.
“I would probably call him in and sit down and talk to him — and I know Jeremiah but I don’t know him,” Meyer said. “I know him because of what coach Day, and the strength coach, and what everyone tells me about this kid. He’s the perfect teammate, he’s the perfect worker, he’s got a lifestyle that there’s no question marks to it.
“So, I’d call him in and just say, ‘Realize the camera is on you as much as it is anyone else, probably anyone else in the United States of America. And he’s earned that. So, just hustle back and don’t let anyone start to question who you are.’”
In other words, Meyer isn’t questioning Smith’s character. He’s simply warning him that one heated moment can quickly change the narrative about him.
And that’s already started to happen.
Jeremiah Smith’s Outburst Sparked a Heated Debate
It’s not hard to understand why Smith was frustrated.
Ohio State jumped out to a 14-0 lead before Oregon scored 38 straight points. Smith went more than two full quarters without a catch. The grab that set him off late in the third quarter was his first since the opening quarter.
He still finished with seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. But most of that came after the game was out of reach.
Still, not everyone was sympathetic.
“You cannot be the best player in the country and a captain and all of the things that Jeremiah Smith is and go stomping down the field like a petulant child,” Jeremy Birmingham, who covers the Buckeyes for 97.1 The Fan, said on “Snap Judgments” after the game.
Smith didn’t respond directly. But he made his feelings known by reposting a defense from former Buckeyes lineman LeCharles Bentley, who argued that Smith’s frustration shouldn’t be treated as proof of immaturity.
That’s exactly the kind of conversation Meyer wants Smith to avoid.
Smith has 69 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. He’s said this will most likely be his last in Columbus. With the Buckeyes (6-3) fighting to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive, Ohio State is going to need him at his best, not as a viral clip.
Urban Meyer Sends Stern Warning to Jeremiah Smith After Going Off on Ohio State Coaches